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From the Hellenistic period to the
renaissance in Europe, students learned to speak and write logically, clearly, and effectively by practicing various exercises
known as the progymnasmata. These rudimentary exercises not only aided students in prose composition, but also introduced
elementary rhetoric. Beginning with the 9th grade, the exercises are incorporated into the Humanities program
Sequence:
7th Grade (Prerequisite - None):
8th Grade (Prerequisite - Fable and Narrative I):
- Narrative
- Anecdote
- Proverb
9th - 11 Grade Humanities Program (Prerequisite - None; however, 7th and 8th grade levels are strongly recommended):
- Refutation
- Confirmation
- Commonplace
- Encomium
- Vituperation
- Comparison
- Impersonation
- Description
- Thesis
- Defend/Attack a Law
View a
Sample Lesson
1. Is the program self-paced?
The program is self-paced for those who have begun in previous years and who are making satisfactory progress in the
self-paced model. However, most families find that they need more structure in order to keep the necessary momentum.
Therefore, beginning in the fall of 2011, students will complete lessons by a firm due date, with the opportunity for
revision of a limited number of lessons. The number revisions allowed varies with each grade level.
2. Is this a complete writing curriculum?
Yes, it is a complete program which combines step by step instruction with repetitive exercises at each level. Learning to think
and write well requires much time and effort; this program provides five years of consistent, incremental instruction. It
is most effective when begun early and used continuously.
3. Do the Progymnasta prepare a student for college writing?
Yes. One of the college professor's most frequent comments on student essays is, "Your idea is good but not sufficiently developed."
Such a criticism will never be applied to a skilled veteran of the progymnasmata. At the university level, students most often
encounter persuasive and comparison/contrast type-essay assignments in their courses. A student at the junior high or high
school level advancing through the 14 levels of the progymnasmata internalizes the tools he needs to tackle any type of
college level essay. In addition, the student enrolled in the progymnasmata learns basics in creative writing forms,
such as fiction and poetry writing. Finally, the course provides frequent writing and revising opportunities for the student,
enabling him to master grammar, spelling, and punctuation while polishing his style.
4. My child enjoys creative writing. Will he be able to use creative writing in this course?
In this program, students learn elements of fiction and poetry writing corresponding to each assignment. Although all types of
writing involve creativity, several of the levels, such as the fable, description and commonplace are particularly suited
for students who enjoy writing fiction or poetry. However, students may not fail to meet stated objectives for a lesson on
grounds of "creativity."
5. My child doesn't enjoy creative writing. What's in this course for him?
The main thing required of a student is to meet the stated objectives of each lesson (using proper tools of amplification,
meeting grammar and punctuation requirements, and timeliness). "Creativity", in the sense of possessing a talent for fiction
or poetry, is not a requirement of this course. However, don't be surprised if, through the progymnasmata, your student
discovers that he has more creative flair than he previously realized.
6. What exactly, are the progymnasmata?
They are a structured series of exercises in expanding or developing thought through writing. They were the classical preparation
for rhetoric, or persuasive writing and speaking. For more information, see the Silva Rhetorica, developed by Dr. Gideon Burton of
Brigham Young University.
7. From where did the progymnasmata come?
Rhetoric has been an important element of western civilization from its inception; wherever masters have taught, they have
created various exercises for their students; the best known, though not the earliest, manuals of rules and exercises for
composition are those of Hermogenes, a Greek rhetorician of the late second century and Apthonius, of the fourth century.
Early Church Fathers -- Tertullian, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine -- adapted classical rhetoric for use in
Christian discourse and the humanists of the European Renaissance revived Cicero and Quintilian as rhetorical models.
The progymnasmata are still discernible, though in a degraded form, in modern composition pedagogy.
8. What makes the progymnasmata effective?
It would be difficult to quantify all the reasons for their effectiveness but we can list four very important ones here: (1), the
progymnasmata provide the student a set methodical, incremental structure, building skill upon skill and internalizing the
skills taught by repetition throughout increasingly complex forms of discourse; (2) the student learns timeless rhetoric
tools from the masters, imitating fables from Aesop, narratives from Ovid, and legal arguments from Cicero; (3) he will be
able to recognize these same rhetorical devices in the writings of the Church Fathers, providing a deepened sense of the
communion of Saints; (4) he sees classical techniques of amplification used by authors of later historical periods,
gaining an appreciation of the timelessness of the skills he is working to develop.
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