Frequently Asked Questions about Latin-Centered Classical Education

1. What is Latin-centered classical education?

Tracy Lee Simmons, author of the acclaimed book Climbing Parnassus, writes that classical education consists of

a curriculum grounded upon - if not strictly limited to - Greek, Latin, and the study of the civilization from which they arose (Climbing Parnassus, p. 15).

In short, it is the classical languages that put the "classical" in classical education.

2. Does that mean your students only study Latin? Isn't that an awfully limited curriculum?

There is a common misconception, shared by even some neoclassical educators, that "Latin-centered" means sola lingua Latina, Latin only. This was not the case even for the ancients, nor is it now. The ancient teachers of rhetoric emphasized the need for students to be familiar with a wide range of subjects. In the traditional curriculum, Latin functions the center, or spine, of language arts studies, not the sole subject. After all, you can't have a center without a circumference.

3. Why classical languages? What's so special about Latin?

There are many reasons to study classical languages: increased vocabulary, higher standardized test scores, greater cultural literacy. But Latin provides a more important benefit than these. It disciplines and trains the mind by requiring of the student deliberate and logical thought.

Here is one example of how Latin trains the mind:

R. M. Wenley...illustrated the rigors entailed even in simple translation from an example lent by a former teacher of his, George G. Ramsay. Taking the simple two-word Latin sentence 'Vellem mortuos' ('I would that they were dead'), Ramsay observed that understanding this sentence aright requires fourteen intellectual turns. 'A student must know (1) the person, (2) tense, (3) voice, (4) number, (5) mood of the verb vellem, (6) that it comes from volo, meaning (7) I wish; and that (8) the subjunctive has here a particular shade of meaning. As to mortuos, he must know that it is (9) the accusative, (10) plural, (11) masculine, from (12) mortuus, meaning (13) dead; (14) the reason why the accusative is necessary.' [...] Can anyone seriously maintain that such stiff training in just expression leaves no salutary marks upon the intellect of someone who, having successfully run its gauntlet, becomes captive to the habits of the precise mind? (Climbing Parnassus, p. 177)

Yet even more than this, Latin gives us access to some of the greatest minds of the past. By reading authors like Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas in their own words, we are meeting them "on their own turf." Translations can never adequately convey the artistry of the original, and for masterpieces of literature, form and content cannot be separated. To get both, you need the original.
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4. Does the Latin-centered curriculum follow the Trivium?

Before answering this question, let's take a look at what the Trivium means to contemporary educators. Where does it come from -- and is it really classical?

In 1947, author Dorothy Sayers delivered a talk, "The Lost Tools of Learning," at Oxford University in which she proposed the medieval Trivium as a model for modern education. She linked the three Trivium subjects - grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric - to three developmental stages of childhood, which she called the "Poll-Parrot" stage, the "Pert" stage, and the "Poetic" stage. She suggested that the teaching methods most appropriate to these three stages paralleled the emphases of the medieval Trivium. The Poll-Parrot stage makes use of memorization, just as young students once memorized Latin grammar. The Pert stage emphasizes logical analysis and connection. The Poetic stage is the age of synthesis and self-expression. Further, she suggested that in mastering each subject - history, science, and the rest - the learner follows a similar pattern, first learning facts, then organizing those facts, then integrating and expressing that information fluently and persuasively.

Sayers' "ages and stages" Trivium has inspired certain Christian educators, notably Douglas Wilson, in their attempt to revitalize Christian education. Wilson's Logos School, founded in 1981, uses the Trivium as the basis for instruction, and Pastor Wilson has vigorously promoted the Sayers Trivium in a number of books. Other similar approaches followed. The Well-Trained Mind, a best-selling guide to Trivium-based education, introduced homeschoolers to the Sayers model. In these approaches the Sayers Trivium is often equated with "classical education" per se.

Sayers did not, however, make such a link. Nowhere in "The Lost Tools of Learning" does she refer to her proposed Trivium model as "a classical education." (As far as I have been able to determine, Douglas Wilson was the first to equate the Sayers method with "classical education.") Sayers, herself a product of a traditional classical education, knew that that education consisted of a thorough grounding in classical languages and literatures, as well as mathematics and related subjects.

So while Sayers' Trivium is of undeniable value as an educational method, it is best understood in its historical context as a modern addition to the roster of educational philosophies. It is inspired by, but by no means synonymous with, the traditional Latin-centered curriculum enjoyed by students for many centuries. For that reason, it is sometimes referred to as "neoclassical education."

5. How does the traditional, Latin-centered classical approach differ from Trivium-inspired neoclassical programs?

In practice, there is a great deal of overlap between classical and neoclassical methods and curricula. Many parents draw on both schools of thought in educating their children.

Still, we can make some distinctions. While neoclassical educators encourage the study of classical languages for many of the same reasons that traditional classical educators do, they typically do not see them as the defining characteristic of classical education itself.

Traditional classical educators hold to the historical meaning of "classical education," which sees the classical languages as the defining element of a classical education. Without the classical languages at the center, you may have an excellent modern liberal arts program, but you would not have what any educated person prior to the 1980s would have understood by the term "classical education."

6. What does Latin-centered education look like in practice?

People using this approach treat Latin and/or Greek as non-negotiable core subjects throughout the school years and typically make Latin the center or "spine" of their language arts curriculum. The mathematical arts are represented first by arithmetic and later by mathematical disciplines like geometry.

Here are some other common choices that Latin-centered homeschoolers may make:

Limiting the number of daily core subjects to a small number, typically Latin and/or Greek, math, and composition (writing).
Teaching other subjects, such as science, geography, and history, on a weekly or semi-weekly rotation.
Approaching science and history informally in the early years.
Favoring writing programs based on the progymnasmata.
Limiting study of the Great Books to a short list of representative masterpieces.

Latin-centered classical educators aren't interested in trying to "do it all." Instead, they focus on mastery of a few key subjects and familiarity with the foundational stories of our culture. Sometimes less really is more.

7. I've heard that Latin-centered homeschoolers don't teach English grammar. How can a student learn Latin without knowing English grammar first?

We do not teach Latin grammar in place of English. Rather, we teach English grammar in the context of Latin.

Virtually all modern Latin texts teach grammar through the medium of English, giving English examples of a particular concept before introducing the Latin. By making use of these English examples, it is possible to teach English and Latin grammar side by side.

Since Latin is unfamiliar to most children, it must be learned from the ground up. Unable to rely on "what sounds right," students are forced to approach Latin grammar analytically. For this reason, Tracy Lee Simmons writes, "Every lesson in Latin is a lesson in logic." (Climbing Parnassus, p. 177)

8. Why start Latin in elementary school? Why not wait until high school or even college?

Young children have been learning Latin for a long, long time; education in the vernacular simply didn't exist until a few centuries ago. Even more recently, Latin was an accepted part of a child's early education. Dorothy Sayers began at age six, and of her experience she wrote:

And should the representatives of the Local Gossip and the Daily Ghoul think this matter for a headline:"Began Latin at Six, says Author Sayers," one would have to rebuke their ignorance. There was nothing unusual about my father's action, neither did it argue any remarkable aptitude in me. In those dark ages, half a century ago, before modern educational improvements had set in, that was the age at which one did begin to learn Latin. My father, seeing his offspring approach that age, reacted automatically to the situation. (Read the whole article here.)

We noted above the formative argument for the study of classical languages, the idea that Latin and Greek provide superior intellectual training. If we take these claims seriously - and the weight of history suggests that we should - then, as Tracy Lee Simmons argues,

Much depends on how soon classical studies are to begin in one's life. We should open the classical path to all able students - and as early as we possibly can. [...] The uncomfortable fact is that some things must begin early if they are to flower fully." (Climbing Parnassus, pp. 238-239)

Someone who has learned Latin later (and that could mean 9th grade or age 90) is still going to have the benefit of greater knowledge and literary appreciation than someone who hasn't. Any Latin is better than no Latin! But the longer one waits, the less the formative benefits will show themselves.

That is why traditional classical education suggests that students begin Latin as soon as they are reading fluently in their native language, typically somewhere between kindergarten and fourth grade. As Cheryl Lowe has put it, "Latin is the next step [in language arts] after phonics."

9. I've been using another homeschooling method, but I'd like to switch to a more Latin-centered approach. Where do I start?

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Read about the history of classical education so you have a clear vision of how and why this approach works, and to be sure that it matches your educational goals for your family. (See below for some reading suggestions.)
If you're not already teaching Latin, research the available programs and pick one. If your students aren't old enough to start Latin, start learning it yourself! You can find advice and support at the "Examined Life" board in our forums.
Give Latin and math the best part of your student's day. For many, that's first thing in the morning. Do these subjects thoroughly, and do them well. (That doesn't always translate into "do them long"!) Work toward mastery of the material. If you get Latin and math done, you at least know you've covered the basics.
If you're not already using some classical reading materials (Aesop's fables, Roman history, Greek myths, etc.), add them in. This might include a formal program, like Memoria Press's Classical Studies courses, or it might just be read-alouds.
Once you've got Latin established, look at the other parts of your language arts curriculum. What are you comfortable letting go? Most people seem to be able to jettison vocabulary programs easily, as the popular elementary Latin programs include derivatives. Next, consider setting aside a separate English grammar program or integrating it with a progymnasmata-based writing program (e.g., Classical Writing).
Next, prioritize your remaining subjects. Many people find that setting aside a block of time for each subject (history, science, etc.) once a week is enough. If you have a student who just lives for one of these subjects, go for it - or use the time you've freed up by limiting your other subjects for your student to explore the subject on his or her own.

Remember, people must find what works best for them and their families. Although the Latin-centered curriculum tends to be highly prescriptive, there is no one perfect educational program that will fit all children.

10. Where can I learn more about Latin-centered classical education?

For an accessible introduction, visit memoriapress.com and read through the articles you'll find there, especially those by Cheryl Lowe.

The most influential book on the subject of Latin-centered education is Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons. It is available from brick-and-mortar bookstores and online booksellers, and is in most library systems. Although some find Simmons's style difficult, he makes a strong (and to many, convincing) argument for the primacy of classical languages in education.

Another excellent book is Norms and Nobility by David Hicks. Although written with prep schools in mind, Norms and Nobility has much to say to homeschoolers. Hicks focuses on the importance of classical models for modern students. The book is especially helpful for Christian parents who are wondering where their faith fits into the traditional classical model.

If you're looking for a practical curriculum guide, The Latin-Centered Curriculum is for you! It is available from the publisher (Memoria Press), from your favorite homeschool supplier, and from the large online booksellers.

And, of course, visit the Latinitas blog and the forums here at The Latin-Centered Curriculum site.

11. What is your statement of faith?

While the author assumes that most of his readers are Christian, he deliberately does not seek to impose a particular denominational slant in The Latin-Centered Curriculum. The Christian Studies/Religion component is "mere Christian," focusing on the academic study of the Bible and of recognized classics from the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. The curriculum is flexible, and the author strongly encourages parents to modify his recommendations to suit the needs of their family. By approaching religious material from the perspective of cultural literacy, members of other faiths and secular families can also use the program.

Andrew Campbell himself is Catholic and faithful to the Magisterium.

12. What is the author's educational background? What teaching experience does he have?

Andrew Campbell holds a doctorate from Washington University, St. Louis, in Germanic Literatures and Languages with a specialization in Medieval Studies. Drew is passionate about education and brings to the table twenty years' experience as a classroom teacher, private-school administrator, independent lecturer and workshop presenter, private tutor, and literacy volunteer. The Latin-Centered Curriculum is the fruit of over a decade's research on classical education. He is currently homeschooling his daughter, Julia, using the program outlined in his book, and runs a tutorial service for homeschooled students in his local area.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Latin-Centered Classical Education