What Is Classical Christian Education?

WCCA employs a time-honoured classical model of education. At WCCA, students gain great depth and breadth of knowledge, but, more importantly, they learn the tools of learning that lead to a lifelong love of learning. Classical education focuses on the art of thinking. Our goal is to develop articulate, thoughtful, and discerning students, preparing them to live faithfully in God’s world and bring God’s Word to bear on all areas of life.

Classical educators favour tool over content and therefore help students to master more content than ever. They have taught their students how to learn.
– Christopher A. Perrin

The Trivium

In the classical model of education, students move through the stages of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. These three stages, called the Trivium, make use of children’s strengths at each stage of growth to help them learn:

• Students in the Grammar stage (Grades 1 to 4) have an aptitude for acquiring and retaining large amounts of information. Students enjoy memorizing, singing, and rhymes, which help place these facts into long-term memory. A solid foundation is laid in each subject of study at this stage.
• Students in the Logic stage (Grades 5 to 8) are inquisitive and begin to think more abstractly, so their ability to reason and discern truth is developed at this stage.
• Students in the Rhetoric stage (Grades 9 to 12) yearn to express themselves, so they are taught how to present their ideas persuasively and eloquently, as they continue to learn facts and think critically.

Integrated Subjects

In classical education, subject areas are taught in an integrated manner, giving students a broader and deeper understanding of the world. For example, when students are learning about a period in history, they will read literature, study works of art, and listen to music from the same historical period. They may learn about the geography of the area they are studying in history. They may also learn about important scientific developments from that period in history. All subjects are taught based on the principle that all knowledge points back to God, the Creator of all things. At WCCA, students develop a grounding in history, an appreciation of the order and beauty of God’s creation, a love for the arts, and a Christian worldview sensibility.

Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
– Philippians 4:8

At WCCA, students learn to seek after what is true, good, and beautiful in the world. We acquaint our students with the great writings of the past and present, teach them to understand the natural world through science, and help them appreciate great artistic achievements in music and the visual arts. While exposed to literature, art, and thought from other worldviews, students are always pointed to God as the ultimate source of truth, goodness, and beauty. Students are given the tools to discern God’s truth from falsehood in all matters of life.

CLASSICAL EDUCATION PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE WORLD