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What is a Christ-centered classical education?

At American Christian School, we believe the ultimate purpose of all education is to know God. It is our desire to guide our students into a Christian worldview and equip them to think logically and communicate effectively in order to influence the world for Christ. We believe the best way to do this is by using a Christ-centered classical approach to education.

A Christ-centered education starts from the concept that all truth is God’s truth. No idea, concept or subject matter can be fully understood unless it is related to the God who created it. Therefore, God is not just discussed in Bible classes but also in history, literature, math and science classes. For example, a book assigned in literature class may be discussed in light of biblical values, man’s sinful nature, or God’s redemptive grace.  The goal of this approach is to teach students a biblical worldview or understanding of the universe in which we live.

Another important aspect of Christian education is that it is the right and responsibility of the parents, not the government or the church, to educate their children. Though they may delegate some authority to a school, the parents maintain the responsibility for training their children in the way they should go. That job does not end when the student is dropped off at the door of the school.

Classical education honors a child’s natural development. Younger students have the ability to learn songs and rhymes and recite facts with relative ease. They are taught the fundamental facts of each subject with various tools of memorization. As children begin to think more independently, they are often inclined to be argumentative. This is common in the preteen and early teen years. At this time, in addition to being taught facts, they are also encouraged to question, reason and analyze. Logic classes help students understand the fundamentals of a good argument. These skills are put into practice in the classroom as students participate in debates, oral presentations and classroom discussions. In the upper grades, students have an increased ability to learn effective communication skills. During this period of time, all students learn the fundamentals of rhetoric, the art of communicating well. Rhetoric classes equip students to communicate their beliefs clearly, beautifully and persuasively.

Classical education is also defined by the curriculum choices. Besides the obvious additions to the curriculum of logic and rhetoric classes, Latin and Greek are also core classes. There is a heavy emphasis on literature and history. Although these two subjects are taught as separate classes, the curriculum is synchronized. For example, students learn modern history at the same time they learn modern literature.

Using a Christ-centered, classical approach to education, American Christian School partners with parents to develop godly, knowledgeable, thinking and articulate students.