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| The Logic Stage |  By the fifth grade, a child begins to think more abstractly and analytically. This introduces the second phase of classical education, the "logic stage" or understanding. During this time he or she begins to see and understand cause and effect. The facts they learned in the grammar stage are taking on meaning for them, and they are able to order facts into organized thoughts and arguments.
Children are beginning to think independently, and to use reason to ask questions. They study formal logic, learn the fundamentals of good argument, and practice written and oral argument. All subjects have their own logic. In science, they learn the development and testing of hypothesis. In math, logic is applied to the more abstract concepts of algebra and trigonometry; in writing, learning to write a well-constructed and protected thesis; in reading, criticism and analysis of books; in history.
The intensive knowledge period of a child lasts about three years, and then knowledge continues to grow and develop, but the ability for understanding becomes the most important for the child’s education. With a large basis of knowledge reached, the child achieves a level of maturity, another capacity for understanding grows. At this level, parents teach a child the skill of logic such as the criticism of question, analysis, evaluation, motivation, investigation of the theory and so on. |
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