AN OVERVIEW OF THE CLASSICAL CURRICULUM AT ST. MONICA ACADEMY

St. Monica Academy students study religion taught in complete faithfulness to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. Because we are a classical academy our students also study Latin. Like students at most college preparatory schools, St. Monica Academy students study the subjects of reading, writing, mathematics, history, science, and so on. St. Monica Academy is different, however, in that we approach all the subjects through the framework of the classical trivium. The trivium consists of the liberal arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. We focus on the trivium both as modes of learning and as developmental stages of learning.

As Dorothy Sayers points out in “The Lost Tools of Learning,” grammar, logic and rhetoric are the fundamental modes of learning. By grammar we mean the facts, information and knowledge that form the basis of any subject of study. Examples of grammatical activities are the memorization of catechism questions, the correct spelling of words, the times tables, states and capitals, and poems. Logic means being able to think and reason correctly, so as to arrive at the truth. Discovering an idea in a short story, analyzing an argument, diagramming a sentence, proving the Pythagorean theory, and formulating and supporting a thesis in a composition are examples of logical activities. Rhetoric means effective communication. Speech and debate, writing a persuasive essay, and organizing the elements of a short story to build conflict are examples of rhetorical skills.

Very importantly, the trivium also corresponds to the three basic natural developmental stages in the education of youth: imitative (grades K-5), analytical (grades 6-9), and rhetorical (grades 10-12). Young children have a facility for and take delight in absorbing new information. Adolescents discover in themselves the ability to reason and enjoy arguing for their point of view. Mature students are able to attend to communicating what they know and think in a way that can bring the truth to others.

Attention to these modes of learning and stages of development determine our specific goals, methods, materials and means of assessment for each subject at each grade level. These can be viewed in detail in the St. Monica Academy Curriculum Handbook published at the beginning of each school year.

The High School Charter of Principles outlines the philosophy and objectives of St. Monica Academy high school.

ARTICLES AND ESSAYS

Articles in this collection challenge conventional philosophies of education and describe the principles of a classical education. When you click on a link, a new window will be opened to display the selected article.

Why don’t students taught by modern methods know how to think? Explore this question with Dorothy Sayers, essayist and novelist, in The Lost Tools of Learning.

A classical education teaches students how to learn by first studying the Trivium — grammar, dialectic and rhetoric — before tackling “subjects”, thus opening to the student a lifetime of ongoing education. Find out more in What is a Classical Education?

Different conceptions of man’s nature result in different educational goals and means. Classical vs Modern Education by Patrick Carmack surveys these relationships.

STUDENT ESSAYS

The Power and the Glory by Ramona Zepeda (Grade 11)