If you happen to be a parent and have been wanting to investigate the different educational approaches for your children, the three stages of classical education is worth considering for their respective formation and development. The three stages of classical education are:
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- Grammar
- Dialectic
- Rhetoric
Grammar focuses on understanding language; dialogic focuses on understanding reason; and rhetoric focuses on understanding how to speak and write eloquently.
Many of us were raised with the assumption that grammar is the study of proper word usage and sentence structure, that dialectic is the investigation of different truth options, and that rhetoric is the art of effective persuasion, but these perceptions may not be entirely accurate.
In regards to Grammar
The grammar stage teaches students to speak, read, and write well. The priority of the grammar stage is to learn the classical languages, which are Greek and Latin, and to read and write about classical literature with skill and eloquence.
The heart and soul of grammar, as the ancients understood it, is, in fact, the learning of Greek and Latin. Understanding grammar as the learning of classical languages might, indeed, sound strange to the modern mindset, but the very language that we take for granted, on a day to day basis, is rooted in these classical languages. The English word for school, for example, comes from the Greek word, schole´, which means restful learning.
Classical educators introduce their pupils to Latin at an earlier age because children, particularly in the younger years, generally learn best through imitation (they can mimic what they see from adults). A child’s formation at the grammar stages eventually gives birth to the reasoning of classical languages as they apply, not only to sentence structure, etymology, and syntax, but also to the subjects as well, to history, to geography, to philosophy, and theology.
In regards to Dialectic
The dialectic stage teaches students how to think well, and to ask the right questions in conversation. The dialectic stage of classical education focuses on asking the right questions in constructive discussions to reach well-reasoned conclusions. During the pre-teen years of development, children gain the capacity to ask questions while expecting a reasoned response.
Dialectic builds on the already mastered material, covered in the grammar stage. Vibrant communication, on a given topic, often grants us the opportunity to engage with people whom we might disagree with to reach a well-reasoned outcome thoughtfully.
A classical teacher will, thereby, train students to identify helpful questions and answers, so that conversations might reach well-reasoned conclusions, which are relevant to the matter at hand.
In regards to Rhetoric
The rhetoric stage is the art of persuasive language. Building on the grammar and dialectic stages, students learn the craft of appealing to the mind, will, and affections of a given audience through their command of language and reason.
Great speakers are generally compelling because they can eloquently reach the whole person by engaging the intellect, the reasoning, and the affections of their audiences.
Students in the classical tradition learn to engage an audience persuasively because they have already mastered the grammar stage of language and the dialectic stage of reason.
But is there more to Classical education than grammar, logic and rhetoric?
Though grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric are crucial components to classical education, they do not exist on their own. People, in the Middle Ages, called the three stages of classical education the trivium, which is the Latin word for “the three ways.”
The trivium, or the three stages of classical education, exist as a part of a broader tradition, called “the seven liberal arts”, which Dorothy Sayers calls “The Tools of Learning”. The seven liberal arts have two distinct parts. The trivium, as I’ve laid out, is the arts of language, and the quadrivium is the arts of numbers.
The Trivium:
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- Grammar
- Dialectic
- Rhetoric
The Quadrivium:
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- Arithmetic
- Music
- Geometry
- Astronomy
The seven liberal arts, however, exist in a broader tradition, of which we would also categorize as Classical education, including an additional focus on the areas of:
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- Piety
- Gymnastics
- Musical Training
- Philosophy
- Theology
The information I have provided about grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric is derived from a book, co-authored by Keven Clark and Ravi Jain, entitled The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education. Clark and Jain argue that the seven liberal arts were never meant to stand on their own exclusively as an entire curriculum. Instead, a holistic curriculum must service the whole person, body, soul, and mind. If you’re interested in classical education, you will find this book an enjoyable read that you will want to (re)visit over and over again.
For an informed understanding of classical education, I also recommend reading Dorothy Sayers. In 1947, she wrote an outstanding essay, entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning.” If you’re unfamiliar with classical education, and if you’re interested in learning more, Sayer’s helpful insights will provide invaluable information on the trivium and quadrivium.