We've spent the last four days looking at how children learn in different ways at different ages, and then using the instruments in a string ensemble to consider how that impacts their spiritual journey from infancy to young adulthood. I wanted to spend time on that, because above all else, I believe a parent I responsible for guiding his or her children to spiritual maturity. However, a child's education is not neatly compartmentalized with spiritual growth isolated from all other learning - which is why the classical approach to learning captivates me so. I've shared recently about my current take on classical education, but I keep wanting to find the simplest way possible to explain it to others. Today, I want to share the template I've created with the hope it will help others create a beautiful academic AND spiritual education for their children, whether by finding a ready-made curriculum that fits these parameters or by piecing one together from a variety of resources.

For our family, using a classical Christian approach with our children is a natural outworking of two Scripture verses: Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 1:7. Let me share those below.

I shared earlier that the idea behind Ephesians 6:4 is not just marking time until your children grow up, but helping them aim at a goal of maturity in the Lord, through careful instruction and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 shares a similar theme, that wisdom, instruction, and knowledge are all a part of learning the “fear of the LORD.”

As I have researched what classical Christian education is, three overarching themes have stood out to me. Let me share with you now what these themes are and how our String Ensemble stages of learning intersect with them as we give our children a classical Christian education. We will be using and unpacking this working definition:

A classical Christian education cultivates maturity in the Lord by sharing the STORY of humanity through quality books, building SKILLS through training to mastery, and nurturing the SPIRIT through Biblical modeling and teaching.

"Story" refers not only to fictional tales passed on from one culture to another, but to the body of knowledge about our world that our children need to absorb. Along with centuries of story-telling, it includes the saga of history, the world of science, the song and scribblings of the arts through time, and the search for answers in philosophy and religion. Story answers the "what" of content. Aspects of this that are particularly classical would include focusing on the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Jerusalem in history, as a way of better understanding the culture and history of the West; music and art through the ages; and considerable time spent in what are considered Great Books, both literary works and writings in philosophy and theology.

Children need to learn how to do, well, everything, from walking and talking to writing a research paper. The theme of Skills is what enables the student to interact with the content of the Story to learn, to express what has been learned, and to teach and persuade others. It includes instruction for the mind ("head"), the body ("hands"), the emotions ("heart"), and the will ("habits"). It answers the "how" of learning.  Aspects of this that are particularly classical would include instruction in the seven liberal arts of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy), in addition to the manual and fine arts. From the earliest ages, there is also an emphasis on gymnasium, or activities that build physical skill and stamina and, at the same time, self-discipline.

An education that equips a young person with the discipline and skill needed to absorb and understand the world's knowledge is incomplete without also nurturing the spirit. These are matters relating to relationship, respect, reverence, and ritual - not in a legalistic sense, but as a rhythm of life as we walk with God. Matters of "Spirit" involve understanding the things of God, how one fits into the scheme of the universe, what our purpose is, and how to glorify God. It answers the "why". Borrowing aspects of both STORY and SKILLS, this will include exposure to God's Word, development and growth in Christian disciplines, learning how to study and understand the Bible, and exposure to biographies and writings of great Christians through history.

Classical Christian learning each year will fully occupy each of these areas, but in different ways as children grow and develop. As we zero in on these, remember the acronyms showing what children need and are capable of at different ages.

The area of Spirit for our youngest children is characterized by Feeling and Familiarity, as we help our little ones become familiar with an ongoing spiritual conversation and an environment where God is a present Person and a participant in all we do. We also want them to learn that parents are in authority over them as providers and protectors, and as people who should be obeyed - and this also models how they will relate to God.

The area of Story during these years is characterized by What & Why. It is filled with a massive amount of learning as children learn names for everything around them, realize that actions have reactions, that what goes up must come down, and that the sky contains rain and clouds and sunshine. In this age, we introduce books and minimize, if not eliminate, screens, and we share the joy of storytelling as we curl up together on the sofa for this wonderful ritual.

The area of Skill is characterized by the word Establishing as our children are focused on physical tasks of walking, running, jumping and climbing, and small motor skills of clutching, throwing, and eventually drawing, painting, and writing. It is also a time of building self-control and discipline through regular routines, and healthy eating and sleeping habits.  

For young elementary students, the area of Spirit is marked by Mimicry and Modeling as we help them build knowledge of the Bible and familiarity with Christian disciplines such as prayer, Bible memory, worship, and giving. We also want to use this years to cultivate a sensitive heart toward spiritual issues by modeling a faithful walk with the Lord at home.

The area of Story is now marked by Wonder.  It is filled with what was known as "Music" (from the word "muse") in ancient times. Not only limited to what we now know as music, this is exposure to things that build wonder at the world through stories and myths, music, poetry, time spent in nature, tales of heroes, and of course the Word of God. Memory work can be focused on internalizing beautiful works of poetry and prose.

The area of Skill during these years is now termed Emerging. It includes what the ancients called the "gymnasium", activities focused on physical training - an introduction to sports and physical activity, as well as the discipline and self-control needed to learn these and do well at them. It also includes foundational training in mental tasks of phonics and reading, small motor skill tasks of drawing, writing and copywork, and the skill of oral narration of events they have experienced and stories they have heard or read. In the latter part of this stage, after phonics skills are well-established, Latin and English grammar can be introduced, as well as beginning arithmetic, the earliest of the seven language arts, also known as the trivium and quadrivium. Groundwork for later instruction in the fine arts and manual arts can be laid with basic instruction in music and art, as well as expectations of chores to be completed at home.

For upper elementary students and middle school students, the area of Spirit is marked by Explanation & Exegesis as we help them develop their ability to study and understand the Bible for themselves and solidify their personal habits of Bible study, reading, prayer, giving, and serving. This is also a time of beginning to see that the Christian faith is reasonable and can be defended through apologetics, although the deeper study of this will wait a few more years.  

The area of Story is now characterized by the term World, as our children's world expands to include more challenging literature selections, a deeper understanding of history and how the actions of one nation have impacted others, and toward the end of the VIOLA stage, more advanced science. They also begin to make connections between topics such as science and history, biography and geography. It is a time to introduce current events, but from a classical perspective, also a time to delve more into the cultures and histories of ancient Greece and Rome.

The area of Skill during these years is now termed Expanding. Academic skills are focused on the Trivium (grammar, including Latin) and the quadrivium (Arithmetic and Geometry), as well as early composition skills (classically, this would mean learning the steps of the progymnasmata, a series of exercises taught prior to the study of rhetoric.  It continues and expands on physical, fine arts, and manual skills, as well as habits of self-discipline and self-control. 

Now we enter the high school years. In these years, the area of Spirit is marked by Reasoning and Release as we prepare to release them into the world by strengthening their understanding and study of Christian apologetics, their sense of place both in the body of Christ and in the community at large, and their own personal commitment to Christian disciplines and habits of the faith.  

The area of Story is characterized by the term Wisdom, as students begin diving into what are commonly referred to as the "Great Books", reading them not only for the story but for the commentary on, and observation of, humanity through the centuries. It includes deeper study of the history of the world and the ideas that drove the beginnings of our country, and where those came from. It also involves studying the sciences and the contemporary issues that intersect with those. 

The area of Skill during these years is now termed Excelling. Trivium skills finally move from Grammar to Logic and then Rhetoric, and in the quadrivium, students begin tackling Geometry (if they haven't already) and more advanced mathematical courses that fall into the categories of Astronomy and Music. Before studying Rhetoric, they will complete most of the steps of the progymnasmata exercises, and they will have experience writing for different purposes as they study the Story topics above. They will continue to learn non-English languages, whether Latin, Greek, or a "modern" one. Outside of academics, they need to firm up their own personal convictions about, and habits in, physical fitness, healthy eating and sleeping. Training in fine arts and manual arts will continue, according to their interests and gifts, and they can be encouraged to consider how to use these to serve others and bring glory to God.

Hopefully you can see that this isn't a program or a curriculum, but a framework you can use to choose activities and materials and set goals with and for your children. It is not a guarantee either, but it is one way to plan your time in these precious years in order to create an atmosphere that is conducive to raising our children in the paideia and nouthesia of the Lord. 

We've looked at the VIOLIN years, from birth to age nine, and the VIOLA years, from age ten to age thirteen. Now we are ready for the mid-teenage years, from age fourteen to seventeen - the CELLO years, during which we will focus on issues of Character and Conviction, Eloquence of expression, Leading with love, Lifelong learning, and O​wnership and obedience.

In these years before they leave home, if they have not already, our children must take ownership for their own faith journey, and make the choice to obey God in all things, apart from our influence, nagging, or pleading. 

The CELLO years come under the banner of reasoning and release. In these years, we want to continue to build their confidence in the Scriptures, helping them to reason through them on their own, and also to lead others to reason through them as well. We want to guide them to greater independence in their habits of study, prayer, worship, giving, and serving, and provide them with opportunities to practice their developing leadership skills, as well as outreach and service. While being active in a Christian service group (such as American Heritage Girls or Trail Life USA) or church youth group can help in all of these areas, they should also be given more and more opportunities to participate with adults in the church body, modeling what they can experience in the not-too-distant future when we release them to serve God in the world.

And this brings us back full circle to our BASS players, our young adults who are hopefully, prayerfully, ready to be launched into the world with a mature belief in Jesus, availability to his call, service to others, and a life of deliberate Holy Spirit-empowered sanctification.

However, I want to say a very clear word about setting goals for our children. This framework is just that - a framework, not a formula. It is not a promise and not a guarantee. It gives some guidance for what how we can focus our children's spiritual learning at different stages, and what we can expect of them (often, more than we realize!). We are called to be faithful with the children God has trusted to us, cultivating an environment that is conducive for healthy spiritual growth to take place. But all growth is from God, and is of grace.

There is one more thing I want to share with you, and that is how these stages of learning, and each corresponding spiritual focus, fit into the larger framework of Classical Christian education. See you tomorrow!