Academics
A classical education teaches students how to learn, reason, and communicate effectively. These three phases are known as the Trivium, and correspond to the natural stages of child cognitive development. In the grammar stage, roughly from grades PK–6, children "amaze adults with their ability to absorb large amounts of information." At Liberty, these students use fun songs, chants, skits, and rhymes to memorize everything from punctuation and sentence-structure rules to chemical elements to U.S. Presidents. Mastery of reading is emphasized, with 15 minutes oral reading part of daily homework. Between grades 7 and 9, children enter the logic phase, asking "why?" questions in their quest for deeper understanding. At this stage, Liberty introduces formal logic, equipping students with the tools they need for critical thinking and sound reasoning. Finally, in grades 10 through 11, students move into the rhetoric stage, where they naturally seek to express their own conclusions about what they have learned. At this point, Liberty teaches formal rhetoric, " students to clearly and persuasively communicate their own ideas."
Liberty believes that all children can learn and achieve at a high level, when the expectations are high and the classroom is an exciting place that engages their attention. From the earliest grades, students memorize famous poems or speeches and recite them to their peers. Extra credit and prizes are awarded to students for reading "challenge books" beyond their grade level. Science Fair projects begin in second grade. "By the time students are in high school, they are writing 20-page thesis papers on what they believe." Every member of the senior class researches, writes and presents a formal Senior Thesis to the Liberty school body and receives a grade from a panel of faculty judges trained in rhetorical exercise. This rite of passage provides students the opportunity to put into practice all of the self-directed learning and logical evaluation and communication skills they have obtained at Liberty and thereby demonstrate their readiness for higher education.
Latin is taught from grades 3 to 8, both to improve analytical thinking skills and "because of its broad application in a variety of areas," including medicine, classical literature, and the foundations of the English language. Since 2004, Liberty students have earned honors in the National Latin Exam. Two years of a modern foreign language (Spanish and German are the 2008-09 offerings) are also required before graduation.
Read more about this topic: Liberty Classical Academy
Famous quotes containing the word academics:
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)