Choose Haw River Christian Academy because...
Few investments have more potential than your children's education. The
way they see the world, the way they approach life, and the depth of their
character are all influenced by education. The choice of where and how to
educate your children can be challenging and complicated.
Public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, home schools, non-sectarian
and religious private schools all have something to offer. Educational styles
and methods range from the traditional to the progressive. How does your child
learn? Does he enjoy art? Technology? Does he learn spatially, visually, or
audibly? Finding the right fit can be a daunting task.
Classical Christian education is unique in that it seeks to faithfully restore
the most proven form of education ever developed. This education produced the
greatest thinkers, leaders, and scientists in the Western world from the time
of the Greeks until the late 19th century, including America's founding fathers.
From the heritage of America's Ivy League colleges and classical day schools,
leaders in every field continue to emerge from the fragmented legacy of classical
education. Unfortunately, its pure form, including a Christian worldview, has
been lost until its revival in the early 1980's.
What makes classical Christian education so effective? First, it is based on
what has been called the Trivium. No matter how your child learns, he or she
goes through three phases. In grades K-6, students are excellent at memorizing.
In grades 7-8, students become more argument-oriented. They are ready to be
taught logic and critical thinking. In grades 9-12, students become independent
thinkers and communicators particularly concerned with their appearance to others.
To this end, classical education teaches them rhetoric, the art of speaking,
communicating, and writing.
Haw River Christian Academy integrates subjects like literature, history, language, art,
math, and science. Students read the great works of Western literature and
philosophy. Classical languages (Latin) help students understand and
think with greater depth about the world around them. Formal logic and rhetoric
help students become great leaders and communicators. Classical teaching methods
range from class lectures, to debates, to Socratic (discussion-oriented) teaching.
Independent learning skills are sharpened at all grade levels.
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The Trivium Explained
In 1947, Dorothy Sayers articulated the educational concept of the
Trivium, an educational model that had been used for centuries. When
Douglas Wilson helped found Logos School in Moscow, Idaho during the
1980s, he revived this framework to bring about the rebirth of
classical education. Presently, over 120 classical schools are
operating in the United States, most of which use the Trivium to set
their foundational educational philosophy. The Trivium is simply a
means of describing the learning stages of children as they mature.
Parents often recognize the stages through which their children pass as
they mature. The Trivium focuses the educational method to best develop
a knowledgeable, thinking, and articulate student. As the name implies,
there are three stages represented in the Trivium: Grammar, Logic, and
Rhetoric.
Grammar - Grades K-6
During the Grammar phase, children are particularly adept at
memorization. Young children learn songs, rhymes, and recite facts with
relative ease. Because young children are so eager to memorize that
they will make up non-sensical playground rhymes, we challenge them by
providing substantial subject matter for them to memorize. Each subject
has its own grammar. In science, children memorize facts about nature.
In math, children memorize times tables. In Latin, teachers emphasize
vocabulary. Throughout each year in Grammar School, classically
educated children learn the factual foundation of each subject. We use
songs, chants, and rhymes to help children enjoy the learning
experience.
Logic - Grades 7-8
The Logic phase involves ordering facts into organized statements and
arguments. During the middle school years, children are beginning to
think independently. They often develop a propensity for argument.
Classical education teaches children in this phase to argue well. The
study of formal logic helps students understand the fundamentals of a
good argument. Practice in making written and oral arguments helps to
further develop these skills. Teachers encourage the use of
argumentation in each subject. Again, each subject has its own logic.
In science, we use the development and testing of hypothesis. In math,
we develop a student's ability to logically orient numbers through the
more abstract concepts of algebra and trigonometry.
Rhetoric - Grades 9-12
Rhetoric is the art of communicating well. Once a student has obtained
a knowledge of the facts (grammar) and developed the skills necessary
to arrange those facts into arguments (logic), he must develop the
skill of communicating those arguments to others (rhetoric). During the
high school years, students become concerned with what others think of
them. Classical education helps students develop their minds to think
and articulate concepts to others. Writing papers, researching, and
orating ideas are skills required in all subjects. The Academy adds
polish to these skills to create a well-rounded student who can
communicate effectively. We leverage these skills through the final
requirement of the defense of a senior thesis. While each component has
a primary focus during a particular phase, all skills are developed
during all levels. A second grader will develop certain skills in logic
and rhetoric. A high school student will still acquire extensive
knowledge in specific subjects. Emphasis is simply placed on different
phases during different ages.
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