Is the Classical Education Method Too Rigorous for Children?

Parents who are interested in a classical education often worry that the curriculum will be too rigorous for their children. Discipline and a challenging curriculum are definitely part of the classical education method.

However, this doesn't mean that education has to be boring. The classical education method actually reinforces the idea that students should be encouraged to do what they find naturally enjoyable during certain phases in their lives.

For example, children in grammar school are great at memorizing things. They enjoy reciting songs and rhymes. Sometimes they like it so much that they make up their own. In this method, the grammar phase relates to this inclination by concentrating on factual learning.

If you have ever had a child in the junior high years you are probably aware that children in this stage are very likely to question and argue. The classical education method applies this tendency to logic and reasoning.

In this phase, children need to learn how to argue based on the facts that they learned in the grammar phase.

When a child hits the third and last phase, normally in the high school years, students' interests shift from internal to external concerns.

Teenagers in this phase are more prone to have concerns how they are perceived. In the rhetoric phase, children are taught how to share their thoughts and ideas so that they are well understood.

A classical education helps children develop a true sense of success. Because the classical education method holds children to an objective standard, they obtain a better sense of what they can and cannot do. This type of educational method provides a practical and accurate assessment of a child's capabilities.

Learning, hard work, and fun can be intertwined. Learning in each of the stages should be enjoyable and challenging. When students learn according to the stage that they are in, it is easy to recognize that students love to learn.

Learning can be very exciting for children. This way of teaching increases an appreciation for education in children, and their desire to pursue additional knowledge.

Author Info:

Discover How to Raise Your Child to Be a True Leader with Our Classical Christian-based Leadership Program. Great for Homeschoolers and Other Parents Who Want to Make Sure their Child Gets the Best Leadership Training Possible.