A Latere Academy

A Latere frequently offers info meetings for parent to learn about how A Latere partners with families, what classical education is, and how it differs from traditional education. We'll also show you what a typical school day looks like and what you can expect at home.

Have questions? Email our team at alatere@ccclife.org.

Grammar – Grades K – 5th
During this phase we take advantage of the child’s natural strength to memorize. Young children thrive learning songs and rhymes that provide the basic grammar of our subjects. They are challenged to memorize substantial subject matter. For example, in math, students memorize times tables, while in science they learn the parts of a cell and the various categories of living things. The Grammar Phase creates the knowledge or “subject grammar” used as foundational building blocks for the next two phases.

Dialectic or Logic – Grades 6th– 8th
During the middle school years, children begin to think independently and understanding the why of what they are learning becomes important in this phase. Students begin to understand the relationship of cause and effect and how the world is organized. Building upon the subject grammar learned in the first phase of learning, students are taught how to organize facts to form rational and logical ideas and arguments. The study of subjects begins to refine the ability of a student to build logical thoughts from the truths being taught. For instance, in language arts a student is now learning how to combine the various structural components and grammar rules into sentences, paragraphs and essays. While in science, they learn the logic of testing a hypothesis. In math, the introduction of more abstract concepts in algebra and geometry build upon the rules of mathematics learned in the Grammar Phase. Students are encouraged to think critically and make rational fact-based arguments built upon the mental library of knowledge and facts they have acquired

Rhetoric – Grades 9 th- 12th
Rhetoric is the art of communicating well and with mastery. Once a student has obtained knowledge of the facts (grammar) and developed the skills necessary to arrange those facts into organized arguments (logic), the student is equipped to master subjects and communicate their ideas in an original manner. In the Rhetoric Phase students are prepared to think and articulate concepts to others.

Cycles of learning
Classical mastery of subjects depends on repetition. This is done in three yearly cycles that are repeated. As a result, a child that has gone through the Grammar Phase, has covered each cycle two times and is well-prepared for the Logic Phase, which will cycle only once.