Based on the centuries old model of education called the Trivium, Caldwell’s goal is to teach students the proper use of the tools of learning. The Trivium divides the school career into three stages according to the way children naturally develop.

The three stages are grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric.

Grammar period (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 third grade.

Dialectic 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.