What is Classical education?
Classical Christian Education employs the seven liberal arts and the great books in order to cultivate men and women characterized by wisdom, virtue, and eloquence. It is forming what our children love through their joyful discovery of what is true, good, and beautiful, so that they will flourish for the rest of their life.
Classical Christian education weaves Scripture throughout each subject, and students at Lighthouse are trained to examine history, literature, math, and science all through the lens of a Biblical worldview. They enjoy daily devotions together, and they learn to apply the truth of God’s word to their lives.
Classical education is about human formation. At Lighthouse, we’re aiming not for academic rigor, but for curiosity and wonder; for virtue, not for vice; for sturdiness, not for ease; for leisure in learning, not for busywork; for aligned affections, not for moral relativism. The habits of our faculty reflect the virtues and habits that we’re seeking to instill in our students. At Lighthouse, students are learning how to think, not what to think, and then to express their ideas with eloquence.
Classical Education provides a nurturing community
A Classical Christian school is a community of parents and teachers who share a commitment for teaching children to love learning and growing in godliness. Smaller class sizes ensure that teachers know their students and are better able to serve them individually. Students know they are loved and known while openly manifesting deep appreciation and respect for their parents and teachers.
Classical Education is academically rigorous
Rigor doesn’t mean “hard” at Lighthouse; it simply means that students are expected to be wholly attentive to their education — fully present in body and mind. Students learn to love the subjects that their teachers love. Students with a Classical Christian education experience the personal satisfaction that is inherent in mastering a difficult task.
Classical Education uses time-tested methods and content
Classical Christian schools develop skills to equip students to be lifelong learners by teaching students that every subject is comprised of certain defining facts with an orderly organization of the information, and a concise and persuasive way in which to present the acquired material. This method of instruction has been in use for hundreds of years and is the means which produced most of history’s great thinkers; it is the new “old-way” of educating students with a long history of success. Graduates are familiar with reading, writing, Latin, logic, math, science, rhetoric, and the fine arts, resulting in gracious, knowledgeable, and thoughtful men and women.
Classical Education focuses on age-specific learning
Classical Christian schools use children’s God-given strengths at each stage of growth to help them learn; young children enjoy memorizing, singing, and rhymes, so a solid foundation is laid in each subject of study at this age; junior-high students are inquisitive, so we develop their ability to reason and discern truth; and high-school students want to talk, so we teach them how to present their ideas persuasively. The result is a graduate who knows what they believe and why and can positively impact the community around them.