What Is Classical Homeschooling (And Is It As Intense As It Sounds?)

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!