Classical Framework

Heritage is classical in its embrace of the trivium, its emphasis on the classics, and its study of Latin.

The Trivium
The trivium (Latin for “three ways”) is the core of a classical curriculum.  It was practiced during Greco-Roman times, formalized in the medieval period, and nearly universally embraced by educators in the English speaking world until the early 20th century.   The trivium recognizes three developmental stages of learning typical of children:   grammar, logic, and rhetoric.   Trivium-based education “organizes learning around the maturing capacity of a child’s mind” by using teaching methods and materials specific to each stage of development (Wise Bauer, The Well-Trained Mind, p. 3). 

The Classics
We study classic works of art, literature, and history, introducing students to the great ideas and debates of the past.

At Heritage, we define a “classic” as any work that every generation has read, studied, or cared about either because of its beauty and excellence or because of its influence and commentary on life.   Included in our definition of classical works are the Bible and the great poetry, hymns, and literature wrought from Christian devotion. At HPS, students memorize and recite these classic works in the grammar years, analyze them in the logic years, and debate them in the rhetoric years.  Students develop a strong base of knowledge from history’s great people, thinkers, and writers.  They learn to understand the consequences of theories, ideas, and actions.

Latin
Latin was regularly taught in American schools through the 1940s and considered essential to a fundamental understanding of English, history, and the writings of Western civilization.  At Heritage, we believe Latin is still an important tool for several reasons.  Latin:   

• Trains the mind for orderly thinking and expression.
• Builds English vocabulary and increases reading comprehension – 50% of all words in the English language have Latin roots.
• Prepares the mind for the study of other foreign languages.  The Romance languages derive their structure and vocabulary largely from Latin.  The structure of Teutonic languages also comes from Latin.
• Lays a foundation for future studies in science, medicine, law, and philosophy – disciplines that draw heavily from Latin.
• Enables serious students of the classics to enjoy and study those works in their original language.

Heritage students begin their study of Latin in the third grade.