PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Harbor Christian Academy was established to provide the youth of the city with a rigorous, Christ-centered, and Classical education.

What do we mean by Christ-centered?
We mean that every subject is taught from a biblical worldview, with the truth and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ infusing all studies.

What do we mean by academically rigorous?
There is no place for a shoddy education. We are preparing the next generation of Houston leaders and we must equip them with the core knowledge and skills needed to live purposefully and responsibly in our complex society.

What do we mean by classical?
Classical education uses a three-step process called the trivium that gives students essential tools of learning while working with the grain of their intellectual development. Taking into consideration the natural gifts and abilities characteristic of each of the three stages, a classical education helps a student to progress from knowledge to understanding and, ultimately, to wisdom. The three stages of the trivium are Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.

Grammar Stage: Kindergarten through 5th Grade

Young children are naturally gifted at memorization. They enjoy reciting, collecting facts, and demonstrating what they know. In the early grades, teachers take advantage of their students’ ability to memorize and equip them with the rules and basic facts of various academic disciplines, building a strong foundation for further study.

Logic Stage: 6th through 8th Grade

As students approach adolescence, they are no longer content to accept what their parents and teachers tell them is true. Rather, they want to ask lots of questions and find out the answers for themselves. Most students become somewhat argumentative at this stage. Classical educators recognize that this is a necessary phase that students must pass through in order to become independent, thinking adults. Through the study of formal logic, teachers help students learn to reason and to think logically through arguments. Debate is incorporated as much as possible, giving students an opportunity to learn to argue in a winsome and respectful way.

Rhetoric Stage: 9th Through 12th Grade

High school students are ready to think great thoughts, to engage in the Great Conversation with philosophers from centuries past, and to learn to express themselves effectively. Students in the Rhetoric Stage engage actively in their education, reading widely and coming to class ready to have a lively Socratic-style discussion with their peers guided by their teachers. In every class, including math and science, students are encouraged to think deeply and to communicate well.