Have you ever wondered why memorization remains vital for high school students, especially in an age of instant access to information? For many parents, the challenge lies in inspiring their teens to embrace memory work as more than just rote repetition.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail offers a remarkable case study in the value of memory. Without reference books, the internet, or even a quiet study space, Dr. King composed one of history’s most compelling essays. His work demonstrates how a well-trained memory can fuel eloquence, clarity, and persuasion.

By examining the rhetorical techniques employed in this letter—particularly his use of the canon of memoria (memory)—we’ll uncover the enduring benefits of memorization.

Dive into this article, Memoria that Makes a Mark, to explore how memory work equips students to think critically, communicate effectively, and leave a lasting impact on the world. This is a must-read from the Classical Conversations Challenge A guide.

The Persuasive Power of the Canons of Rhetoric

In April of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King was arrested for participating in a protest march that was part of an effort to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. While he was in jail, someone brought him a copy of a newspaper that contained an open letter from a group of local clergymen.

The letter questioned the timing and methods of the civil rights demonstrations. Dr. King began writing his now famous response to that letter on the margin of the newspaper in which it was published. Later, his attorney convinced the local jailers to allow him to leave Dr. King a legal pad on which he completed his writing.

“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”: A Classical Persuasive Essay

If you have never read “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” you have missed a gem. (You can read the whole letter HERE.) What is so impressive about it is not only the message that it communicates (although it is an important one) but also the structure of the letter itself and the circumstances under which it was written.

He was in jail. He had no reference books, no encyclopedia, no library, and no Internet. He had no resources except paper, pen, and the mind that God gave him. Yet, when you look closely at the letter, you will see an excellent example of a classical persuasive essay.

When communicating their message, classical rhetoricians commonly utilize the Five Common Topics of Invention, the Five Canons of Rhetoric, the three modes of persuasion, and various rhetorical devices, including:

• similes
• metaphors
• parallelism
• asking questions, and others

In this letter, Dr. King employs all of these techniques to great effect.

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

Let’s take a closer look at his use of a few of these elements. The Five Canons of Rhetoric are invention, arrangement, elocution, memory, and delivery. These skills were first codified in classical Rome as essential steps in crafting effective communication.

King’s practiced and appropriate use of the Five Canons of Rhetoric is plain in the composition of his letter.

• Invention: King thought of the ideas to respond to the clergymen’s arguments.
• Arrangement: He organized these ideas using the classical form.
• Elocution: Thorough editing of the letter was used for final publication.
• Memory: King relied on his ability to recall historical references and rhetorical techniques.
• Delivery: He completed the cycle by publishing the letter to its intended audience.

Invention: Employing the Five Common Topics

King considered the arguments of the local clergyman and began to construct his response. He demonstrated a strong command of the Five Common Topics of Invention—definition, comparison, relationship, circumstance, and testimony.

The exact method that King used to think of ideas is lost to history. Given the circumstances under which the letter was written, I suspect that most of the ideas were the result of divine revelation as he sat there reading the newspaper and thinking of how he would respond if he could but speak to these gentlemen in person.

Keep in mind that his thorough classical education provided fertile ground for the seeds of inspiration to sprout.  As Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

But we can see a few of the breadcrumbs that King left behind which show how he crafted a compelling argument.

• Definition: Dr. King explains who and what the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is.
• Comparison: Comparison is used to distinguish between just and unjust laws, and when King compares the pace of political progress in America to the pace in Africa and Asia.
• Relationship: As he discusses a list of events that led up to the demonstrations, King utilizes relationship in his argument.
• Circumstance: The topic of circumstance is his impetus for writing the letter in the first place.
• Testimony: He also liberally uses the topic of authority, citing several historical examples to strengthen his case.

Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Dr. King’s intuitive understanding that his letter needed to be both winsome and persuasive and that he needed to appeal to more than one aspect of the character of his audience is demonstrated throughout the piece by his inclusion of the rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos in his letter.

The opening of the letter shows ethos, or authority, as he states, “I am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” (King 1963, ¶2, 3). Therefore, it is right for him to be there.

Logos, King’s reasoning, is also distinct in several places in the letter. For example, he cites the clergymen’s argument that they deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But, he points out, their statement “fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations” (King 1963, ¶5).  Their logic is flawed because, had the injustices been dealt with appropriately, the demonstrations would never have taken place.

One of the most effective sections of the letter is when he employs the mode of pathos, the appeal to emotions. His explicit descriptions of the effects of racist acts are heart-wrenching. By using all three classical modes of persuasion, Dr. King hoped not only to change the minds of his readers, but to compel them to action.

Rhetorical Devices: Schemes and Tropes

Dr. King is famous for his effective use of schemes and tropes. This letter does not disappoint on that score. In fact, one of his most memorable quotes originates from this letter.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”

is an example of the scheme of epistrophe (repetition of a word or phrase at the end of a line).

His use of anaphora (repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a line), in which the phrase “when you” is repeated, is particularly arresting.

A reader might begin the letter by feeling himself disconnected and unaffected by the acts described, but by the time the phrase “when you…when you…when you…” is reiterated multiple times, the reader can no longer deny the common humanity that joins him inextricably to the victims.

Memory: The Foundation of Invention

Returning to the Five Canons of Rhetoric, Dr. King’s use of the canon of memory is particularly remarkable. The skill of memory is traditionally employed to memorize the persuasive composition after it is written.  King instead used it as part of the process of invention.

Remember, he had no texts available for reference as he wrote. He crafted his writing based solely on what he had already learned. He referred to many historical authorities as he wrote, including the Apostle Paul, Socrates, Reinhold Niebuhr, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Bunyan, and several others.

King also used the canon of testimony by referring to the Bible and the writings of other great authors. And he remembered all of this while sitting in a jail cell with nothing to do but “write long letters, think long thoughts, and pray long prayers” (King, ¶ 48).

He had accrued a rich storehouse of schema from which to glean in this crucial time.

The Relevance of Memory and Delivery in Education

By the time students reach high school, they have usually outgrown the zeal for memory work that comes naturally to younger children. However, as Dr. King’s experience demonstrates, it is important that they continue to practice this critical skill and to share what they have memorized with others.

We want our students to practice the canons of memory and delivery to hone the skills of effective oral communication. But, more importantly, we want them to memorize important information and beautiful language so they can draw on them later as they begin a new invention process.

Training Future Leaders to Impact the World

Our aspirations for our students exceed our desire for them to learn to write proficiently so that they can score well on college entrance exams and get good jobs. We endeavor to train the next generation to think clearly and communicate effectively so that they can impact the world for Christ. This is what Dr. King was able to do with the skills he acquired over the years.

My prayer is that, like King, our students will use what they learn to leave a lasting mark for the Kingdom of Christ. Just as Dr. King’s mastery of the five canons of rhetoric allowed him to craft a message that changed the world, the Challenge program helps students develop these timeless skills.

Discover how it can empower your students to think deeply, communicate clearly, and leave a lasting impact.

Check out Challenge

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If the words “science fair” fill you with dread, you’re not alone. Many homeschool parents feel uncertain about guiding their child through a science fair project. But what if this challenge could become an incredible learning opportunity for both you and your student?

As a homeschool mom who once dreaded science fairs, Jennifer Courtney, Chief Academic Officer at Classical Conversations Multimedia, offers practical tips and lessons from the Challenge A guide to help you transform science fair anxiety into a meaningful learning experience.

Whether you’re intimidated by the experiments, unsure how to guide your child, or hesitant about stepping outside your comfort zone, Jennifer encourages parents that participating in science fair is worth the effort and deeply rewarding too.

Discover how to make your science fair experience not just manageable but memorable and how you and your child can grow in knowledge, perseverance, and curiosity.

Overcoming Science Fair Fears

Imagine this: an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The main character: a parent who did a horrible job on her junior high science fair project.

Fast-forward to the present day. The plot: the parent is now trapped in an endless cycle of producing science fair projects until she finally gets it right.

In all seriousness, I must confess that I approached the Challenge A science fair project with a mixture of fear and dread. By the time I reached my son’s age, it had already been decided that I was a literature and languages person, not a science person.

Even though I found science texts interesting, and I made good grades, by age 13, I already wholeheartedly believed in the airtight categories of science people, math people, English people, art people, and so on. Therefore, I did not try very hard to come up with a great project; after all, no one expected me to—not even me.

Read How Classical Education Integrates All Subjects

I was determined that my son would have a completely different science fair experience. I just was not sure that I was equipped to give it to him. Still, I started off by expecting great things of both of us.

I am happy to report that he completed his project successfully and that we both learned a lot along the way. If you are like me, there are certain homeschool experiences that you fear and dread and may avoid altogether.

I hope the lessons we learned through our experience will encourage you to branch out of your comfort zone.

Lesson #1: Pick a Science Fair Topic that Interests Your Child

My son suggested we look for a chemistry-related project since I was teaching chemistry in Challenge III at the time. Brilliant!

After some quick Internet research, we found what seemed to be the perfect project for a 13-year-old boy who plays a lot of tennis. We decided to build a colorimeter to test the blue dye in sports drinks like Gatorade.

Even though we had some rough patches throughout this project, he remained interested in the main question because it was relevant to his life. He drank a lot of sports drinks.

Lesson #2: Pick a Science Fair Project Your Child Can Complete Mostly on His Own but that is Still Challenging

Here is where we fell down just a bit. The project we chose was labeled ‘average’ in its difficulty level. I later realized that the label on the Sciencebuddies website was intended for a much older student.

The first task for our project was to use a breadboard to build an electric circuit that would focus an LED light on a photocell. Then, we would place tiny containers of colored liquid between the light and the cell and use an electrical meter to read how the dye in the liquid interfered with the transmission of the light. All of this depended on correctly wiring the circuit and getting our LED to light up.

Uh-oh! This presented trouble of a kind that mom and dad could not solve since neither of us knew anything about building electrical circuits. However, we did know about how to find answers when we were stuck.

So, as a family, we decided to head to RadioShack (a store for folks who liked to build their own radios and electrical projects) to get some help (by this time, we had roped in Grandpa to work on the project, too). This trip and two others taught us the next important lesson.

Lesson #3: Relish Learning Something New Even if it Proves Harder than You Thought

After we tried researching online documents and videos that would help us repair our circuit, it became clear that we needed to take the old-fashioned approach—find real-life experts.

Learning from people interested in your topic is one way to find answers when we are stuck. During our multiple trips to RadioShack, we spent time with an employee who was working on a degree in electrical engineering and a customer who was working to patent a new microchip for street racers.

These two young men spent a good deal of time showing my son how to repair his circuit. More importantly, they explained how each component in the circuit works. They showed him how to read engineering diagrams of electrical circuits.

Not only did we receive an impromptu class from these electrical hobbyists, but my son, Ben, received a healthy dose of enthusiasm for wiring electrical circuits. He brought home several project guides and planned to expand on his newfound knowledge by building a doorbell and an alarm for his room.

Lesson #4: Carefully Complete Your Science Fair Experiment and Record Your Results Using the Scientific Method

Our Challenge A Tutor bought each student a composition book for their research notebook. Ben carefully recorded his materials, hypothesis, definitions, procedures, and results. This step taught him important study skills for college-level labs.

He learned each step of the scientific method and then learned to carefully record each step of his project. Finally, his dad spent a few evenings teaching him how to create graphs in Microsoft Excel for display on his board.

Embracing the Science Fair Journey: Lessons for Lifelong Learning

Looking back, we are so proud of Ben for his persistence and diligence. We are thrilled by our newfound knowledge of electricity, chemistry, and graphing. Familiarity truly breeds curiosity!

Today, Ben is experimenting with electrical circuits and creating graphs on his computer just for fun. This journey wasn’t just about completing a project. It was about nurturing a love of learning and perseverance that will last a lifetime.

If you’re about to embark on your own Challenge A science fair adventure, know that the process is worth it. From tackling new challenges to discovering unexpected passions, both you and your child can grow in incredible ways.

To learn more about how the Classical Conversations Challenge A program makes science fair an enriching experience, explore these blog posts and podcasts:

• Your Guide to a Successful Homeschool Science Fair
• What is Challenge A?
• Help Me Help My Student-Science Fair

Discover how our Challenge programs can help cultivate curiosity, confidence, and academic growth in your homeschool.

Classical Conversations Challenge Programs

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Is your student in Challenge IV, preparing and writing for their Senior Thesis? Or, will your child soon enter Challenge IV and already feels intimidated by the prospect of writing such an intensive paper?

Although Senior Thesis can be a difficult task, the rewards of this capstone project that ends students’ high school journey are abundant.

What Is the Challenge IV Senior Thesis?

The Greek word thesis means “something put forth.” The Classical Conversations Senior Thesis is an opportunity for Challenge IV students to “put forth” their ideas.

Students pick any academic topic that interests them and incorporate significant and relevant ideas from across the Challenge programs. They develop a persuasive thesis statement and then prove their claim in a sizable paper.

Later, they present and defend their thesis before a panel in lieu of final exams. The Senior Thesis is the culmination of a student’s entire school experience in which they offer up the fruits of their labors.

Supporting Students Through the Senior Thesis Process

As ominous as a paper of this size may sound, this project doesn’t need to be intimidating. Students work through the process of writing their papers over the course of the second semester. They have rich conversations with their Director each step of the way.

In addition, they are guided by parents and chosen mentors. And, Challenge IV students follow a writing process similar to the one learned in their study of The Lost Tools of Writing in the earlier Challenge levels but adapted for older, more mature students.

Using the Five Canons of Rhetoric

Senior Thesis naturally takes students through the Five Canons of Rhetoric to create a compelling, well-researched paper.

Beginning with Invention, students select a topic and ask questions about it using the Five Common Topics of Dialectic to develop a claim (or thesis) to be proven. At this stage, an ANI (affirmative-negative-interesting) chart is helpful for building arguments and selecting and then sorting supporting evidence.

Next comes Arrangement, in which students solidify the vision and reinforce the direction of their papers, organizing their information and creating outlines.

In the Elocution stage, ideas finally hit the paper as students write and refine their first drafts. Through numerous reviews, students and advisors consider the flow of ideas, the argumentation, the style, and the mechanics of the paper. Students then write an abstract — a short, clear summary of the thesis and main ideas included in the paper.

Finally, students memorize their abstracts and prepare for delivering an oral presentation and defense of their work in front of judges at a Senior Thesis defense held at their local community.

Why Write a Senior Thesis?

The benefits of writing a Senior Thesis are many:

• Students produce a rhetorical artifact that represents the skills and abilities gained throughout their years in the Classical Conversations programs.
• They demonstrate true ownership of their education by coordinating with an advisor, planning and completing a long-term project, and publicly defending their positions.
• Presenting their theses before a panel allows students to incorporate all three modes of persuasion: logos (logic), ethos (character), and pathos (emotion).
• Students can earn college credit through CC Plus for their Senior thesis, which gives them a head start on their next steps toward college.

Throughout the Challenge years, students encounter and discuss big ideas, and the Senior Thesis is a beautiful culmination of their educational experience.

Want to learn more about the capstone events in the Challenge programs? Check out these blogs to give you insight into each level:

• Your Guide to the Challenge Program
• Challenge III: Host a Poetry Café in Your Local Community
• Challenge II: Protocol
• Challenge I: 14 Benefits of a Homeschool Debate Curriculum
• Challenge B: I Survived Mock Trial
• Challenge A: Your Guide to a Successful Homeschool Science Fair

Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.

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Did you ever wish someone had instilled a love of learning in you when you were young? Many homeschool parents feel unprepared when it comes to teaching their children the lifelong classical skills of learning, especially when those skills weren’t part of their own education.

But here’s the good news: learning is a natural process, especially for young children. By using the Five Core Habits of Grammar—Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, and Storytelling—you can equip your children with the tools they need to explore God’s world with wonder and joy.

The classical model of education is a method that works with your child’s natural curiosity and love for learning. These core habits are more than academic tools; they are daily practices that help children engage with ideas, absorb knowledge, and express their creativity.

In this article, we’ll walk through each of the Five Core Habits and show you how to implement them at home. Just like you “dress” your child for the day, these habits will help you clothe their minds with the skills they need to learn—and love—what’s true, good, and beautiful.

The Original Meaning of Habit

The earliest English definition of habit is: “to garb, dress, or clothe.”   This meaning stems from the Latin root, habitus, which means “condition, demeanor, appearance, dress.”

Modern English speakers rarely use this definition anymore except in the cases of a “nun’s habit” or a “riding habit.” For our purposes, let’s return to the original definition as we consider the Five Core Habits of Grammar.

Nurturing Habits: Preparing for Learning

Remember mornings when you wrangled your squirmy toddler into their clothes?

You probably selected their outfit based on the season and weather, the day’s upcoming activities, what was laundered, and those favorite toddler clothing “preferences.” As your child bounced out of the room, they were ready to meet the day. You had practiced the “habit” of nurturing.

In the same way, practicing the Five Core Habits of Grammar helps us garb, dress, and clothe our children with good habits for learning. The classical skills of Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, and Storytelling (NAMES) build knowledge and lay the groundwork for future studies.

Drawing on a young child’s natural curiosity and inclination to absorb all manner of ideas and facts, the Five Core Habits prepares them for a wonder-filled encounter with God’s Creation.

Let’s start with “putting on” the habit of Attending.

Attending: Seeing the World with New Eyes

Creation is God’s classroom. To practice the core habit of Attending, children need time. By slowing down and encouraging them to use their senses, children become aware of the wonders around them.

As we practice this habit, an ordinary day becomes a game of hide-and-seek. Be prepared. These explorations are frequently unplanned and spontaneous. In other words, dawdling and getting messy are required!

Asking questions helps children focus and experience the world from all angles. Try sensory questions such as:

• What do you see?
• Hear?
• Smell?
• Feel?
• Taste?

A fall leaf, a freshly baked brownie, a crescent moon, or a well-designed bridge become unexpected amazements for both you and your child.

Asking comparison questions adds another layer to “seeing” as children grow in their practice of Attending.

New discoveries can be compared to previous ones, and exploring similarities and differences helps children ponder what something is and what it is not. Comparing opens the door to every part of God’s Creation.

Naming: Building Knowledge through Words

Children ask all kinds of questions, but their favorite by far is, “What’s that?”

Naming is how young children grow in their understanding of the world’s particulars through engagement and relationship. It’s a give-and-take between the “asker” and the “answerer.”

Children need experts. And tag, YOU’RE it! Curiosity sparks questions, and your child’s repeated, and at times tedious, inquiries are really clues to their thoughts, interests, and passions.

Knowing the right word will help children deepen their understanding of what something is, how it is classified and categorized, and how it is unique from other things. Get ready to clothe your child’s mind with various words, terms, and names.

Consider adding new items to their wardrobe such as:

• field guides
• nature journals
• picture encyclopedias

Helping Children See the World in Rich Detail

For example, when your child sees a bird and asks its name, you practice the core habit of Naming by first pointing out and naming its parts, such as feather, beak, and wing. You might ask your child to use words to describe the bird’s color pattern, song, or movement.

As you talk together, you model how to use categories to richly describe the bird’s uniqueness, such as a songbird, shorebird, or raptor. These conversations guide your child’s gaze and broaden their understanding with new and rich words.

As your child acquires more words, they begin to recognize and categorize the types of birds. Knowing these will help your child identify whether they are seeing a pigeon or the rare Blue-eyed ground dove! The world’s complexities begin to form as harmonious parts of a whole instead of isolated fragments of facts.

The practice of Naming celebrates God’s world as a beautifully unique and unified Creation.

Memorizing: Anchoring Ideas with Familiarity

The core habit of Memorizing is like that favorite t-shirt your child demands to wear every day!

Familiarity is comfort. Memorized words and facts bring a similar comfort. As your child learns about this big and sometimes seemingly random world, they use their memory of the familiar to bring a sense of order and predictability.

That predictability is one reason they echo everything they hear! Big words, chants, rhymes, poems, jokes, and songs are ways children parrot back the words and ideas they hear.

They are beginning to create categories and build a library of ideas in their minds. This natural appetite to memorize is an invitation to parents. You have the privilege of choosing which beautiful scriptures, lovely poetry, rich vocabulary, thorough definitions, and foundational facts to add to your child’s library shelf.

Memorizing helps your child develop his or her understanding of the world. Their confidence grows as their wardrobe expands.

Expressing: Sharing Ideas with Creativity

Showing off their latest outfit is a favorite activity for most children! A newly acquired soccer uniform complete with MATCHING shin guards and t-shirt or that Cinderella dress with plastic glass slippers are treasures children are eager to model.

By practicing the core habit of Expressing, children share the ideas they love with the people they love. Using their whole body, children are enthusiastic to demonstrate what they’ve learned through dancing, singing, reciting, painting, cooking, building, sculpting, acting, or crafting.

Turning Wonder into Creativity and Connection

As children encounter the natural world, they spontaneously express astonishment and want to capture this excitement with movement. Young children express their creativity in spontaneous and unstructured ways.

As children mature, they become more deliberate when deciding how best to express their ideas. This maturing develops foresight and deepens understanding. The results are impressive.

For example, a few shells become an extensive collection, nature journals become works of art, and a few science facts about Mars become an impressive 3-D model.

Expressing helps children incarnate the words and ideas they’ve learned and memorized. It’s a child’s way of sharing all they’ve learned about the world with the world.

Storytelling: Connecting Through Shared Experiences

If you’re around a young child for a few minutes, you’ll discover their love for storytelling. Children love to share stories about the “and-then-this-happened” with whomever is in their path.

Putting on the core habit of Storytelling is not difficult, and it is lots of fun! Realizing the importance of a child’s experiences and their need to share with both spoken and written words are at the heart of this core habit.

Recounting events through Storytelling supports a child’s understanding of what they’ve learned and what they remember. When they share a best-loved story, children are practicing their understanding of what a story is—that it has a beginning, middle, and end and includes a setting, character, and plot.

Here are some other Storytelling benefits:

• When children recount a celebrated holiday, they practice using descriptive and expressive words.
• Remembering and narrating Bible stories deepens a child’s understanding of God’s ways and opens the door for life-changing conversations.
• When your child shares a recent discovery from their nature journal, he or she is sharpening their observation skills and engaging someone else in the joy of their discovery.

Storytelling is how children connect by sharing their delights, dreams, and disasters. It helps us, as parents, see the world from our children’s perspective, which adds to OUR wardrobe.

Garbed and Ready: The Power of the Five Core Habits

Just like those daily nurturing habits, the Five Core Habits of Grammar —Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, and Storytelling, are skills that help your children engage with God’s Creation.

By putting on these habits, they will be garbed, dressed, and clothed for any season of discovery and any new venture that comes their way—eager to add another “preference” to their growing wardrobe! Bouncing out the door, they are ready to meet the day.

As homeschool parents, you have the incredible privilege of equipping your children with these habits early. While you may not have experienced this kind of intentional training yourself, you can cultivate these skills in your children, preparing them to explore the world with confidence, creativity, and awe.

So, whether you’re naming the parts of a bird, helping your child memorize a favorite poem, or marveling together at God’s Creation, know that these small, daily practices are shaping young minds. With the Five Core Habits of Grammar, you are not only teaching your children how to learn, but also inspiring a lifelong love of discovery.

Want to learn more about the 15 Classical Skills that include the 5 Core Habits of Grammar?

Explore these blogs to see the connections:

• The Trivium and the 15 Tools of Learning in Classical Education
• Catechesis Wheel
• What are the 5 Core Habits of Grammar?
• What are the 5 Common Topics of Dialectic?
• What are the 5 Cannons of Rhetoric?

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What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is the quintessence of dust? (Hamlet II.ii.303-308)

When you read this, do you hear echoes of King David’s question from Psalm 8: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” If you find yourself asking how God can be found in Shakespeare or why Christian parents and students should study Shakespeare, then one answer is that all literature can be used to examine Christian beliefs—to find God and to remind us of our understanding of Him.. So, perhaps the real question is, “Why should Christians study literature?”

Why Should Christians Study Literature?

In Brightest Heaven of Invention: a Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays, Peter Leithart addresses this. He explains that “Scripture itself is a literary work, and while it is a unique book in being divinely inspired, it also uses a variety of common literary types or genres: poetry, narrative, epistle, prophetic vision.” (12) God calls himself the “Word made flesh,” (John 1:14) which means that all Christians should be intensely interested in words. God tells us His Story with words and weaves our lives into stories.

Why Should Christians Study Literature Other than the Bible?

This leads to the next inquiry: “Why should Christians study literature other than the Bible?” One answer is that through literature, we explore the significant questions related to leading an examined Christian life. As we train our students to develop the Christian worldview, we must consider many themes:

• charity and good works,
• history,
• science,
• politics,
• love,
• courtship and marriage,
• friendship, and
• government

Reading excellent literature allows us to explore these ideas in depth.

Furthermore, we study literature to learn vicariously. Through empathy and imagination, we experience someone else’s life: his or her joys and sorrows, successes or failures, poor or wise choices. Our children cannot have every experience in this lifetime; quality literature broadens their horizons and enables them to ponder the moral choices of others.

Why Should Christians Study Shakespeare?

Finally: “Why should Christians study Shakespeare?” A culture is woven by common references, by what its members read and know. In previous generations, two classics—the Bible and Shakespeare—tied Western culture together. As a student at a state university, I was the undergraduate representative on the curriculum committee. I was astounded that one of the questions we discussed was whether to require a course in Shakespeare in order to earn a bachelor’s degree in literature. To me, a naive student, the answer was an obvious, resounding, “Yes!” However, reading the “old” classics is not popular in today’s academic climate. The resolution failed, and students were deprived of the master playwright and his wisdom.

Experiencing Shakespeare: Lessons in Humanity and Faith

Last year, I had the privilege of luxuriating for an entire year in Master Shakespeare. With a group of eager high school students, I plunged into the beauty of his language, the range of his characters, and the profundity of his expression about the human and the divine. We mulled over Christian kingship through Henry V. We put Hamlet on trial for murder. This exercise required us to weigh the speech and actions of each character carefully.

With Julius Caesar, we reflected on the qualities of a good ruler and the proper response of his subjects when he oversteps his authority. We had rich discussions about friendship as we scrutinized Brutus’ treatment of Cassius. We delved into issues of courtship, the qualities of a godly spouse, and the foundations of a solid marriage while poring over Much Ado About Nothing. These are the conversations which nurture our children’s souls.

As we studied Macbeth, we contemplated the consequences of sin. We discovered many connections between Macbeth’s philosophies and modern philosophies as he sought to escape judgment and ended by believing that life is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” We were grateful to know we live a life narrated by the Omniscient Creator, full of force and meaning, ultimately signifying everything!

Shakespeare’s works present us with an image of flawed, yet glorious, humanity. His characters face the full measure of consequences for their actions. Shakespeare continually reminds us of the dual threads of judgment and grace in our lives.

____________________________________________

Resources for studying Shakespeare:

High School

• Leithard, Peter. Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Shakespeare’s Plays. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1996.
• Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 1998

Younger Students

• Lamb, Charles and Mary. Tales from Shakespeare. New York: Signet Books, 2007
• Stanley, Diane. Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.

Further Reading:

Why Read Classic Literature?

The post Why Should Christians Study Literature? Finding God in Shakespeare appeared first on Classical Conversations.

As a homeschool parent, assessing your child’s understanding of literature can sometimes feel like a challenge, especially when standard comprehension questions seem disconnected and formulaic. It’s hard to tell if your child is truly engaging with the story or simply giving the answers they think you want.

In this article by Circe Institute author Buck Holler, we’ll explore a more thoughtful, step-by-step approach to help your child form their own meaningful questions about what they’ve read.

By working from your child’s perspective, you can guide them to a deeper understanding of the material, encouraging critical thinking and a more personal connection with the text. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or an experienced home educator, this assessment method can transform how you discuss literature in your homeschool.

Approaches to Literature Comprehension

The common approach to literature in many classrooms is to give the child a worksheet with a number of questions about the text. But whose questions are they?

Giving a child a set of questions that he did not ask, nor was even thinking about, sets an unnecessarily arduous task before him and actually leads him away from contemplative reading toward cold analysis.

An alternative approach to literature is to guide the child toward asking his or her own questions before introducing questions not asked by the child.

As the parent/teacher, the point is to work from the perspective level of your child. By setting questions in front of your child before the child has even spoken, you gain no idea what your child gleaned from the story. Rather, you frustrate, discourage, and induce anxiety upon your child.

Steps to Assessing Literature Understanding

Once you draw out the perceptions your child acquired from the story, you can assess and ask the appropriate questions that will link your child’s understanding to the story.

• Always begin by asking your child to name two or three characters. He will always select (1) the characters that he remembers and (2) the characters that he is most interested in.
• Second, have your child list three to five things each actor/character did.
• Third, pick one actor and select one action done by that actor.
• Fourth, frame the actor and the action as a question beginning with the word “should.”

Character Development and Self-Assessment

This question is crucial because it marks the difference between looking for an answer in the unfamiliar territory of the story as opposed to drawing an answer from the child’s own moral character. Here you are able to assess your child’s moral development from the answer they give to this simple question.

How to Ask Literature Questions:

Sample Literature Assessment

For example, we can look at Charlotte’s Web:

Name three characters from Charlotte’s Web.

1. Wilbur
2. Charlotte
3. Templeton

List three things each character did.

1. Wilbur: talked, cried, asked for help
2. Charlotte: talked, spun a web, helped Wilbur
3. Templeton: ate, brought Charlotte words, complained

Pick one character.

• Charlotte

Pick one action.

• Helped Wilbur

Now, should Charlotte have helped Wilbur?

FAQs

Why do we need to assess literature?

When students analyze literature, they can see beyond the story and see the greater purpose of understanding human nature, universal Truth, and one’s own life. Parents can assess a student’s understanding of literature by engaging in meaningful conversation with questions that encourage students to draw from their own morality in relation to the story and characters.

What are examples of literature used in Classical Conversations?

Classical Conversations uses a variety of ancient epics, modern classics, and Newberry award-winning works to provide students with insightful moral training and character development conversations. From fantasy, such as C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to the Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, students get a comprehensive experience with classic, quality literature.

Literature Assessment Made Simple

Assessing your child’s understanding of literature can be a blessing of beautiful conversation that leads to impactful connections between your student and the text, yourself, your family, and your community.

By encouraging your child to ask their own questions and reflect on the characters and actions they found most memorable, you create an opportunity for deeper engagement. This approach, rooted in the child’s perspective, not only promotes critical thinking but also fosters a more personal and meaningful connection to the text.

Find out more about how literature fits into all the Classical Conversations programs and learn more about our classical, Christ-centered communities.

The post How to Ask Literature Questions appeared first on Classical Conversations.

The following article, written by Chris Swanson, president and tutor at Gutenberg College, offers a compelling perspective on the value of classical, Christian education. Swanson argues that a return to time-tested educational principles can help us reclaim our humanity and resist being treated as mere “lab rats” in an increasingly manipulative society.

This thought-provoking piece challenges us to consider the true purpose of education and its role in shaping us as beings created in God’s image.

The Tension in Humanity

The Apostle Paul talks in his epistles about us having two natures, one of the spirit and one of the flesh. The spirit orients us toward the things of God, and the flesh orients us toward sin.

Plato, in The Republic, divides the human into three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite. In Plato’s division, the appetites and the spirit need guidance from the rational part of man.

Today, psychologists distinguish between our reasoning faculties and our lizard brain. The lizard brain controls those behaviors and inclinations that are most like an animal—those focused on instinctual needs like food, safety, dominance, and sex.

While the fundamental goals of humanity are vastly different in all three systems, they all share a similar insight—namely, that we are creatures who live in tension. To live well requires that we recognize and attempt to control our lower nature.

The Social Experiment

It turns out that the world knows this, too. And it is busy exploiting that knowledge. It recognizes that we are easily controlled by our lower natures and, not surprisingly, it has discovered ways of manipulating those animalistic appetites. Essentially the world sees us as lab rats, animals who live by Paul’s flesh, Plato’s appetites, and psychology’s lizard brain.

Consider some very obvious examples.

Manipulating our Feelings

Big tech businesses, such as YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, and video-game companies are trading on our attention. They are selling our eyeballs to the highest bidder. They treat us like lab rats, doing experiments on us so that they can direct us in their “maze” and maximize our time on their site.

The algorithms appeal to our lower natures in ways of which we are not even aware. They serve up content that appeals to feelings of laughter, self-esteem, self-righteousness, excitement, fear, anxiety, and many others. They are the most sophisticated behavior modification programs that have ever been created by man.

What these algorithms do not do, however, is direct our minds toward loving God and our neighbor.

Advertisers create ads to generate positive feelings in consumers. Those positive feelings will then create a positive association with a product, which in turn will generate a sale. How do they create positive feelings? They use lots of sophisticated psychological and social research on our emotions and desires. Their research subjects are us, the lab rats.

Many political parties and pundits often appeal to feelings of outrage, fear, righteous indignation, and belonging, among others. Their goal is to draw listeners and viewers into a state of agitation, ideological conformity, and action. They use huge data sets to determine how to influence groups and individuals. Since our votes are the source of their power, they study us so that they might control us.

Certain universities also often appeal to our lower natures as well. They create an image of fun, camaraderie, success, and wealth. They promise to make their students the best lab rats they can be. The public supports these goals because universities produce excellent cogs for a gigantic economic engine, and everyone wants bigger and better hamster wheels.

Large universities spend millions of dollars on marketing science to project reputations of quality and future material satisfaction. They spend billions of dollars on athletic facilities and programs. They use sophisticated, decades-long, “data driven” methods to influence the perception of students and parents because they want to have the best rats possible.

What Does It Mean to Be Human?

Even ethicists, whose field is supposed to explore what it means to be a human, treat us as animals.

As an example, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist who has written a number of very insightful books about our behavior and ethical choices and whose analysis is quite keen, believes our rationality is used not to guide but to justify our lizard-brain-driven behaviors. In his view, our animal instincts guide our morality, not the other way around.

If it is true that we have been poked, prodded, and studied like Pavlov’s dog for well over a century, how shall we respond? Are our choices programed for us by technocrats and mega companies? Are we forever condemned to an animal destiny enslaved to flesh and instinct?

Or do we, as Christians, still have a choice between being a lab rat or a human being?

Created in His Image

Before we address this question, we must first ask what it means to be a human being.

Karl Barth, a renowned twentieth-century theologian put it this way: “Man is the being to whom God is gracious in Jesus Christ” [Church Dogmatics, Karl Barth, Westminster John Knox Press, London 1961, p. 165].

This somewhat cryptic comment holds the key to understanding our humanity. God designed human beings to be creatures filled with His spirit, beings created for eternal glory and righteousness—not creatures enslaved to the flesh but rather creatures who strive to rise above the fleshly appetites. The core of what it means to be a human being is inextricably tied to God’s intentions. This view of humanity defies the world’s views of man that define us as rational, creative, excellent, powerful, material, or a random result of natural selection.

Barth’s radical view puts our everyday lives in context.

Daily life inevitably revolves around the struggles and joys of earthly existence. That is our lot—to live “in the world.” But to live “of the world” is to prioritize our lower natures.

Consider the distinction. Status and power? Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” Financial security? Do not be anxious about tomorrow. Success and winning? Paul tells us to run the race for the imperishable wreath, not the perishable. Fear? Fear not those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. Group identity? We are one in Christ.

With this understanding of what a human being is, the answer to the question, “Are we destined to be lab rats?” is obvious. God has rescued us and atoned for our sins on the cross. He will make us fully human in the life to come. We are more that rats.

This is the good news of the Gospel. Let us rejoice.

Escaping the Maze

Nevertheless, those seeking to influence us are still experimenting and finding better and more effective ways to extol and control our animal nature. The problem is particularly difficult for students who are immersed in mazes and lack the experience age brings. They recognize, often better than their parents, the mazes constructed for them. They reject some parts of the maze but embrace others. The rat masters are hard to resist.

One of the best antidotes is education—but only education of a particular sort. High school and college education that treats students like lab rats exacerbates the problem. However, an education that encourages dialog, truth-seeking, freedom to ask questions, and the skills of reading and thinking gives students the opportunity and ability to pursue the human over the animal and the spirit over the flesh.

This is the sort of education that a classical, Christian program offers.

It is the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of becoming human.

It is an antidote to a world that treats us like lab rats.

Are you inspired by the vision of education presented in this article? To learn more about how you can continue your journey in classical, Christian education and critical thinking, visit Gutenberg College’s website.

Discover their unique offerings that align with the principles of dialog, truth-seeking, and the pursuit of becoming fully human in a world that often treats us like lab rats.

The post From Lab Rats to Thinkers: The Power of Classical Christian Education appeared first on Classical Conversations.

“A classical education curriculum? Isn’t that just for elite private schools and snooty academicians obsessed with Latin?” If you’ve ever dismissed classical education as outdated, outmoded, or irrelevant, you might be surprised to discover its growing influence in diverse educational settings—including homeschooling—where the principles of classical education are being embraced by families seeking a robust, holistic, time-tested approach to learning. But what exactly is a classical education curriculum, and why is it making a comeback?

Whether you’re a parent looking for a more enriching educational experience for your student or a student wondering if there’s more to education than standardized tests, join us as we unpack the myths, explore the benefits, and reveal why this ancient approach to learning might just be your key to thriving in the modern world.

First Things First: What Is Classical Education?

Classical education is a time-honored approach to learning that traces its long roots back to ancient Greece and Rome, flourished during the medieval period and was revitalized during the Renaissance. This educational model has shaped the minds of leaders, thinkers, and innovators throughout history. Classical education is about cultivating wisdom, virtue, and the pursuit of truth—all while teaching students how to learn.

Is not the great defect of our education today—a defect traceable through all the disquieting symptoms of trouble that I have mentioned—that although we often succeed in teaching our pupils “subjects,” we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think: they learn everything, except the art of learning. —Dorothy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning

But what does a classical education curriculum actually look like in practice?

The Trivium

At its foundation, classical education is built on the concept of the Trivium (Latin for “three ways”)—a three-part approach to learning in tune with the way a child naturally learns:

• Grammar: This is where children absorb facts, lay the groundwork for language skills, and build a robust knowledge base across subjects.
• Dialectic: Here, students learn to question, analyze, and understand the relationships between facts they’ve learned.
• Rhetoric: In this final portion, students learn to articulate their thoughts clearly, persuasively, and eloquently.

(These correspond with Classical Conversations’ Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge programs, respectively.)

The Quadrivium

This framework, refined during the Middle Ages, was complemented by the Quadrivium (which consists of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy), forming the seven liberal arts that were the cornerstone of medieval education.

The Great Books

Beyond these foundational elements, classical education emphasizes engagement with the Great Books of Western civilization, from ancient classics to medieval theological works and Renaissance literature—as well as great modern books! This approach fosters cultural literacy and a deep understanding of the ideas that have shaped our world. It often includes the study of Latin and Greek, not just as languages, but as gateways to understanding the roots of much of our modern vocabulary and thought. (And in case you were wondering—Classical Conversations focuses on Latin for a number of reasons.)

Until lately the West has regarded it as self-evident that the road to education lay through great books. No man was educated unless he was acquainted with the masterpieces of his tradition. There never was very much doubt in anybody’s mind about which the masterpieces were. They were the books that had endured and that the common voice of mankind called the finest creations, in writing, of the Western mind. — Robert Maynard Hutchins, The Great Conversation

The Socratic Method

Importantly, classical education isn’t just about what is taught, but how it’s taught.

The Socratic method of questioning and dialogue, revived during the Renaissance, is often employed, encouraging logical thinking and deep engagement with ideas. This approach aligns well with the Christian tradition of seeking understanding through thoughtful inquiry.

In essence, a classical education curriculum aims to produce not just knowledgeable students, but wise individuals equipped with the tools to learn, think, and communicate effectively throughout their lives. It’s an approach that values the cultivation of character alongside academic achievement, preparing students not just for a career, but for a life well-lived.

Key Elements of a Classical Education Curriculum

While classical education can vary in its specifics, there are several key elements that define a robust classical education curriculum:

1. Great Books and the Western Canon

Classical education places a strong emphasis on reading and analyzing seminal works that have shaped Western civilization. This includes everything from ancient texts to Shakespeare to influential modern works. By engaging with these texts, students develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper understanding of the ideas that have shaped our world.

2. Latin (and sometimes Greek)

Latin is a cornerstone of many classical education programs (including Classical Conversations!). Latin provides a foundation for understanding language structure, enhances vocabulary, and opens doors to original texts in history, science, and philosophy. Learn more about why we emphasize Latin in our curriculum.

3. Socratic Method

Named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, this method involves asking probing questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas. It encourages students to think deeply, articulate their positions, and consider multiple perspectives.

4. Cultural Literacy

Classical education aims to provide students with a broad base of cultural knowledge. This includes familiarity with important historical events, scientific discoveries, artistic movements, and philosophical concepts that have shaped our society.

5. Writing and Rhetoric

Building upon a foundation of memorization and clear and logical thinking, students learn to articulate their thoughts clearly and persuasively. This includes learning the art of debate, essay writing, and public speaking.

6. Integrated Subjects

Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, classical education takes an integrated approach. For example, a lesson on ancient Rome might incorporate elements of history, literature, art, and philosophy.

7. Character Formation

Classical education places a high value on moral and character development. Virtues such as wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance are often discussed and encouraged through the curriculum.

8. Appreciation of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

These three transcendentals from classical philosophy are woven throughout the curriculum, encouraging students to recognize and appreciate them in literature, art, and human actions.

God is the all-fair. Truth, and goodness, and beauty, are but different faces of the same All. —Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

By including these elements, a classical education curriculum aims to produce well-rounded individuals who can think critically, communicate effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

Benefits of Classical Education

Classical education offers numerous advantages that prepare students not just for academic success, but for life. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Intellectual Curiosity and Love of Learning

Classical education nurtures a genuine love for learning that extends beyond the classroom. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas, and develop a lifelong passion for knowledge.

2. Critical Thinking Skills

The emphasis on logic, analysis, and the Socratic method develops students’ ability to think deeply and critically about complex issues. This skill is invaluable in all aspects of life, from personal decision-making to professional problem-solving.

3. Strong Communication Abilities

Through the study of rhetoric, debate, and great literature, students learn to express themselves clearly and persuasively in both written and oral forms. This proficiency in communication is a significant advantage in higher education and future careers.

4. Character Development

The focus on virtue and moral philosophy helps students develop strong character and ethical decision-making skills. This moral grounding is crucial for personal integrity and leadership.

5. Cultural Literacy and Historical Perspective

By engaging with seminal texts and ideas throughout history, students gain a rich understanding of our cultural heritage. This knowledge provides context for current events and fosters a more nuanced worldview.

6. Improved Language Skills

The study of Latin enhances understanding of English grammar, expands vocabulary, and makes learning other languages easier.

7. Integrated Knowledge Base

The interdisciplinary approach of classical education helps students see connections between different subjects, leading to a more comprehensive and applicable understanding of the world.

8. Development of Self-Discipline and Study Skills

The structured approach and high expectations of classical education foster self-discipline and effective study habits that serve students well throughout their lives.

9. College and Career Readiness

Unlike modern education, classical education is not primarily about its utility in the workforce. Having said that, the rigorous nature of classical education prepares students exceptionally well for the challenges of higher education and the workplace. Many classical education students find they excel in college-level work.

10. Appreciation for Beauty and Excellence

Exposure to great art, literature, and ideas cultivates an appreciation for beauty and excellence, enriching students’ lives and encouraging them to strive for quality in their own work.

The perception of beauty is a moral test. –Henry David Thoreau, Journal

Through these benefits, classical education equips students with the tools they need to think clearly, communicate effectively, and lead purposeful lives. This educational approach goes beyond mere academic achievement to foster wisdom, virtue, and a deep engagement with the world.

Boring? Hardly. Useless? Nope! Debunking Classical Education Curriculum Myths

While classical education has experienced a renaissance in recent years, it’s not without its skeptics. Let’s address some common misconceptions:

Myth 1: “Classical education is outdated and irrelevant in the modern world.”

Reality: Classical education teaches timeless skills like critical thinking, effective communication, and logical reasoning—useful for everyone in every walk of life, and, as an added bonus, highly valued in today’s rapidly changing job market. This model of education provides a strong foundation for understanding anything and adapting to everything.

Myth 2: “Classical education is all about memorization and rote learning.”

Reality: While memorization plays a role (especially in the grammar stage)—because who doesn’t need a strong memory?—classical education emphasizes understanding, analysis, and application of knowledge. The dialectic and rhetoric stages focus on critical thinking and persuasive communication.

Myth 3: “Classical education is only for gifted students or elite private schools.”

Reality: Classical education can benefit students of all abilities and backgrounds. Its structured approach helps struggling students build a strong foundation while challenging advanced learners to dive deeper into subjects.

Myth 4: “Classical education neglects science and technology.”

Reality: Fun fact: Another name for “Dialectic” is “Logic.” Classical education provides a strong foundation in scientific thinking. Many classical homeschoolers incorporate modern technology and advanced science courses into their curricula. Of course, technologies come and go. An education in computer-aided design is outdated before a textbook can be published. A classical education teaches students to think well so that they are prepared for any domain of knowledge, including science and technology. (We recommend a strong stick-in-the-sand foundation ourselves—but take one look at CC Connected, and you’ll see that Classical Conversations is anything but technophobic).

Myth 5: “Classical education is too Western-centric.”

Reality: While it does focus on Western civilization, classical education teaches students how to think, not what to think. These skills can be applied to understanding and appreciating all cultures and perspectives. Of course, the importance of studying Western civilization cannot be understated. The church flourished as Western civilization grew; in studying Western civilization, we are also studying the history of Christian thought.

Myth 6: “Latin is a dead language. Why waste time on it?”

Reality: Learning Latin improves understanding of English grammar, expands vocabulary, and makes learning other languages easier. It also provides direct access to important historical and scientific texts. But above all—Latin is beautiful.

Learning Latin affords us the special gratification of experiencing this complexity, which is ultimately part of one of the highest ambitions of being human: achieving linguistic beauty. —Nicola Gardini, Long Live Latin

By addressing these myths, we hope to show that classical education is a vibrant, relevant, and accessible approach to learning. This model of education equips students with the tools they need to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens in our complex world.

From Theory to Practice: Dorothy Sayers and Leigh Bortins

The modern revival of classical education owes much to two remarkable women: Dorothy Sayers and Leigh Bortins. Their work, separated by many decades but united in purpose, has shaped the landscape of classical education, particularly in the homeschooling community.

Dorothy Sayers: Rediscovering the Lost Tools of Learning

In 1947, British writer and scholar Dorothy Sayers presented her seminal speech delivered during the vacation term at Oxford, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” In this work, Sayers argued that modern education had lost sight of the fundamental skills that enable effective learning. She proposed a return to the classical trivium—Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric—as a means to equip students not just with knowledge but with the tools (or skills) to acquire and analyze knowledge throughout their lives.

Sayers’ essay sparked a renewed interest in classical education methods, laying the groundwork for a movement that would gain momentum in the following decades.

You can read more about Dorothy Sayers and download her essay in our blog post, “The Lost Tools of Learning: From Dorothy Sayers to Leigh Bortins.”

Leigh Bortins: Creating a Comprehensive Classical Education Curriculum

Fast forward to the late 20th century, where we find Leigh Bortins, an aerospace engineer turned educator, who would take Sayers’ ideas and transform them into a practical model for homeschoolers.

Leigh’s journey into classical education began with a personal quest. Despite her technical background, she found that when it came to reading great works of literature or historical texts with her children, something was missing. As she describes it, “Our whole family could easily read the words, but none of us could fathom the meaning because we did not have the context for what was being said” (The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education, page 1).

This realization led Leigh to explore the classical model of education. Inspired by Sayers’ work and driven by a desire to provide a more comprehensive education for her four sons, Leigh began to implement classical methods in her homeschooling approach.

In 1997, Leigh founded Classical Conversations, a network of communities that use the classical model to teach at home. Her vision was to empower parents to provide their children with a rigorous education that emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills and a deep engagement with great ideas.

Leigh’s approach, which you can find in her books The Core, The Question, and The Conversation, explores the classical trivium from a parent’s perspective. She has developed a complete K-12 curriculum that brings the principles of classical education into the home, making it accessible and practical for modern families.

The Collective Impact: A Renaissance in Classical Education

The work of visionaries like Dorothy Sayers and Leigh Bortins has been instrumental in sparking a renaissance in classical education, but they are part of a larger movement that includes many dedicated educators, scholars, and parents.

In the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, numerous individuals and organizations have contributed to the resurgence of classical education. These pioneers have worked to translate the theoretical framework of classical education into practical, day-to-day teaching strategies.

Their collective efforts have:

• revitalized interest in the classical trivium and quadrivium
• led to the development of modern curricula based on classical principles
• trained a new generation of classical educators
• created supportive communities for families pursuing classical education
• demonstrated the effectiveness of classical methods in preparing students for higher education and beyond

As a result of these combined efforts, classical education has found new life in the 21st century, accessible to families from all walks of life, whether through homeschooling, co-ops, charter schools, or traditional private schools.

This renaissance in classical education offers families a time-tested approach to learning that prepares children not just for academic success, but for a lifetime of intellectual curiosity and engagement with the great conversations of humanity.

Timeless Wisdom for Modern Minds

As we’ve explored throughout this article, classical education is far more than a relic of the past—it’s a dynamic and adaptable approach to learning that equips students with timeless skills for navigating an ever-changing world.

From its roots in ancient civilizations to its revival led by pioneers like Dorothy Sayers and Leigh Bortins, classical education has consistently demonstrated its power to cultivate not just knowledgeable students but wise, articulate, and morally grounded persons.

The classical model, with its emphasis on the Trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, provides a framework for lifelong learning. It teaches students how to think critically, communicate effectively, and engage meaningfully with the great ideas that have shaped our world.

Through its integrated approach to subjects, focus on character development, and exposure to enduring works of literature and philosophy, classical education offers a rich, comprehensive learning experience. In the words of Leigh Bortins, classical education allows us to “hear a deeper, more confident voice and can respond in kind” (The Core, page 2).  This model of education prepares students not just for future academics or careers but for the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty—and above all, to know God and to make him known.

So, whether you’re a parent considering educational options, an educator looking to enhance your teaching, or simply someone interested in the power of learning, we encourage you to explore the world of classical education. Classical education promises not just knowledge, but wisdom; not just skills, but understanding; not just success, but a life well-lived.

The post Classical Education Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide to Learning appeared first on Classical Conversations.

What if we viewed education as a giant treasure hunt through God’s universe? What if we looked for all of the ways that our academic subjects add to our knowledge of God’s attributes? What if we viewed the twin goals of education as falling down in worship and rising up in service?

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2, KJV)

The Treasure Hunt of Christian Education

If parents are seeking a thoroughly Christian education for their children, the search for these treasures offer us a broad and inspiring definition of a Christian education.  First, we acknowledge that God has created a universe in which the parts are inherently connected to one another and to Him. Second, we see that God, not the student, is firmly at the center of education. Finally, we approach studies with wonder, seeking the bright and valuable treasures that God has hidden for us to uncover.

A modern education is inherently fragmented. If one discards the idea that God created the universe and personally holds it together, there is no unity of knowledge. The universities were called universities because they taught students to seek the fundamental, universal truths of human existence. The universe is called a universe and not a multiverse because it is one whole with many parts working together.

A modern education places the student at the center because the aim of the modern education is job education. Picture a solar system diagram with the student at the center and subjects in orbit around the student. Each of the subjects offered up the student – math, foreign language, English, science, history, and a dazzling array of electives – are in discrete bubbles that are served up to the student in fifty-five-minute increments by six or more different adults. The student would have to work very hard to discover the connections between philosophy and math, history and science, or literature and politics. The student in the modern secular education has been taught that faith and school are separate from one another. She would have to work very hard to see how subatomic particles or the double helix structure of DNA have anything to teach her about the attributes of God.

A Christian education usually takes the modern education model and adds Bible verses to lesson pages or adds chapel or a Bible study course. The student is still at the center of education, and the subjects are still disconnected from one another and from God.

A robust classical, Christian education starts with a completely different model. If you again picture a solar system, God would be the center. The subjects would again orbit around the center, but this time, there would be arrows going out to and from God, and there would be arrows going back and forth between each of the subjects. Now, the student sees how God has ordained each of the subject areas, and how the study of each area teaches students more about God. In addition, the student Is encouraged to make connections between the subjects. In the Classical Conversations Challenge program, students are with the students all day long so that conversations can naturally explore the connections between poetry and music theory and math.

The Catechesis Wheel

To illustrate this idea, Classical Conversations has developed a visual called the catechesis wheel. The Greek word catechesis simply means oral instruction. People usually associate the word with church classes in which the teacher (the catechist) asks a question from the curriculum (the catechism), and the student, (the catechumen), responds with a memorized response. The goal of catechesis is to prepare the student for membership in the church. For example, one question from the Westminster Confession is “What is the chief end of man?” The catechumen responds, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

It has been said that there are two ways to know God, through His Word and through His world. It is possible to extend the idea of catechesis to oral instruction in any field of knowledge. In the Classical Conversations Foundations program, students practice catechesis with history sentences. The parent or tutor gives a prompt or asks a question. For example, in history the parent or tutor says, “Tell me about the Magna Carta.” The child or class answers, “English King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215, limiting the king’s power. Later, England’s King Edward III claimed to be king of France and began the Hundred Years’ War in 1337.” In science, the parent or tutor asks, “What are some parts of the food chain?” The student or class answers, “Some parts of the food chain are producer, consumer, and decomposer.”

On the outside edge of the catechesis wheel, there is an arrow showing how the process of education begins. It begins with building a storehouse of knowledge, both facts and stories about God’s world and people. Then, students move beyond facts and begin to wrestle with ideas and notice repeated themes. Here, they can begin to see how the subjects teach them more about who God is. The arrows pointing back and forth between God and the subjects begin to make sense. Then, students move toward rhetoric, toward wisdom and understanding. Students are now able to make connections between the subjects. Repeating the process again and again results in worship and service. The word doxology literally means a word of God’s glory or speaking God’s glory. The culmination of study should be to echo in celebration of God.

Integrating Subjects in Upper Challenge Classes

This idea of the wheel and integration of subjects may be best illustrated by a peek into a handful of upper Challenge classes.

In debate, we spent time comparing the American and French Revolutions. Our discussion of the French Revolution caused us to talk about the role of the French mob during those years. Unlike the American Revolution in which the revolutionaries quickly established an orderly government based on law, the French Revolution produced no clear Constitution, but instead, devolved into a totalitarian state in which mobs roamed the streets arresting citizens and turning them over to be executed by guillotine. This led us back to Shakespeare once again as we briefly touched on the role of the mob in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Talking about the fickle and violent nature of mobs then prompted us to consider how the Federalists, particularly John Adams, feared that the new U.S. democracy could quickly descend into mob rule.

In our poetry class, I had my students read an essay called “Seeing” from Annie Dillard’s book The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. I wanted to challenge them to be still, to see nature, to reflect on their own spirits as well as on God—in other words, to be poetic. Her essay is rich in similes and metaphors. We paused to examine some of these in detail and to discuss Jesus’ use of metaphor when He calls himself the vine, the bread, and the wine. I asked them to consider why contemplation of nature and poetry are so often linked (think about the Psalms of David). How does knowing the names of particular trees, birds, and fish impact our understanding of who God is? How is naming things poetic? Why did God have Adam begin his “education” by naming the animals? What does this say about our studies of biology or chemistry? What is the connection between science and poetry? If we are made in His image and we are poetic, is God a poet?

In Latin, I asked students to give a verse or a word from the Gospel of John in Latin that stood out to them that week. My normally quiet daughter was the first to respond by saying she was surprised to see the word “ratio” in Scripture. We looked up the word in our Latin dictionaries to remind ourselves that it is a third declension noun meaning “reason or explanation.” We talked about how it is the root of both ratio in math and rational in logic. All day long, we returned again and again to this word. We set up ratios in both math and chemistry, we examined the ratios between notes in chords in music theory, we talked about man being “noble in reason” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We talked about how the French Revolutionaries, influenced by the spirit of the age of Enlightenment, put up statues of the goddess of Reason in French churches to show that reason was more important than faith.

These three separate community days with different groups of students in different years demonstrate the power of the classical Christian education that is illustrated in the catechesis wheel. By being together with one adult mentor for all subjects over a number of weeks, the students were able to see the connections between history, literature, Scripture, poetry, music theory, math, chemistry, and Latin. Those discussions led to a deeper understanding of the beauty of God’s universe and thus of God’s attributes. Knowledge led to understanding which led to wisdom which led to worship.

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When we are fearful, we tend to fall back on things that we know. There is nothing like homeschooling for preying upon our fears about parenting. The questions echo: “Will my child be able to get into college?” “Will my child be able to find a good job?” And so, we tend to fall back on what we know—the classroom that encourages competition. After all, competing now is what will help our kids get ahead, right?

I have been homeschooling since 2003, and my first student graduated from Challenge IV in 2017. I know that the fears and questions are real. Like you, I am tempted to fall back on the paradigm I know and grew up with. I attended the largest high school in my state and had a class schedule full of honors and AP courses. The name of the game was competing against fellow students as preparation for “real life.” We have been trained to think that students of similar abilities should be placed in classrooms together. For most of us, it started with the first grade reading group and continued through graduation.

Rethinking Competition in Christian Homeschooling

In the last few years, though, the Lord has been tearing down these old thoughts of mine. After many earnest conversations with other homeschooling parents and classical, Christian educators, I am convicted that the Christian classroom should be free from competition. Instead, it should be a place where the gifts of students are recognized and shared.

Reclaiming the idea of classical, Christian education should begin with Scripture. Paul reminds the Corinthians that the church is one body made of many members. Each part is radically different from other parts, but equally necessary to the proper functioning of the body:

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body (1 Cor. 12:14-20 ESV).

Cultivating Character Over Competition

If we apply this passage to Christian education, we will appreciate the individual gifts of each student in the Challenge seminar. Some students will be naturally good at art while other students may have the ability to race through Latin translations. Some students will read and interpret complex literary works with ease while others will read and solve math problems with the same level of ease. Some students will be naturally good at all of these things while others will struggle with all of them. Too often, I think we may secretly wish to have our “math whiz” student in a class with only other math whizzes.

Although we may think that our desire to segregate students by ability is necessary to inspire and encourage our children in their areas of interest, we may be encouraging a false sense of pride. If my child is naturally gifted in one area, that is a gift from the Lord, not my child’s own doing. We should encourage our children in their areas of giftedness, but not necessarily praise them. Instead, we must train our children to work hard in all things so that they discipline their wills. We should praise them for taking time to carefully explain a math problem or complex story to another student so that they can share God’s beauties with them instead of competing with them or trying to best them. This willingness to help others is praiseworthy.

We should train our students not to derive satisfaction from competing with others in their class or even from working to please the director or parent. Instead, they should be seeking the Lord’s approval and hoping to hear this commendation: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21).

In For the Children’s Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay raises provocative questions that have challenged my thinking about the place of competition in the Christian classroom:

Is it right to make Bobby feel superior because he mastered the first-grade reader a year before slower Mary? Is there no way that he can rejoice in the joy of ‘getting on’ for its own sake? Is it not materialistic to encourage older children to feel that education is only useful for passing exams? Especially when we hammer home that these are the passports to higher salaries? Is this why ‘higher education’ is such a failure that the average U.S. college graduate reads only one book a year?¹

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