Mission & Academics Blog
Timeless Truths: How Classical Education and Neuroscience Align for Student Success
We profess that Brookfield Academy strives to offer our scholars an enriching Classical Education. But what does that mean? The simple answer is human flourishing - that is, we guide students toward truth, goodness, and beauty… and help them to value these things. This is a lifelong process, but by exposing young people to great literature and a strong history background, they begin to learn what develops a person’s character, how we need to struggle for the good, and how beauty lifts the heart. They are introduced to math and science as well - the amazing doorway to the wonders of our world. To attain mastery, these disciplines require hard work, diligence, and other excellent habits of mind - more gifts they can take into their adult lives. Of course, classical education is nothing new – it can be traced back centuries, all the way to the ancient Greeks, who valued wisdom and strove for excellence.
Today, many educators at Brookfield Academy and beyond are examining what neuroscience can teach us about best teaching practices. Brain researchers are offering some strategies and directives for maximizing students' learning. This is exciting and fascinating information, and many of us are eagerly devouring the research, reading the newest texts available, and spending our summers taking courses. But wait, will this new data steer us away from the rich lessons of classical education? I was determined to investigate this very issue and determine if these two perspectives were aligned or not.
Discovery number one…Classical educators know the value of knowledge, giving students a wide range of schema as a crucial component for reading comprehension. When young people read, comprehension is hindered if they have no background knowledge to link to the new information. Imagine reading an instruction manual when you do not know the terminology. It doesn’t matter what a good reader you may be; you will have poor comprehension. This is true for young people trying to read and understand texts that assume they have the full background. This is one of the goals of a strong classical education - filling the student with rich and varied knowledge about their world, its past, and its wonders - so that they can fully take in the wide range of texts to which they are exposed. Happily, neuroscience supports and encourages the very same goal - to build up students’ schema. Knowledge enhances comprehension and confidence in students.
Discovery number two… Another aspect of a classical approach to learning requires students to commit many things to memory - math facts, grammar rules, phonics, poetry, famous speeches, and much more. We often refer to all of these as tools in their toolbox. We want to fill this toolbox to the brim so students can take it all with them for future tasks requiring them to apply, analyze, and synthesize what they are learning. A more progressive educational approach might refer to all this memory work as “drill and kill.” This term undoubtedly puts a negative spin on the classical approach, but then, along comes neuroscience research that completely agrees that committing the basics of any subject to memory is essential for deep learning. For example, when a student has their math facts memorized, they can focus on how long division works without simultaneously struggling to retrieve the math facts needed to multiply and subtract along the way. Researchers refer to this as reducing the cognitive load so that students can focus on the new learning at hand.
Discovery number three…Both classical educators and brain scientists count on the importance of a teacher-directed curriculum as the most effective, efficient, and supportive strategy to maximizing learning. The teacher knows best what lessons are needed to build a strong and enriching foundation for our students.
There is always room for improvement and growth in maximizing learning for our young people. But it is encouraging to hear that as new worlds of science unlock the best strategies, we are finding a tremendous amount of support for the classical approach we embrace here at Brookfield Academy.
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Discovery number one…Classical educators know the value of knowledge, giving students a wide range of schema as a crucial component for reading comprehension. When young people read, comprehension is hindered if they have no background knowledge to link to the new information. Imagine reading an instruction manual when you do not know the terminology. It doesn’t matter what a good reader you may be; you will have poor comprehension. This is true for young people trying to read and understand texts that assume they have the full background. This is one of the goals of a strong classical education - filling the student with rich and varied knowledge about their world, its past, and its wonders - so that they can fully take in the wide range of texts to which they are exposed. Happily, neuroscience supports and encourages the very same goal - to build up students’ schema. Knowledge enhances comprehension and confidence in students.
Discovery number two… Another aspect of a classical approach to learning requires students to commit many things to memory - math facts, grammar rules, phonics, poetry, famous speeches, and much more. We often refer to all of these as tools in their toolbox. We want to fill this toolbox to the brim so students can take it all with them for future tasks requiring them to apply, analyze, and synthesize what they are learning. A more progressive educational approach might refer to all this memory work as “drill and kill.” This term undoubtedly puts a negative spin on the classical approach, but then, along comes neuroscience research that completely agrees that committing the basics of any subject to memory is essential for deep learning. For example, when a student has their math facts memorized, they can focus on how long division works without simultaneously struggling to retrieve the math facts needed to multiply and subtract along the way. Researchers refer to this as reducing the cognitive load so that students can focus on the new learning at hand.
Discovery number three…Both classical educators and brain scientists count on the importance of a teacher-directed curriculum as the most effective, efficient, and supportive strategy to maximizing learning. The teacher knows best what lessons are needed to build a strong and enriching foundation for our students.
There is always room for improvement and growth in maximizing learning for our young people. But it is encouraging to hear that as new worlds of science unlock the best strategies, we are finding a tremendous amount of support for the classical approach we embrace here at Brookfield Academy.
