Pennebaker 1

The Effectiveness of the Trivium Education

Thesis Statement: Trivium schools should be brought back because of the effective division of

education, focused curriculum, and the superior outcome compared to modern education.

I. The Trivium should be brought back because of the effective division of education

A. Grammar is the first stage

1. Learning rules and principles

2. Pure memorization

B. Logic is the second stage

1. Applying memorized formulas

2. Improving reasoning

C. Rhetoric is the third and final stage

1. Students form their own opinions on worldly occurrences

2. Begin pursuing the subject or craft they are passionate about

II. The Trivium should be brought back because of its focused curriculum

A. The trivium allows in depth studies

1. Arts

2. Higher Learning (college)

3. Apprenticeships

4. Various camps

B. Counterpoint: the trivium is too focused

1. Becomes idolized

2. Is not truly classical, but rather medieval

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III. The Trivium should be brought back because of the superior outcome compared to

modern education.

A. Common core focuses on teaching by standards

1. Set measurement

2. Everyone should be taught at the same pace no matter what

3. Teaches wealth is acquired by pure labor

B. The Trivium focuses on teaching the art of learning

1. Is fitted to individuals learning capabilities

2. Teaches more than worldly/materialistic success

3. SAT scores are higher than the national average

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Cassandra Pennebaker

Mr. Cullen

English III AP

May 1, 2017

The Effectiveness of the Trivium Education

The art of learning used to be seen as a luxury and later became a necessity. Learning

used to be about taking in as much knowledge possible to make the scholar or a society better

than they already are and ensure their place as a functioning member of society. Now, education

is about getting the best scores to make the school look good in order to acquire more funding

even though some aspects are beneficial. Modern education is changing frequently and it is

questionable whether or not the current education curriculum is the most effective. The classical

way of learning, known as the Trivium, is beginning to be more commonly used now by

Christian schools as opposed to the Common Core curriculum that contemporary schools use.

The Trivium form of education is considered outdated but studies show that it is effective when

compared to the modern modes of teaching and could be beneficial if brought back. Trivium

schools should be brought back because of the effective division of education, focused

curriculum, and the superior outcome compared to modern education.

The Trivium is split into three stages: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. Each stage

corresponds to the stage of brain development that a child is in so that they have time to process

the information and become more effective students. This division of education is more
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effective than the modern method of teaching students the basics and having them apply it to

situations beyond their mental capabilities.

Memorization is the first stage of the Trivium education. Like most elementary schools,

a child will enter formal education at the age of six. At this age, the brain is in the preoperational

stage, meaning the child is focused on simple concepts and more likely to remember factual

information such as the sky is blue,the grass is green, etc (Piagets Model of Cognitive

Development). Since the brain is so new and still developing, basic formulas and principles stick

to the child like glue. The Trivium utilizes this stage to start teaching the basics of all subjects.

Students will learn grammar rules and spellings in literature, simple formulas in math, important

dates in history. Science is a four year cycle that repeats at each stage of the learning, going

deeper into the disciples (Goodwin). The cycle is as follows: biology, science and astronomy,

chemistry, then physics. The Memorization stage continues with the same pattern of teaching

students the basics and having them memorize them, each new school year introducing more

complex formulas and concepts. The arts and foreign languages are also introduced in the most

basic forms so to allow students to grow up learning musical fundamentals and learn a secondary

language along with their primary language.

Once students move through the Memorization stage, the Logic stage begins. The brain

is now in the concrete operations stage. A child is beginning to see reason and applies it to their

lives, envisioning events outside of their lives and how it can affect them. This maturing of

abstract thought allows students to start to understand abstract ideas such as mathematical

operations (Piagets Model of Cognitive Development). All of the formulas that a student has

learned up until the Logic stage are finally applied. Algebraic Students apply grammar rules and
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sentence structures to write paragraphs that supports a thesis logically. The logic of reading

involves a students ability to analyze and comprehend text. For history, students find out why

historical events happened and the thought process of the catalyst to the event. The logic of

science means the use of the scientific method (Bauer). Students stop learning the when or

what and begin learning the why. The Trivium teaches students at this stage to break apart

scenarios and view it from different viewpoints despite their opinion on the subject. This logical

way of breaking down a problem helps students understand the concept of cause and effect.

They can understand how everyday interactions fit together logically and can start to predict the

outcomes of situations.

The brain matures into the formal operations stage once a student reaches the final stage

of the Trivium, Rhetoric (Piagets Model of Cognitive Development). Students would be in what

the contemporary education calls High School. At this stage, students are preparing on going out

into the world to make a living for themselves as a functioning member of society. The previous

stages were factual and helped to make the students knowledgeable about everything but did not

allow students to think for themselves. The Rhetoric stage serves as a refining stage for students

before they either pursue higher education or go into the workforce. Students are encouraged to

apply what they have learned in the previous stages in order to form their own opinions and be

able to support what they believe logically. Students also are able to pursue what they are

passionate about more in depth than what they were able to before. This comes in the form of art

camps, apprenticeships, trade schools, etc. Students are able to refine what they know in the

Rhetoric stage and be able to deliver their thoughts clearly with concise wording. They become
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people capable of emoting but can logically express their thoughts and solve their own problems

thanks to the previous education stages of the Trivium.

The effective division of the Trivium allows students to focus on their education in a

more in depth way. Students are able to grow with their talents artistically with music lessons

based on each level of learning. Some students choose to attend music camps offered by the

Trivium school during the Summer months to expand on their skills. Language learners are

encouraged to converse with native speakers through local meetings or video calls with the aid of

the internet. After going through the Trivium, those who studied linguistics can travel and

become well-rounded culturally through their exploration of the different cultures around the

world. Apprenticeships and internships are also encouraged, those who attend Trivium schools

receiving help from counselors in finding apprenticeships and internships in their desired field of

study. For those that want to go into the workforce after they complete their education, an

apprenticeship or a trade school is recommended and a student can begin their apprenticeship

midway through the Logic stage as well as keeping up with their studies. For those who feel

academically inclined may want to pursue higher education in the form of collegiate schooling

based on the students academic interest. Those that are still going through the Trivium process

may choose to join clubs that pertain to their interest to delve deeper into their favorite subject.

A common argument about the Trivium is that it is too focused. The trivium focuses too

much on teaching students facts and not letting them think for themselves. Students should not

be subjected to intense learning environments that the Trivium provides, but should have a more

relaxed curriculum that teaches them all educational subjects to ensure they are a well-rounded

student. Moore argues that the Trivium is not classical teaching as it claims to be but more
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medieval in its teachings . He goes on to say that the Trivium is idolized for being flawed and

should be forgotten since times are changing and so must education(Terrence). Compared to

the Common Core, the Trivium is outdated and does not fit the needs of modern students.

Common Core has innovated solutions that bypass the solutions provided by the Trivium.

Students are presented equal opportunities to better themselves with the Common Core

curriculum while the Trivium prevents students from achieving their goals by keeping them

separate and being selective in the opportunities offered. (Fitzpatrick). The Trivium does not

take into consideration the fairness of keeping students together in educational means.

According to those in favor of the Common Core, the Trivium causes a digression in the method

of teaching rather than helping it progress.

The Trivium, despite the claims of the previous argument, proves to be better than the

Common Core curriculum. The Common Core curriculum teaches meeting standards instead of

teaching the art of learning like the Trivium does. According to the Common Core, students

should be taught at the same pace despite the fact some students may need additional help to

understand the material. Instead of taking time to ensure students are learning, the Common

Core pushes through the predetermined curriculum to cover all the material the school year has

planned to cover even though the amount of material to be covered is excessive so the school

systems can keep up with other schools. Students find themselves lost and confused in the

middle of class because the teacher does not take time to help them understand the material.

This act of neglect causes the student to fall further behind in learning and so the student does

whatever they need to in order to catch up with their peers, be it finding a tutor or going as far as

cheating on their work. In some scenarios, students forgo their work entirely and miss out on
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learning material crucial for their educational progression. Learning should be a joy but the

Common Core makes learning a chore, teaching wealth is obtained by pure labor. Students

cannot learn in a relaxed environment with the Common Core curriculum but has to work harder

than necessary to stay caught up. Even when a student is caught up with the curriculum, they are

not retaining the information they learned, if that could even be called learning. Students

memorize information for the sake of passing the tests given and then forget it when they

memorize the next set of materials for the next test. Though it looks like learning, the Common

Core indirectly teaches students to memorize information for the sake of a grade. Students can

pass the teacher-made knowledge assessments but score significantly less than others on

standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT.

The Trivium is far better than the Common Core curriculum. While the Common Core

focuses on meeting standards, the Trivium focuses on the art of learning. The art of learning is

the art of acquiring knowledge and being able to apply it to your life. The Common Core taught

that wealth came from only hard work and nothing else. The Trivium teaches students how to

enjoy learning and how it can make a difference in their lives. Learning never stops even after a

student graduates. A job requires a person to learn and be able to utilize the knowledge in order

to be a functioning member of society. Memorizing how to do one task and forgetting it once it

is finished will cause a person to lose their job. In terms of education, the Trivium is focused on

the students benefit rather than the benefits of their school. The Trivium chooses a curriculum

that fits the students needs and strengths rather than clumping the group of students together and

teaching them the exact same thing without stopping to consider their needs first. Since the
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Trivium is so effective in stopping to work with the students and their needs, students tend to

perform better on standardized tests, as Julia Duin states in her CNN article:

Educators couldnt point to independent studies on classical educations effectiveness.

Each year, the Association of Classical and Christian Schools compares the SAT scores

of classically educated students with national statistics. The class of 2012 averaged 621

in reading, 606 in writing and 597 in math, scores much higher than the national average.

A 2011 survey of its member schools alumni showed that 98.3% attended college. Of

those students, 34.8% attended a Christian university. (Duin).

If the Common Core was so good and the Trivium was useless, then why are the Trivium test

scores higher? The scores speak for themselves to help prove that the Trivium is a more

effective way for students to learn.

The effective division of education and focused curriculums the Trivium offers proves to

be superior to modern education techniques. Because of this, the Trivium should no longer be

dismissed as inferior but should be considered when discussing the next change in education.

The Trivium will benefit students more than the modern curriculum and thus benefiting

generations to follow. When students learn the art of learning, they will appreciate gaining

knowledge and want to acquire as much knowledge as possible. The wanting to learn more will

inspire students to come to school more which would decrease the number of students that drop

out because school is too confusing or too hard for them. Drop out rates will plummet and

attendance will rise. No matter how anyone looks at it, the Trivium is undeniably beneficial and

should be brought back.

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Works Cited

Bluedorn, Harvey. "Outcome-Based Education versus Trivium-Based Education." Trivium

Pursuit. N.p., 1994. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Courtney, Jennifer. "Trivium Education." Classical Conversions. Classical Conversions, 7 July

2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2016. <https://www.classicalconversations.com/trivium-education.htm>

Dorothy, Sayers. "The Lost Tools of Learning." Scribd. N.p., 24 Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Duin, Julia. "Plato Over Ipad." CNN. N.p., 21 June 2013. Web. 13 May 2016.

Fitzpatrick, Sean. "Common Core Education vs. Classical Education: A Thomistic Approach -

Crisis Magazine." Crisis Magazine. N.p., 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 May 2016.

"Teaching Trivium to Children." Trivium Education. Trivium Education, 2014. Web. 3 Mar.

2016.

Terrence O. "The Limits of the Trivium." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.Moore.

"Understanding the Classical and Christian Difference A Parents Primer."The Ambrose

School. The Ambrose School, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.