Classical Method - Stages not ages

In the Classical model of homeschooling, children’s learning is broken up into stages rather than grades. These are stages that roughly correspond to cognitive stages that children go through.

• Grammar Stage is roughly 1st grade through 3rd or 4th grades and is punctuated by a child who memorizes things (songs, Pig Latin, commercials, Ubby Dubby language from Zoom) really easily, even playfully. They often drive their parents crazy asking for the same book to be read or reciting the same lyrics or joke or riddle over and over and over. This is capitalized on by having children memorize dates, foreign language grammar forms, math facts, bible verses, quotations, poems and anything the parent deems of value that will be of later use or built upon at a later time. This doesn't mean a child shouldn't understand the math facts he's memorizing, but that once he understands them, memorizing them can be a game. Even if he'd rather not play, it will come easier than when he's older and so you're working with the child's natural abilities rather than against their nature.
• The next is the Logic Stage which roughly compares to 4th or 5th grade through 8th or 9th grade. At this stage children have a natural tendency to question why, particularly their parents - which, again, can be frustrating. Dorothy Sayer talks about this being the "pert" stage. This God-given questioning of life can be utilized by the parent by giving children the larger world view of civilizations or disciplines of science and allowing them to analyze, compare and contrast them. At a time when children think they know better, we can give them the better knowledge with which to base their self-perceived superiority on. We can give them higher thoughts to analyze their own and other’s behavior, even as they continue to give their parents a hard time about the inconsistencies in our own character. You've already given them the basics in reading, grammar, math, logical thought processes, possibly foreign language - now you can dig deeper and expand on that knowlege base while working with their natural tendencies instead of wishing they weren't quite so "pert".
• The last is the Rhetoric Stage when children are longing to stand out from the crowd and make their mark on the world during high school. They are given this opportunity by using the skills they’ve learned and built upon in the preceding stages and expecting them to speak and write. At this stage they have something concrete to contribute to the world and the skills to do it in a fashion that builds society up and prepares them to make their mark in the world. You are also preparing them with concrete skills to go out into the world.

These are roughly coorelated to the grades 1-4, 5-8 & 9-12. Some people consider a Beginner's Level as Pre-school - 3rd, Grammer as 4th - 6th, Logic as 7th - 9th, & Rhetoric as 10th - 12th.

The same things I like about Montessori - working with the child's natural abilities and trusting them to handle material that others think young children can't handle - the classical method just works for our family.

To read more about this, read the post called the Classical Method.