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Alexandria Classical Academy

Classical

The trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric

Classical education is a liberal arts education aimed at the formation of virtue and the cultivation of proper affections by rooting the scholar in his place in history using time-tested tools of learning and the great literature of the Western tradition.

The trivium forms the central core and framework of the educational process. These are the three disciplines that make up a classical education — Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.

I

Grammar

Grades K–5
  • During the grammar phase, we seek to “cut with the grain.” We take advantage of a child’s excitement and propensity to memorize. Songs, clever chants, and rhymes are used to equip the scholar with the necessary information (grammar) of subjects such as Bible, history, math, Latin, and more.
  • This phase involves lots of hands-on work, field trips, science projects, and nature studies. These activities are used to cultivate love and a sense of awe for the creation that God has given to us.
  • Perhaps the best part about this phase is a child’s propensity and hunger for stories. The stories we tell shape our loves (affections) and help us see ourselves as characters in a larger story. We choose stories that pass on some aspect of what is true, good, and beautiful.
II

Logic

Grades 6–8
  • During this phase we welcome middle schoolers’ desire to challenge, question, and ask “why.” They naturally want to know how one data point relates to another. The logic phase embraces this desire to argue and directs it toward a virtuous pursuit of truth.
  • This phase involves more discussion as we pursue truth together. We use debate, formal logic, reports, and drama to teach how to profitably reason through a given subject.
III

Rhetoric

Grades 9–12
  • At this phase, scholars desire to present themselves well. They have the tools — but how can they use them persuasively to communicate their own ideas and conclusions? The rhetoric phase teaches the scholar to do this in speech and writing while remaining rooted in wisdom and truth.
  • This phase involves drama, oral presentations, debates, and worldview discussions.

Additional Resources

Want to go deeper on the what and why of classical education? Our blog and the resources listed below are a great place to start.