Article from the Final Word!

Whether you are home-schooling your children or not, we can all agree that God’s Word teaches that our homes should be the center of our children’s learning. The home is where it all begins and any education that our children might receive should be secondary to what they receive from us as parents. If it is true that God expects us as parents to be constantly teaching and training our children then it is critical that we are good educators. But how can we be good educators unless we ourselves are good learners? This is where the “classical” model has been so helpful. The goal of a classical education is to teach students “how” to learn by equipping them with the tools of learning. An early emphasis is placed upon basic learning skills, followed by formal instruction in logic and finally by development of clear verbal and written mechanisms of expression in each subject studied. In other words, the classical model uses a model of education called the Trivium. The Trivium divides the education process into three stages: grammar, dialectic and rhetoric. Students begin by learning the fundamental facts and rules of each subject. This is how we usually teach our children from the earliest ages up until approximately fifth grade. Teaching methods such as singing, drilling, chanting and recitation are emphasized. The second stage of learning is the dialectic stage. Here students are taught how to analyze, reason, question, evaluate and critique. The third and final stage of the Trivium is rhetoric. In the study of rhetoric, students learn how to express what they know and what they are learning. Debate, apologetics, speech and writing are emphasized during this stage.

Again, the goal of a classical education is to teach students “how” to learn and to give them the proper tools to do so. My biggest disappointment with education (my own and when I was on staff in a Christian school) has been in this very critical area. While most educators attempt to at least take their students through the grammar stage of learning (driving home truths), what I saw missing greatly was the second and third stages. It is in the area of “logic” that so many of our educators and churches are failing. While we may pour out information to our students and children, we have not taught them how to reason and logically think through ideas yet alone to be able to articulate these truths and reason with others in a persuasive manner.

In fact, it seems to be that most educators do not even see these stages as important parts of a student’s education. But, as we look at Scripture, these are critical parts of what God requires us to do as we teach our children. Our first priority as parents is to pass on the faith to our children. If we desire to do this, we must help our children walk through all three of these stages. We must pour truth into them (using tools like the Heidelberg Catechism), then help them when they have questions to reason and think logically. Then finally to be able to take these very truths and present them to others in a way that is winsome and persuasive. So much of what I am describing is wrapped up in God’s mandate to parents to pass on the faith to their children.

In conclusion, let me make a couple of important points. First, please do not see these stages as age-related. It is not as if you move from one stage to another when you go from elementary school to middle school or high school to college. In fact, you and I are constantly going through all three stages all the time. Anytime we learn something new or take on a new project (remodeling the house or gardening) we learn in this same manner. The only way we can truly say we got to the final “rhetoric” stage is when we have mastered the material enough to be able to put it into action or to teach it to others. Second, the most important tools in educating our children (and ourselves) are good books. Of course, for the Christian this begins with God’s Holy Word. Reading is absolutely critical and unfortunately, we are battling our culture at every turn in this area. Years ago it was normal for children to take a good book along with them on a long trip in the car. But, as you know, this is not the case anymore. Our culture has now moved to an electronic and image-based culture which has altered our sensibilities. We no longer read to cause ourselves to “think” but we quickly skim over to get needful information. Since God’s Word is God’s means to salvation, we ought to take very seriously the importance of reading and thinking through text (and no, not text messages). If you and I believe that knowing God is the most important thing for this life and the next, then knowing God’s Word (which is His means of making Himself known) is critical. So, if you and I have no taste or attention span for reading and mulling over texts of Scripture we have a serious problem that can affect our spiritual walk. Finally, there is one final element that I think must be emphasized in our educating of our children. Men, God calls us to be the “leaders” in this area. Whether it be in our church or in our homes, we are to model this to our wives and to our children. We must take the challenge to be “learners” first and then to teach others also.