Three Views of the Trivium

Classical education is a conscious return to the ancient goal of education: teaching children to think and learn for themselves by imparting to them the tools of learning. It is an approach to education that is rooted in the ancient medieval concept of the Trivium. The Trivium is comprised of three basic tools of learning: Grammar (the tool of knowledge), Logic (the tool of reasoning), and Rhetoric (the tool of communication and expression). The Trivium can be viewed as 1) an approach to subjects, 2) an approach to students, and 3) a set of subjects. See the chart below for a brief explanation of the Trivium according to each of these views.

Trivium Category	An Approach to Subjects	An Approach to Students	A Set of Subjects
Grammar	Mastery of fundamental facts and rules.	Elementary Age: Concrete thinkers; Information sponges; Memorization comes naturally.	Formal study of word usage & language structure. Studied in English & Latin.
Logic	Training in comprehension and sound reasoning skills.	Middle School Age: Beginning to think abstractly; Growth of analytical thinking abilities.	The study of the science of sound reasoning and argumentation.
Rhetoric	Development of communication, expression and application skills.	High School Age: Abstract thinkers; Interest in self-expression; communication and creativity.	The study of the effective use of language in speech and writing.