Generally speaking, educational philosophies distill into one of two basic models:

• Cognitive-developmental model
• Behavioral model

The Cognitive-developmental model teaches a core of knowledge in a way that challenges the students thinking. The imparting of wisdom goes beyond the assimilation of facts to the teaching of values, truth, decision making and critical thinking. This model was perfected in the 15th and 16th centuries and educated most of the great thinkers and artists of the Renaissance and early Reformation periods. It was used almost exclusively in schools until the early to middle part of the 20th century in our nation.

Gary Watt summarizes the essence of Classical education: "The classical model excels in an understanding of the normal phases that students go through and relies on disciplines that have proven successful in ages past, such as Logic, Latin and debate, to best educate the child. It is the most successful application of the cognitive-developmental model throughout history, and was the standard for education until the advent of the behavioral model in the last century. Utilization of this model in Christian education is not a venture into uncharted territory, but a return to the model with the best track record in history"

The model that most influences our country's schools and teacher training today is the Behavioral model. Developed early in this century, in America, this model is built upon the principle of communicating information to the students and measuring their learning by how they recall and report that information on a test. Practical application and depth of understanding are not as strongly emphasized with this model. This model of teaching has been said to create technicians designed to produce good test scores rather than students equipped with knowledge, understanding, wisdom and truth.

Newnan Classical School uses a Cognitive-developmental model commonly referred to as the Classical model. It best respects the developmental stages of a child's learning abilities and teaches in such a way as to take advantage of and build upon those natural stages of cognitive maturation. Teaching and learning, therefore follow a pattern from the more concrete to the more abstract. The Classical model is built upon the Trivium which was used in the Middle Ages.

This Trivium consists of three parts or phases:
Grammar, which involves the memorization of basic facts about a subject. It is taught primarily to younger children who naturally enjoy chanting/singing, reciting and memorization.

Dialectic, or Logic, is the study of argumentation and formal logic. This emphasis fits well with the middle and early high school years when young people begin to question, to challenge and to test things for themselves. The Logic stage will teach them how to integrate facts into a coherent system that reflects biblical truth.

The Rhetoric phase, instructs the student in how to express or effectively and confidently communicate what he thinks in a manner worthy of the Truth. Obviously, rhetoric includes teaching speech, debate, essay writing, etc. Style and clear-minded expression are important.

All three elements are, to varying degrees, present at each grade level, but more emphasis by necessity is placed on the element that fits the student developmentally.

By the way of practical example, consider a study of George Washington under the two models:

In the Behavioral model, facts such as his date of birth and major accomplishments are memorized, with all of the information provided from one or two textbook sources (textbook publishers decide what they want you to know) followed by a test of the memorized facts.

By stark contrast, the Classical model would focus more on understanding the factors that lead to Washington's accomplishments, who or what most influenced his thoughts and where he fits in the timeline of history. Information would be gathered from two or more sources, including biographies and original writings, with a report or project to give the student a hands on experience with something that Washington did. Tests would look for the student's understanding of the man, his views, and his relevance in history. Grading would also take into consideration such things as neatness, proper grammar and effective punctuation, since all subjects are an integrated, orderly whole, under the Lordship of Christ.

The basic teaching style would supplement or replace lectures, in the higher grades, with exhibits and experiments where the students are given information and/or materials and instructed to observe, critique and discuss their findings.

Again, by way of example, consider two scenarios from the Classical approach:

An upper-grade science class would be taught to predict, test, measure, observe, think, and conclude; to learn of God's world for themselves. They would be taught of the two competing views on origins, comparing, contrasting, and discovering the issues and events which have occurred in the development of both. Because, Evolutionary theory is not merely science, but rather a system of belief or philosophy which needs to be closely examined, it therefore logically follows that faith, the biblical record, Creationist theory, catastrophism, and the observational scientific data which support them, are not to be excluded from the study of origins.


In literature, students study the significance of the author, what influenced him and what he was trying to communicate not just what he said. Rather than avoiding How the Grinch Stole Christmas, for instance, because it omits the story of Jesus' birth, students would be taught to enjoy its rhyme and pattern, but also to see both how it differs from a Christian worldview, and how empty and meaningless all of life would be without the Christ Jesus its story omits.

High Academic Preparation.

This Classical model is a major departure from the Behavioral style of learning that tends to makes a student and his parents proud because of consistently high test scores and grades, when in fact the student is actually gaining little understanding or practical application of the subject matter. The teaching at Newnan Classical School will not sacrifice the learning of a core of knowledge, just the opposite: we emphasize this mastery, but add a higher goal to expose the student to such a depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding that those who are thusly equipped and inclined would graduate as Renaissance people. These Renaissance men and women will have the opportunity to be creative and influential for Christ with the ability to think in an innovative, independent and wise manner while understanding a broad range of subjects.

There is no dichotomy between imparting to students a distinctively Christian worldview and biblical truth on the one hand and the highest level of intellectual development in many subject areas on the other. They compliment one another perfectly; but some Christian schools have seen Christian faith and intellectualism as being mutually exclusive. Achieving high academic goals through the encouragement of teachers and peers will be our primary focus, within a context of healthy competition and in the absence of any undue pressure. A quality liberal arts education will be provided and grounded in the mastery of a broad range of academic topics. It will draw deeply upon the rich heritage of biblical, orthodox Christianity and Western civilization and culture.

Language Arts at Newnan Classical School will emphasize intensive phonics, reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and Latin. The study of Latin reinforces the students understanding of our traditional English grammar, builds their vocabulary skills and lays the foundation for learning other romance languages. Students will come to know the flow of history the causal relationships between ideas, individuals and events of the past. They will see how each successive generation builds, for better or worse, upon what was done before it, while gaining greater understanding and appreciation of the wisdom and glory of God as expressed in His word and Christian thought.

Literature studies encourage students to read from a broad spectrum of writings and to recognize the characteristics of great works. Opportunity is given for students to express creativity through art, music and drama. In the higher grades, the study of art and music history will be supplemented. All of this study is within the context of discovering, from a biblical perspective, what is truth, goodness and beauty. Not to learn and be influenced away from Christ, but rather to discern how the great literary works of history compare with the greatness of our God and King as He has revealed Himself to us in His Word and through His Son.

The Math and Science studies are designed to demonstrate God's order and wonder in creation while preparing students to participate knowledgeably in the scientific and technological arena of the modern world. Math studies emphasize the mastery of basic concepts and principles that allow for further study and mastery of numerical and spatial relationships. Science studies are taught to expand the student's practical knowledge of the world around them. It develops their God-given curiosity of the universe and all that is in it by expanding their powers of observation, deduction and conclusion, while cultivating their appreciation for the value of life and all that God has created through His Son Jesus Christ.