Frequent Questions

1. What is Legacy Classical Christian Academy ? Legacy is a private, classical Christian educational institution that is governed by its own Board of Directors. Legacy teaches in the time-honored tradition of the Trivium—teaching grammar, logic, and rhetoric. These are considered the tools of learning. Legacy is located in Phoenix , Arizona .

2. What is the purpose of Legacy Classical Christian Academy ? The purpose of Legacy is to provide a classical Christian education to our children and the children of like-minded parents in our community through the establishment of a classical Christian school.

3. How is Legacy Classical Christian Academy organized? Legacy Classical Christian Academy operates under the authority of its own Board of Directors, its own 501 c 3, and is completely independent from any other entity. Legacy leases space from Desert Springs Bible Church where it is located. An Executive Administrator reports to the Board of Directors, and oversees the daily operations with teachers and other employees reporting to this administrator.

4. Why does Legacy Classical Christian Academy exist? Scripture places primary responsibility for the education of children on parents. Secondary responsibility for the education of children lies with the church, which has a duty to evangelize, preserve and foster the discernment of truth, and transform people to influence their world for Christ. Legacy provides an exceptional education which partners with parents in educating children in both the Christian and Classical tradition.

5. What is classical education? Classical education is distinguished by its commitment to the seven traditional liberal arts, the great works of Western civilization, and the Greek and Latin languages, which form the basis for many modern western languages. Students are immersed in the “Great Books” of our Christian tradition and western cultural heritage. As children progress, they read less “textbooks” and more original source documents and literary works, especially in history and literature. Superior literature models superior communication skills. It also brings the student face to face with the great ideas that have shaped civilization. In turn, these ideas are evaluated in light of the Christian worldview.

6. Why classical education? Classical education is a return to the proven educational methods and theories of the past. Until about 100 years ago the classical method was THE method for everyone in western civilization. While not distinctly developed until the Middle Ages, its practice dates back to the Greek and Roman eras. Products of classical education include, St. Paul, Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, John Calvin, Martin Luther, William Shakespeare, Jonathan Edwards, even George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The goal of education in these past times was to teach children how to think and learn for themselves. They were given the tools of learning and then taught how to apply those tools of learning to any subject.

7. What is the Trivium? The Trivium is the three basic tools of learning: Grammar, or skill in knowledge; Logic, or skill in comprehension; and Rhetoric, or skill in communication. The Trivium is the heart of classical education. With grammar, the student learns to accurately receive knowledge; with logic, to critically analyze and understand; with rhetoric, to wisely and effectively express himself. The Trivium is nothing more than a proven and very practical approach to education that works. It is an instructional model that (1) is a common sense way of looking at subjects, (2) approaches the study of subjects in a way that naturally fits with how we learn, and (3) tailors curriculum content to a child’s cognitive development.

(1) The Trivium is a common sense way of looking at subjects.

It is a common sense way of looking at subjects because it breaks subjects down into concrete facts and rules, abstract comprehension and reasoning, and application and expression. Every subject can be broken down into its Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric. The Grammar of a subject is its basic facts and fundamental rules. The Grammar of math includes the numbering system and basic math facts. The Grammar of History is names, dates and places. The Grammar of English includes phonics, vocabulary and spelling rules.

The Logic of a subject is the comprehension of how its facts fit together logically. The Logic of math is algebra and geometry. The Logic of history is understanding the how and why of names, dates and places including understanding reasons for wars, migrations, cultural movements and political revolutions. The Logic of English includes understanding the parts of speech and the proper construction of sentences and compositions.

The Rhetoric of a subject is its articulation, expression and application. The Rhetoric of math includes the application of mathematical study to accounting or engineering (e.g. calculus). The Rhetoric of history includes developing and effectively communicating views about political science and cultural trends. The Rhetoric of English includes writing effective essays, debating techniques, and public speaking.

(2) The Trivium approaches the study of subjects in a way that fits naturally with how we learn.

It goes “with the grain” of how humans learn any new subject material. If you decided to learn about baking bread, you would first learn the “grammar” of bread baking. You may not consciously think about the grammar, but you would initially learn the basic facts and rules of bread baking—the kinds of flours, measuring ingredients, varieties of breads, etc.

Your learning process would continue into the logic phase. You would learn about how different flours produce different breads, how certain ingredients produce certain results in your final product and how proper mixing, kneading and baking each effect how the bread tastes. You would begin to “comprehend” bread baking.

Finally, after having mastered the grammar and the logic, you would learn how to articulate and express what you know about bread baking. This might include developing a presentation about “The benefits of whole wheat flours”, and you might persuasively discuss your views about particular bread machines with other bread connoisseurs. You would be in the rhetoric stage of your learning. You would be learning skill in communication, articulation and application as it relates to bread baking.

(3) The Trivium tailors curriculum content to a child’s cognitive development.

The Trivium tailors curriculum content to a child’s cognitive development by utilizing methods and subject matter that are appropriate to the age of the student. Children in the Grammar stage (K-6^th grade) tend to think in concrete terms and have an amazing ability for memorizing many facts. Children in the Logic stage (7^th-9^th grade) are naturally developing reasoning and analytical thinking abilities. As they mature to high school (10^th-12^th grade) or Rhetoric stage, they are able to think in very abstract terms and have greater interests in being creative, expressing themselves, and communicating their ideas. The classical method plays to these age-related tendencies. Please see the chart below for further explanation.

The following material is drawn from the essay The Lost Tools of Learning, by Dorothy Sayers. It illustrates the application of the Trivium at Legacy Classical Christian Academy.

Beginning Grammar	GRAMMAR	LOGIC	RHETORIC
Grades K-2	Grades 3-6	Grades 7-9	Grades 10-12
Approx. ages 4-8	Approx. ages 9-11	Approx. ages 12-14	Approx. ages 15-18
Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:	Student Characteristics:
1. Obviously excited about learning 2. Enjoys games, stories, songs, projects 3. Short attention span 4. Wants to touch, taste, feel, smell, see 5. Imaginative, creative	1. Excited about new, interesting facts 2. Likes to explain, figure out, talk 3. Wants to relate own experiences to topic, or just to tell a story 4. Likes collections, organizing items 5. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds (e.g. Dr. Seuss) 6. Easily memorizes 7. Can assimilate another language well	1. Still excitable, but needs challenges 2. Judges, critiques, debates, critical 3. Likes to organize items, others 4. Shows off knowledge 5. Wants to know "behind the scenes" facts 6. Curious about ‘Why?’ for most things 7. Thinks, acts as though more knowledgeable than adults	1. Concerned with present events, especially in own life 2. Interested in justice, fairness 3. Moving toward special interests, topics 4. Can take on responsibility, independent work 5. Can do synthesis 6. Desires to express feelings, own ideas 7. Generally idealistic
Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:	Teaching Methods:
1. Guide discovering 2. Explore, find things 3. Use lots of tactile items to illustrate point 4. Sing, play games, chant, recite, color, draw, paint, build 5. Use body movements 6. Short, creative projects 7. Show and Tell, drama, hear/read/tell stories 8. Field trips	1. Lots of hands-on work, projects 2. Field trips, drama 3. Make collections, displays, models 4. Integrate subjects through above means 5. Teach and assign research projects 6. Recitations, memorizations 7. Drills, games 8. Oral/written presentations	1. Time lines, charts, maps (visual materials) 2. Debates, persuasive reports 3. Drama, reenactments, role-playing 4. Evaluate, critique (with guidelines) 5. Formal logic 6. Research projects 7. Oral/written presentations 8. Guest speakers, trips	1. Drama, oral presentations 2. Guide research in major areas with goal of synthesis of ideas 3. Many papers, speeches, debates 4. Give responsibilities, e.g. working with younger students, organize activities 5. In-depth field trips, even overnight 6. World view discussion/written papers

Practical Home Schooling, Spring, 1993.

Adapted from, "A Classical Education Provides A Timeless Introduction To Knowledge" by Douglas Wilson,

8. What is the role of Latin? Latin instruction will formally begin in the third grade and continue through twelfth grade at Legacy. All students will take Latin every year in third through seventh grade. Two years of Latin in high school will be required for graduation. There are at least five solid reasons for classical language study in our school, as stated below.

(1) Latin reveals a great deal about English and greatly enhances the student’s powers of expression in his native language.

*About 80% of English vocabulary comes from Latin and Greek.

*English vocabulary tests reveal that students of Latin score higher.

(2) Latin develops and deepens the student’s understanding of and appreciation for literature

*A doorway is opened to great classical literature—Virgil, for example.

*The student’s appreciation for English literature grows because great English literature is filled with classical allusions. A student who understands this has great advantage.

(3) Latin provides an understanding of the classical impact on our modern culture.

*This is evident in wedding rings, dollar signs, political structure, architecture, the names of constellations and plants, and of course, et cetera.

(4) Latin trains the student in the essentials of scientific method: observation, comparison, and generalization.

*Students of Latin are equipped in the methodology of rigorous analysis.

*Latin trains minds to encounter unfamiliar material in science and other disciplines.

(5) Latin provides a wonderful foundation for the study of other languages.

*Latin is a language that lives on in all the major Western languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.

*Students gain an understanding of how inflected languages work. This helps prepare them to study the languages German, Russian, and Greek.

9. How does classical education fit into the modern technological age? The truths of the classical method transcend time. Computers and technology do not change the fact that the fundamentals of knowledge rest on the Trivium. The basic building blocks of education do not change with time. However, the application of these methods does change with context. The technology age simply requires a more directed application of classical methods in the critical fields of math and science to a degree and in a manner not necessary in earlier periods.

10. How big are Legacy’s classes? Legacy does not arbitrarily set a number for the ideal class size. Research states that classes between 18-22 students score on average higher than class sizes below or greater than these ranges. Therefore, Legacy will maintain a class size of 20 students to 1 master teacher. In addition to a master teacher, Legacy will also seek classroom assistants through a local Christian college’s teaching program.

11. Does Classical Christian School serve homeschoolers? Legacy is supportive of homeschoolers. It will serve homeschoolers as resources and opportunities permit.

12. Can students transfer into Legacy at later stages? Students who transfer into Legacy prior to the third grade (when a comprehensive Latin program begins) should adjust fairly well. Students who transfer between the third and sixth grades (within the grammar stage) can still make a successful adjustment, but will need to work diligently, especially in the beginning of the transition. Those students who transfer after the sixth grade (logic and rhetoric stages) may find the transition more difficult due to Legacy’s curriculum. Each situation will be explored independently.

13. Is Legacy accredited? Legacy will seek accreditation from private Christian entities if and when beneficial to the Academy.

14. How can I determine whether Legacy is right for my child?

1. Parents should evaluate their willingness to take an active role in their child's education. Legacy exists to supplement, not replace parents. Parents are required to participate in their child's education.

2. Parents must be willing to place their children in a highly disciplined academic environment that pursues an active curriculum. Parents must be willing to adjust their expectations to tap their child’s full potential when measured by historic standards.

3. Legacy seeks to partner with parents in indoctrinating students in the Christian faith, which will be taught as absolute Truth. Therefore it is necessary that parents be wholly supportive of this process as well as demonstrate their own personal commitment to their faith in Jesus Christ.

4. Parents must be wholly dedicated to the classical method and be willing to learn more about it.

5. Children may have below average to superior learning abilities and still benefit from a classical Christian education at Legacy. However, Legacy does not have the resources to meet the needs of children who truly have special education or disability needs. Parents concerned about their child’s abilities, should consult with Legacy’s administrative staff.

6. Parents should view a child’s formal education as the beginning, and not the end, of a life of learning. Learning and study should be fostered as a lifelong discipline.

If you have further questions, please call to speak with a Legacy representative at (480)945-3246.

Thank you for your interest in Legacy Classical Christian Academy .