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The first stage of the Trivium is the Grammar stage which generally corresponds to the developmental stage during the elementary years. During this time students are most able to memorize facts and particulars of each subject area and can learn the “grammar” of math (addition and subtraction, multiplication tables, etc.), for instance, with ease. This level is the "Poll-parrot" stage as Dorothy Sayers calls it because children enjoy learning through basic truths and facts about their world through repetition, chanting, rhymes, and songs. Laying this foundation of knowledge allows a basis for further understanding in the years which follow elementary school.
At Heritage School, we establish close relationships with the child and the parent as part of the vital learning process. As classical publisher and advocate Dr. Christopher Perrin says, “as Christian educators we know that a student is not a disembodied mind, but a person with a soul and a heart.” At HeritageSchool, our classes are designed to be challenging and stimulating—and teachers attempt to nurture the potential of each child and avoid excessive focus on competition for grades or position.
The Grammar school student engages in learning about God through Bible stories and nature study; the students learn the fundamentals of reading (phonics) and spelling, English grammar and composition, arithmetic, the stories of history, science. Children read from real, living books as early as first grade. They engage in Bible memory, reading poetry, telling and writing fables and stories. They have monthly field trips, attending museums, plays, concerts, living farms, and the like. All students enjoy learning the basic principles of art and music through active participation. Every student enjoys both recess and twice-weekly P.E. class.
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