The Grammar Stage focuses on the broad acquisition of facts and on laying a foundation of knowledge. Grammar refers in this context to the simple, concrete facts and basic building blocks or fundamental rules that inform a subject, matter or exercise.
Grammar Stage students explore in simple and concrete ways the basic elements of reading, math, art, language and science. Memorization and simple observation in a rich environment, both of which come quite naturally and with delight at this stage, are maximized. Reading and being read to are at the heart of this stage as all students become fully fluent in reading and develop a love for stories, poetry, and the spoken and written word. The student becomes familiar with various parts of disciplines and future skills, in a basic but comprehensible way. The student’s developing intellect will more fully appreciate and synthesize the elements of this fact-focused stage as he grows in age and wisdom.
This is also the critical stage when students are learning how to go to school–they are learning how learning works: what behavior and conduct are expected, and what it means to be involved intellectually with a subject.
Community & Culture Nights serve our entire school community of (parents, faculty and students) by creating a shared vision of what a Catholic, classical education means, and thus ensuring that Donahue Academy students are prepared to encounter Christ and pursue excellence in all things. Our Community & Culture nights focus on each of the three foundational stages of the trivium and help outline what makes Donahue Academy so successful for so many students. Below is an example of a C&C Night that features the Grammar stage:
Lists of texts below are illustrative and not exhaustive. Age-appropriate versions of certain works may be used.
Knowledge – Defined as recalling or remembering something without necrssarily understanding, using or changing it.
Define, describe, identify, label, list, match, memorize, observe, point to, read, recite, recall, re-tell select, state.
Terra Nova Tests (Begin in second grade)
Comprehension – Defined as understanding something that has been communicated without necessarily relating it to anything else.
Alter, account for, annotate, calculate, change, convert, dictate, group, explain, generalize, give examples, illustrate, infer, interpret, paraphrase, review, summarize, and translate.
Terra Nova Tests