Classic Model

For more than a decade, Integrity School has embarked on an interesting and fascinating return to the classic and the basic in education. While the vast majority of educational institutions, teachers, and parents globally face the exhausting (and confusing) daily challenge of keeping up with the “latest” and “newest” trends in teaching, our institution maintains its firm and sure stride back to the methods that have proven to be the most efficient and effective over centuries.

In his book, An Introduction to Classical Education, A Guide for Parents, Christopher A. Perrin places the origins of classical education in the period between 600 B.C. and 476 A.D. It is precisely during this period that the Greek and Roman cultures perfected their systems of teaching. However, the word “classic” or “classical” does not exclusively refer to a time period in history. We commonly use the adjective “classic” to describe something that denotes authority, influence, tradition, and permanence across time. We use the term “classic” as a synonym for enduring beauty and virtue; for example, in music, cars, cinema, literature, and other areas.

It is important to mention some of the applications of the classical method in our teaching system. In the traditional classical model, during the initial educational levels, the focus is on three areas known as the Trivium or the “three ways of learning.”

Grammar

It refers to the study of the rules and principles that govern the use of languages and the organization of words. In classical education, it also refers to the rules and principles that underpin the subjects being studied. The Grammar stage begins in preschool and continues through the initial grades of elementary school. The subjects and disciplines (in Spanish and English) emphasized in the Grammar stage are: Reading, Writing, Spelling, Handwriting, Vocabulary, and Phonics, among others. The learning tools used in this stage are: Chanting, repetition, memorization, narration, and literacy (reading and writing), among others.

Logic

It refers to the study of the principles of demonstration and valid inference. The Logic stage begins in the upper elementary levels and continues through the first grades of middle school (secondary). The subjects and disciplines (in Spanish and English) that comprise the area of Logic are: Mathematics, Music, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Technological Sciences, among others. The learning tools used in this stage are: Research, critical thinking, and the scientific method, among others.

Rhetoric

It refers to the study of the procedures and techniques for using language with an aesthetic, investigative, or persuasive purpose. The Rhetoric stage begins in the upper levels of middle school (secondary) and continues until the student graduates from high school (preparatory). The subjects and disciplines (in Spanish and English) that comprise the area of Rhetoric are: Character formation and development, and oratory, among others. The learning tools used in this stage are: Debate, presentation, essay writing, and persuasive discourse, among others.

Among the outcomes of using the classical method is the fact that the student will have developed the ability to relate and apply the knowledge acquired in various areas of study in a practical and comprehensive manner.