Introduction and Student Placement

 

The seven liberal arts are the necessary intellectual prerequisite habits for humanity living in a material world to understand the nature of that world, the human soul, and God.  In our current educational climate, however, instruction in these arts ranges from piecemeal at best to completely absent at worst. The goal of Septem Artes Liberales is to offer students a complete introduction to the actual liberal arts curriculum.  The focus of this program, then, must remain on the seven liberal arts.

(St. Severinus Boethius pictured left)

Below is the core curriculum we are developing:

ArtPrimary Text(s)Author
Latin GrammarInstitutione Grammatica – three booksAlvarez, SJ
Greek GrammarInstitutione Grammatica – three booksGretser, SJ
LogicIsagogePorphyry
 Organon – six booksAristole
RhetoricRhetoricaAristotle
 De Topiciis DifferentiisBoethius
ArithmeticInstitutione Arithmetica – two booksBoethius
GeometryElementa – first six booksEuclid
MusicDe Musica – six booksBoethius
AstronomyAstronomiaTacquet, SJ

The reality of raising children in our time requires parents interested in liberal arts study for their children to provide other educational opportunities, not only to meet state mandated requirements, but also to prepare children for future career or spiritual pursuits.  Children studying in Septem Artes Liberales will need other modern studies as well as appropriate vocational and spiritual experiences to rightly prepare for their individual futures, and these choices outside of the arts themselves are left to the parents.

Below please find three options of study for students either beginning in their study of the liberal arts, students transitioning at an elementary level and students transitioning from a more advanced level.

Tutoring

As students progress through the curriculum, they will encounter questions about the material itself as well as about their performance on assignments and examinations.  Students may e-mail these content-related questions to the SAL tutors and will receive a prompt reply.  Students should expect responses that guide them to understanding the material.  Students should not expect responses that simply give them ‘the right answer’, which often keep them from understanding the material.

Assessment

There are many assignments students complete through their studies, including, for example, practice pages demonstrating the memorization of material and responses to questions demonstrating their mastery of course readings.  Students may e-mail these assignments to the SAL tutors and will receive prompt assessment.

Cost

Number of ChildrenMonthly Cost
One child$25
Two children$50
Three children$75
Four or more children$100

For more information, contact: info@septemartesliberales.org.

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