Classical Christian education affirms that Christians must fulfill the command given by God in Ephesians 6:4, “Bring them [children] up in the discipline and instruction [Paideia] of the Lord.”  The “paideia of the Lord”  is instruction in all of life with the Lord as the center, and giver of all knowledge.  Therefore, at Chapelton Christian Preparatory School, all subjects are taught as part of an integrated whole with Scripture at the center. 

Learning, indeed, is not compartmentalized; rather all subjects should be integrated as to give a deeper and broader understanding.  Students learn how literature, history, science and theology are related. Students are shown how all knowledge ultimately points back to God, the Creator of all things. The selection of subjects of a classical school will be focused so they can be taught with depth and integration.

Classical teachers model a Biblical Christian life. They encourage each student to begin and develop a relationship with God through Jesus by the Spirit. They have a love for learning and a passion to teach students as they say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

Classical Christian education encourages all students to develop a lifelong love for learning and attain their academic potential. They are challenged with the great books of western civilization, theology, philosophy, and history.  They learn to analyze books through the lens of the Biblical worldview.  Books are curated in such a way to cultivate the mind and train them in virtue.

Classical Christian education utilizes the “trivium” (a word to encompass the progression through grammar, logic and rhetoric). Utilizing this process of integration in all subjects enables students to leverage God-given strengths (displayed in children throughout the different stages of their life) that can be capitalized upon. This not only helps in the gaining of knowledge but also teaches students the process of learning for the future, as subjects are taught from the foundation up.

> The purpose for Classical Christian Education:
The purpose of Classical Christian Education is to cultivate wisdom and virtue in students. It will grant them knowledge and inspire them to love the Lord through what they read and how they are taught, helping students become disciplined, responsible and virtuous adults. Classical Christian education will be a superior foundation in the student’s preparation for college or a career, although its focus is to produce a student who exemplifies a life of wisdom and virtue.

> The “Trivium” explained:
In classical Christian education, students move through the stages of grammar, logic, and rhetoric.  This progression is known as the “trivium.”  It utilizes the child’s development as it systematically helps the child not only to learn but it gives the student the tools to learn in the future.  The trivium works by building on a foundation.  Everything to be mastered has the rules or foundational information (grammar), how to utilize the rules properly (logic) and how to be eloquent in the use of that information (rhetoric).  In moving through the trivium, students are given the tools to learn for themselves while mastering the skills necessary to be thoughtful, contributing members of society.

How does classical trivium relate to a student’s grade in school?
         Grades K-4 deal with:         "Who/ What/ Where/ When"
         Grades 5-8 deal with:         "Why”
         Grades 9-12 deal with:       "How"

In classical education, the elements (grammar, logic, rhetoric) of the trivium are designed to match certain stages of child development.

>> Grades K-4: Grammar: "Who/ What/ Where/ When"
In the grammar stage, children love to chant, memorize and recite. Education in the grammar stage is fact-based. This stage is not simply linguistic, but rather the basis of all subjects. The goal is to equip students with the foundational building blocks of education. Example: The grammar of math would be arithmetic and the times tables.

>> Grades 5-8: Logic: "Why"
In the logic stage, children become curious and interested in argumentation, wanting to know, “How come?” Therefore, Chapelton teaches discernment and distinctions. Students begin to apply logic as they evaluate argumentation and learn to view information critically.  For an example, Wilson writes, “To see that a horse is not a duck belongs to the grammar stage. To see that a horse is a suitable animal to use in battle, and that a duck is not, belongs to the dialectic (logic) stage.”

>> Grades 9-12: Rhetoric: "How"
In the rhetoric stage, children are concerned with appearances and how they’re seen by others around them.  They are taught how to present themselves – why something matters and how to best apply the two previous stages of learning.
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About Learning Latin:
One subject which is more peculiar to classical education is the study of Latin.  It’s been said, “Latin promotes mental discipline; it encourages literary appreciation; it leads to a mastery of English; it provides a solid foundation for preparation for Christian ministry.” Latin is a precise language which takes discipline to learn. 

We understand that, “Long experience has shown us that the discipline required for learning another language, particularly Latin, is a discipline peculiarly suited for application elsewhere.”   Learning Latin helps students to better understand English grammar.  Latin has the added bonus that it is the basis of many of the early great works of theology, classic literature, as well as science and medicine.