Classical Home Education Support (CHES)
What is a Classical Education?
There’s a long history of very well educated people in the world who received a classical education. It is a fallacy to think that classical education is irrelevant to a modern day society because we have so much technology and knowledge that has come into existence since people received such an education. In reality, a classical education can give a solid foundation to a student, which can then help them to cope with the abundance of knowledge that we have in the world today. A classical education aims to educate the “whole person” rather than produce specialists who have knowledge only in their area of expertise.
- It is language-intensive, not image-focused. Language requires the mind to work harder. The brain must translate a symbol into a concept when reading. Images, (videos, television) allow the mind to be passive.
- It is history-intensive, providing students with a comprehensive view of human endeavor from the beginning until present. Emphasis is on reading and studying classic literature and the chronological study of history. In the early years concentration is on stories and biographies. Eventually, reading the ‘Great Books’ will give the older student an excellent understanding of thought throughout the ages. Books are also teachers and great books are great teachers!
"To be truly educated is to be able to learn from these teachers rather than having another "teacher" lecture to you about what the real teachers have written." Dorothy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning
Classical education for beginning readers includes:
- Training in the written and spoken language, conversation, and a "just phonics" program such as Pathway Phonics or The Ordinary Parent’s Guide for Teaching Reading.
- Instructional reading.
It takes great patience, frequency, and consistency!
Finally, the goal of our Classical Home Education Support Pathway is to equip our parent/teachers with the tools they need to teach their students how to learn and think for themselves. Ultimately, our hope is for our students to become lifelong learners.
What is the Trivium Classical Education Approach?
The Trivium is a 3-part process of training the mind which includes the "Grammar Stage", "Logic Stage" and the "Rhetoric Stage". The Trivium can be used to describe three developmental stages, a method of learning all subjects, and finally, these three words can refer to the self-contained subjects.
- Grammar Stage: The Early Years K-4th
Provides the building blocks of learning.
Focus is on memorization of facts. - Logic Stage: The Middle Years 5th-8th
Analytical
Focus is on development of analytical thinking skills, abstract thought, cause and effect, and the way facts fit together into a logical framework. - Rhetoric Stage: High School Years
Builds on the first two stages.
Focus is on fluent, forceful, original self-expression in speech and writing. Specialization in areas of interest.
To become involved in this program, begin by reading The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education by Susan Wise-Bauer and Jesse Wise, upon which PACT's Classical Home Education Support Pathway is primarily based.
Contact Dani Sigurdson, Academic Enrichment Specialist, at 419-3788x103 if you have questions or would like more information.
CHES Meetings & Parent Seminars
CHES Meetings offer an opportunity to meet like-minded parents who would like to network with others and share their discoveries as well as the trials and tribulations of using a classical approach to homeschooling. Consequently, it is also provides an opportunity for continuing education. Meetings are held in the conference room the first Wednesday of the month. The meeting time is from 12:30 - 2:30 a.m. Childcare is provided at no charge to our families.