Classical Christian Education
Ad Fontes Academy, an accredited member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS), uses proven classical educational techniques based on a Christ-centered worldview to teach the foundations of logical thinking, elegant speech, and persuasive writing.
Ad fontes is a Latin expression which means "to the sources." (literally "to the fountain"). It is historically associated with the renewed study of Greek and Latin classics, and the return to the Bible as the primary source of Christian faith. The idea in both cases was that sound knowledge depends on the earliest and most fundamental sources.
This unity of Christian faith and tradition and the classical model of education, applied to our day, is the distinctive core of an Ad Fontes education. It is an education that shapes character and virtue without neglecting intelligence and wisdom.
The goal of a classical education is to teach students how to learn for themselves by equipping them with the tools of learning. Early emphasis is placed upon basic learning skills, followed by formal instruction in logic and finally by development of clear verbal and written mechanisms of expression in each subject. This technique of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric (the Trivium) has formed the educational foundation of Western culture until the radical curriculum changes and modern educational theories of the past 75 years. Ad Fontes Academy is committed to restoring the educational method upon which the achievements of Western culture are founded.
The core of Classical Education is the Trivium, a teaching model that seeks to tailor subject matter to a student's cognitive development. The trivium emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of the facts of the subjects in Lower School; analytical thinking and understanding of the subjects in Middle School; and abstract thinking and articulation of the subjects in Upper School.
In brief overview, the Trivium is divided into three parts:
Grammar Stage (Grades K-5)
Students begin by learning the fundamental facts and rules of each subject. Teaching methods such as singing, drilling, chanting, and recitation are emphasized. Latin instruction begins in the fourth grade.
Logic Stage (Grades 6-8)
Students are taught how to analyze, reason, question, evaluate, and critique. Logic, the art of arguing correctly, is taught as a core subject.
Rhetoric Stage (Grades 9-12)
In the study of rhetoric, students learn how to express what they know and what they are learning. Debate, apologetics, speech, essay writing, and drama are emphasized during this stage. The rhetoric stage is built on a foundation of accumulated knowledge and is the capstone of the Trivium. Each student will complete a Senior Thesis to graduate from Ad Fontes. This year long research project brings together Christian faith, logical thinking and rhetorical skill in defending an opinion on a critical issue of our day.
We believe this education benefits students of varied academic abilities, not just the student with exceptional intellectual gifts. Teaching methods are geared to meet students where they are and challenge them to their best work.