Annapolis Christian Academy

• Grammar

• Dialectic

• Rhetoric

Our Board

Our Philosophy

The Grammar Phase: The foundation of knowledge in facts, rules, and skills

This period of learning, traditionally referred to as the “Poll Parrot Stage” of learning, corresponds with the elementary years of childhood development when observation and memory are the “master faculties.” During this time, students are best equipped to memorize and order the many facts and particulars of various subject areas. All subjects can be broken down into a foundational set of basic facts, rules, and skills to be committed to memory. These elementary facts, rules, and skills we refer to as the “grammar” of each subject. While other elements of the trivium (i.e. logical reasoning, oral presentation, etc.) are certainly present during this stage, the emphasis of the curriculum is slanted in favor of memorization and imitation of the “grammar” of subjects in order to provide the foundational background knowledge necessary to build on in the later years when reason, analysis and expression are emphasized.

In addition, during the Grammar phase students are trained in Latin which is a vital foundation for understanding a wealth of material including but not limited to grammatical concepts, vocabulary, sentence structure, and western civilization.

In the Grammar phase, knowledge is absorbed, reinforced and unified in a Christ-centered worldview, forming the beginning of a more complete and full Christian understanding of the world.