As a man who’s been immersed full-time in classical studies since I was 20 years old, I understand that most Catholic parents will never be able to let go of the modern K-12 curriculum. Most parents cannot even imagine an alternative to the modern grade-level system and even though I have sent students from the Classical Liberal Arts Academy into religious communities, seminaries, colleges and the military, few will believe me when I tell them that accreditation and K-12 diplomas are not necessary.
So, rather than arguing about it :), it may be best if I simply make some recommendations for how modern school programs might be enriched and supplemented with courses in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy.
Why Supplementation is Important
Modern school programs are designed to cover the minimum requirements of the modern K-12 curriculum, which is sufficient for a “high school diploma”. They are not, however, intended to provide students with the kind of challenging studies that selective colleges recommend and look for.
For example, Princeton University says,
“We look for students who have challenged themselves with rigorous study in a range of academic areas during their high school years.”
A student who is merely checkingthe boxes of the normal K-12 curriculum is not “challenging himself with rigorous study”.
Fortunately, we can help with this, and our courses are affordable and flexible.
Recommended Courses
It is assumed that students attending a modern public or private school, or using a modern homeschool program like Seton, CHC or Kolbe, will be satisfying the minimum requirements for English, Math, Social Studies, and so on. What’s lacking in these programs are quality classical studies like Latin, Greek, Reasoning, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Sacred Scripture and so on.
From our Curriculum page, you can browse all of the courses available, but the following courses will most likely be found helpful by students in K-12 programs and shouldn’t be too difficult:
- TRV-110 Latin Vocabulary– build Latin and English vocabulary by topical studies
- TRV-111 Latin Reading I– read the Gospel of St. John in Latin
- QRV-311 Classical Arithmetic– learn Arithmetic as a philosophical discipline
- PHL-101 Aesop’s Fables– study moral philosophy through fables (parables)
- PHL-102 Theophrastus’ Characters– study moral philosophy throught character studies
- PHL-201 Pliny, Natural History– study natural philosophy from a classical perspective
- PHL-311 Classical Ethics– study Aristotle’s moral philosophy
- THL-101 Daily Scripture Reading – learn the discipline of reading the Catholic Bible daily
- THL-211 Baltimore Catechism II – prove your mastery the content of the Catechism
- THL-311 Baltimore Catechism III– prove your mastery the content of the Catechism
- THL-321 Summa Theologica I– enter into the study of Scholastic theology
- THL-351 Sacred Scripture I – study Scripture one chapter at a time
- HUM-101 World Chronology – survey the history of the world from a Catholic perspective
- HUM-201 Classical Mythology– learn of mythology for the sake of cultural literacy
The course numbers identify the intended age/grade levels.
- 100 – grade 3+
- 200 – grade 6+
- 300 – grade 9+
- 400 – grade 11+
If you’d like help selecting courses, contact us.
Enrollment
To enroll in any course, simply use the form on the Enrollment page. Enrollment is always open and students may begin at any time. Courses are self-paced (no deadlines) and can pe paid with no-fee payment plans if desired. Enrollment includes: a managed student page, live chat support, online assessments, assignment grading, and more.
Questions?
If you have any questions, contact us. We’re always available by email or here on live chat on the website.
God bless your studies,
William C. Michael, Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
