Okay, so let’s just say I’ve googled “what is classical education” more times than I want to admit. It can just be hard to nail down that definition you know. And just when I thought I finally had a handle on it… I heard someone say neo-classical, and I was like—wait, what now? Did classical get rebranded while I wasn’t looking?
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If you're confused too, you're in good company. And if you're not confused, well then… teach me your ways. This post isn’t meant to be super academic or technical—I’m just a homeschool mom trying to figure this out alongside you. Because while we love and truly believe in Classical Conversations, I do get a bit annoyed, and confused, when people decide to split hairs on this topic. 

So here’s what I’ve come to understand about Classical vs. Neo-Classical education. No pressure, no perfection, just a little clarity for those of us making lesson plans while reheating our coffee for the third time.

🎓 First, what Is Classical Education?

At its core, classical education is an old, time-tested approach based on the trivium—which is just a fancy word for a 3-part learning process: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

• Grammar stage (roughly K–6): fill their brains with facts. Kids are sponges—so they memorize timelines, vocabulary, Scripture, math facts, all the things.
• Logic stage (middle school-ish): they start asking why everything matters. You teach them how to think clearly and argue well.
• Rhetoric stage (high school): they learn to speak and write persuasively. Big ideas, deep discussions, worldview stuff.

It’s all about raising thinkers and life long learners—not just test takers. And it usually includes Latin, Greek, logic, great Western ( not western like boots and cowboys, but western as in writers who are from the west like, Mediterranean, Europe and America) books, and Socratic discussions. It’s rich. It’s deep. And it is a purposeful continuation of the Western tradition. 

 And if I’m being honest… sometimes it makes me feel underqualified. 😂

🌱 So then what’s Neo-Classical?

Neo-classical is basically classical’s slightly more relaxed cousin. Still values all the same things—truth, beauty, virtue, wisdom—but it’s more flexible in how you get there. It’s a modern spin that says, “Hey, we love the idea of classical education, but maybe we can adjust it a bit to work better in actual homes with actual kids who don’t always want to recite Latin AND Greek nouns before breakfast.” It really is a beautiful spin encouraged by Dorothy Sayers back in the 40s when she was observing a great NEED in the modern education system.

It might blend in other methods like Charlotte Mason or modern literature. It’s usually less rigid and a little more grace-filled. Think: same roots, but adapted for life in 2025.
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My love affair with classical education started many years ago, when I first started going to the Great Homeschool Convention. My absolute favorite session was when Martin Cothran from Memoria Press read a chapter from Anna Kerenina and 200 people discussed it in a classical way. I was enamored by the depth we were able to achieve in such a large group. I went home and read the 900 page book myself.

And it was AMAZING.

So in full honesty, I have always known we would use the classical model in homeschool. No other method seemed like it would be the right fit.

Ok, so the big question… What is classical education? 

Classical education is a method that teaches kids how to think by teaching and following three stages of learning: memorize (Grammar), understand (Logic), and express (Rhetoric).
It’s all about building a strong foundation with facts, then helping kids connect ideas, and finally teaching them to communicate clearly—through great books, big questions, and meaningful conversations.

These 3 stages together are called the Trivium. Which sounds vaguely medieval and a little intimidating. But once I actually looked into it, it made SO. MUCH. SENSE. It’s basically teaching kids how to think, not just what to think. And I love that.

Ok so let's look at each of these 3 stages of the Trivium:

• Grammar stage (the early years): all about memorizing facts, chants, and songs. Think multiplication tables, geography songs, and Bible verses with motions.
• Logic stage (middle school-ish): kids start asking why, and now they’re learning how to reason through stuff instead of just memorizing it.
• Rhetoric stage (teen years): this is where they learn to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively. Like, make an argument that isn’t just "because I said so" (which honestly I still use regularly, but whatever).

What does this actually look like in our house?

Well… some days it looks like joining our Classical Conversations (CC) group once a week, coming home feeling inspired (and slightly overwhelmed), and then re-listening to the week's memory work in the car while everyone’s eating Veggie Straws. Other days, it’s just singing skip-counting songs while folding laundry. Or reading a library book about Ancient Rome, and then watching a random but surprisingly educational YouTube video about gladiators.

It’s messy. It’s flexible. And honestly, it’s kind of beautiful.

I won’t pretend I have it all together. I’ve definitely forgotten which week we’re on in our CC guide more times than I want to admit. Some weeks we do memory work in the car, other weeks I completely forget to print the maps. Some days it’s just math and a read-aloud and calling it good. Other days the kids ask big questions and we chase rabbit trails and somehow that feels more valuable than anything I planned.

If you’re thinking about classical homeschooling and you feel like you have to have a Great Books list printed out, a Latin curriculum ordered, and a 10-year plan ready to go—I just want to say: you don’t.

Start small. Try one thing.

Play a song. Read a book. Watch a video.

Let curiosity lead you.

You don’t have to do all the things at once. Honestly, you shouldn’t.
A few memory songs, some good stories, and a lot of grace?
That’s classical homeschooling, too.

And no—you don’t need to know Latin. Unless you want to. (In which case, I fully support your nerdiness and also need your help translating something from my CC guide.)

You’re doing great. Keep going. With you in the mess + the magic,

Lori
To know God and to make Him known

Want some ideas on Classical curriculums? Click here to see what we recommend!

We made it!!

It’s the last week of co-op for our family and I am stinking excited! This was our first year and it was really super hard. I talked about it before, we are doing Classical Conversations. Going into it, I wasn’t super sure what my goals for Samuel should be for this first year. Now at the end, I realized our goal throughout the year was just teaching Sam that this is how co-op works. 

And I think he gets it. 

Samuel flourished with giving presentations but super struggled the WHOLE time with sitting for each session. Waiting for snack time was very, very hard as well but that's because we rarely wait for snack time at home. With a one-year-old, I’m not going to try and change that.

I started co-op in the fall with a nursing baby and Sam not being potty trained yet. That went about as well as you could imagine. 4 year olds in diapers are no fun and it was such a relief when he FINALLY learned to sit on a toilet. And now, I’m convinced that Colson just thinks he is a part of the group. Which to me is just a sweet image of the beauty of the classical tradition of education being so helpful for strengthening the family dynamic.

On deck for school this week:

Monday: Eclipse

Tuesday: Co-op

Wednesday: Field Trip. I don't remember what we signed up for. But it's at the Childrens Museum up in Dayton, OH

Thursday: Speech therapy

Friday: Play Play Play

​Lori

To know God and to make Him Known

*This post contains affiliate links.

Memoria Press offers MANY options for your families homeschool. Seriously, because of the way that the curriculums are set up, you can follow them as strictly, or as loosely, as your family needs.

I started my son young with their pre-school curriculum. Like he was 2.5 year old. This was because of some speech needs we were facing. The way the curriculum was set up, I was able to follow the curriculum plan, and apply it in a way that mad sense for him. By May of the following year, he had even memorized one of the memory verses. I was emboldened and not overwhelmed by the material submitted and was able to help get my son to where he needed to be.

Memoria Press has a core curriculum option that families are able to pick from. From there they also offer an online school option. Which I think is especially great for those families who think they need that structure in a classically based education. 

And really Memoria Press does it all, they have several different locations for the Highlands Latin school and cottage schools throughout the country. They even have a college! (Cottage Schools are where you attend in person instruction one or two days a week and then school the rest of the week at home. It's a hybrid option)

Check out Memoria Press sometime! They have their own conference in summertime and even make it to homeschool conferences throughout the country. I learned of them through the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati. 

Really this is a great option for homeschool families who are looking to educate their children in a different, PROVEN, way. The material is solid and if you are looking for something that is Christian based, they do not shy away from their faith. Click below to view more information on their website.

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* This post contains affiliate links.

Compass Classroom is not your typical homeschool curriculum. Designed to support the homeschooling mom, Compass Classroom provides classes per topic. And the best part is, everything is done on video. Bringing the teacher into your kids' "classroom" and actually providing teaching assistance. It's not you the parent actually presenting someone else's lesson.

Compass Classroom offers a VAST amount of lesson topics. Everything from history to Latin help to economics. They really cover all those topics that seem super daunting in a classical or Charlotte Mason based learning plan. 

There are several different ways to purchase the materials. You could just do a subscription and have access to their entire library, or you can purchase access to the specific class you want. The choice is yours! 

Aslo I really need to add this part. With the way these lessons are structured, they would be easy to add to any public school curriculum. It works because the lessons aren't tied into a broader curriculum. These are truly education supplements that can be simply added into any family education rhythm.

Free lessons are offered to let you see if Compass Classroom works for your homeschool. Click the link below to take a look now!

​Classical education is the homeschool style that is probably the least like anything you are going to find from the public school system. There are more and more private schools that are classically based though and they are opening all over the country.

The end goal of this style is to teach students how to become lifelong learners. There is an emphasis placed on seeking after truth, beauty, and goodness. This holistic approach to learning is meant to teach students to be critical thinkers and to develop a deep sense of moral character. 

You teach kids to become this way by teaching them through the tenets of the trivium. The trivium consists of 3 stages: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. These are often called the 3 tools of learning. ​

Here a few places to start to learn more about Classical Education. 
Classical Academic Press
Circe Institute
Classical Corner over at Substack