This page is to provide information for New Zealand teachers.

At LearnEX We teach and provide resources from a mainly Classical approach.

We believe that while instruction should be student adapted, we should not shy away from direct instruction. As teachers it is our job to challenge students to think and question so they truly understand, thereby engaging them in real learning and stimulating a lifelong love of learning. Children are wired to learn! Let's not dumb the curriculum down so they switch off learning altogether. Let's allow them to question and discover while at the same time learning self discipline.

The traditional Classical approach is based on the Latin idea of the Trivium or the three stages of learning.

The Grammar Stage - This is often known as the 'sponge' or 'poll parrot' (Sayers) stage. The child has an amazing capacity to memorise and soaks up virtually everything you tell them. This is the time to teach them to read, learn their basic facts and tell them about the world around them - the universe, geography, botany, zoology, history, literature, the arts, music and languages. This stage usually begins about age 5 or 6 and continues up until approximately age 12 (depending on the child). Many parents will tell you that even much younger children will want to learn all sorts of things about the world around them (why? what's that?) so don't feel you have to wait!

The Logic Stage - This stage usually kicks in around age 12-14 but, again, each child is different. Here the focus moves off basic facts and figures and the student beings to make 'connections'. Maths concepts become more abstract and English studies move towards higher level grammar and logic ('thinking about language' and 'thinking about thinking'). Ordering ideas into a logical sequence is one of the key skills learnt during this phase. Science becomes less concerned about interesting facts and more about proving hypotheses.

The Rhetoric Stage - The final stage at around age 14+ is where the previous years of accumulating knowledge and forming logical connections really come to fruition. In this phase, the student focuses on the art of communication. This is done through public speaking, debate and writing/defending ideas.

This Classical approach, used since the time of the Ancient Greeks, is academically rigorous and aims to teach the student HOW to learn rather than WHAT to learn. The student has a broad general knowledge, can think logically and clearly and is able to express and back up an opinion both in writing and orally. Such a student is truly educated!

Because of the subjects covered, it is sometimes referred to as a LIberal Arts Education. For our purposes, a Classical approach has a strong focus on the following subjects:

Classical Education Authors

Numerous authors have written about the Classical approach to education. These include but are not limited to the following:

Dorothy L Sayers - "The Lost Tools of Learning"

Jesse Wise & Susan Wise Bauer - "The Well Trained Mind" and "The Well Educated Mind"

Marva Collins - "The Marva Collins Way" (This is a biography of a well known Classical educator)

Douglas Wilson - "Rediscovering the Lost Tools of Learning" and "The Case for Classical Christian Education" (these are written from a Christian perspective)

Do a Google search on 'Classical Education' and see what you come up with. It's fascinating!

Coming Soon: Click here to see some of our suggested resources for Classroom teachers

Click here to return to the home page
Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

Phone: 64 9 269 3532, Fax: 64 9 269 3530 , Mobile: (027) 479 000 2
E-mail: enquiries@learnex.co.nz