Classical Curriculum

The curriculum Lake Pointe Academy feels is most compatible with their philosophy of education and mission for the school is the Classical Christian Curriculum. 


A.  Classical Christian Education
The core of Classical Christian Education is the trivium, which simply put is a teaching model that seeks to tailor the curriculum subject matter to a child’s cognitive development.  The trivium emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of the facts of the subjects in elementary school; analytical thinking and understanding of the subjects in middle school; and abstract thinking and articulation of the subjects in high school.  Subjects unique to Classical Christian Education which help accomplish the goals of the trivium are Grammar, the science of language usage; Logic, the science of right thinking; and Rhetoric, the science of verbal and written expression.  Classical Christian Education is further characterized by a rich exposure to the history, art, and culture of western Civilization, including its languages (Latin and Greek), its philosophy and literature (the Great Books of Western Civilization and the Christian tradition), and the development of a Biblical worldview with Theology in its proper place as the king of the Sciences.

B.    Why return to Classical Christian Education?
The combination of the progression of learning from facts to understanding to expression (the stages of the trivium) and the additional classical subjects, work together to give children the tools to think for themselves and to be independent, life-long learners.  That is the primary goal of Classical Christian Education.  Children are taught how to listen and read carefully using superior quality writings, to think and express themselves clearly, to have a greater sense of appreciation and enjoyment of life by exposing them to a wide variety of times, places, and cultures. Educated men and women are then able to approach previously unknown subject matter, problems, or life situations; and using the tools of learning which have been practiced and refined and internalized in school; to grasp the subject or problem, analyze it according to the absolute standard of Truth, and to construct and defend a sound biblical worldview. Classical Christian Education therefore prepares children for adulthood in any field, whether it be marriage and family life, work dealing with society and individuals, business, or arts and the humanities. The methods of Classical Christian Education free our minds from the natural characteristics of narrowness, rigidity, and prejudice in order that we may glorify God. An ignorant Christian, no matter how godly, is limited by that ignorance. An educated Christian is a more useful servant of God because his gifts and talents are developed rather than wasted. Furthermore, Classical Christian Education has proven its effectiveness in training for scientific excellence, which depend on the arts of fact-finding, analyzation, adherence to truth, and the problem-solving skills of which Classical Christian Education specializes.  Secondarily, it works; children taught by this method routinely exhibit academic proficiency. The goal of a Classical Christian education is not to produce better educated sons and daughters in order for them to be more successful in this society, but to produce effective Godly men and women.