Why Composition Belongs in Every Subject

Ask most people what "composition" means, and they will probably think of an English lesson in which children write a story, an essay, or a letter. For many of us, that is exactly how composition was taught at school. It was a separate subject that appeared on the timetable once or twice each week.

The classical tradition understood composition very differently.

At Britannia Classical Institute, we believe composition is not merely another subject. It is a habit of mind and a skill that should permeate the entire curriculum.

To understand why, we must first understand the place of grammar within the Trivium, the first stage of the Seven Liberal Arts.

Today, grammar is often reduced to learning the parts of speech, punctuation, spelling, and the rules of sentence construction. These are all important, and every educated person should master them. However, the classical understanding of grammar was much richer.

Grammar was understood as the art of the principles and usage of language.

The word usage is particularly important.

Language exists to be used. It is not enough simply to know the rules of grammar. A child must learn to use language well, both in speech and in writing. Grammar therefore forms the foundation upon which both oral and written communication are built.

St Isidore of Seville, whose Etymologies became one of the most influential educational works of the Middle Ages, defined grammar as "the knowledge of speaking correctly, and the origin and foundation of the liberal arts." This beautifully captures the classical understanding of grammar. Grammar is not simply a set of rules. It is the foundation upon which every other discipline rests.

This is why grammar comes first within the Trivium.

A child first acquires the language of a subject. He learns its vocabulary, facts, definitions, names, and principles. Only then is he prepared to reason about those ideas through logic. Finally, having understood and judged the truth, he is able to communicate it clearly through rhetoric.

Grammar therefore prepares the mind to receive knowledge.

Composition prepares the student to communicate that knowledge.

In recent years there has been much discussion about the importance of oracy. One criticism often made of modern schooling is that children spend much of the day listening quietly. In a classroom of thirty pupils, it is simply impossible for every child to explain, narrate, ask questions, and discuss ideas regularly. Consequently, much assessment is carried out through written exercises.

Homeschooling provides a wonderful opportunity to restore spoken language to its proper place. Parents can ask questions, encourage narration, hold discussions, and invite children to explain what they have learned. These conversations are among the greatest strengths of home education.

However, we must not allow this renewed emphasis on speaking to come at the expense of writing.

A classically educated pupil should not only read excellent books and speak thoughtfully. He should also learn to compose.

Writing requires the mind to organise ideas carefully. It demands precision, clarity, order, and good judgement. A child who can explain an idea clearly in writing has usually understood it far better than one who can merely repeat facts from memory.

This understanding was central to the great educational traditions of the past.

The Ratio Studiorum, the educational plan of the Jesuits, contains no separate subject called Composition. That is because composition was expected in every subject. Pupils continually wrote summaries, narrations, translations, explanations, paraphrases, and arguments. Writing was not confined to the language lesson. It was one of the principal means by which pupils learned every subject.

The ancient Greeks and Romans understood the same principle.

Quintilian, whose Institutio Oratoria shaped education for centuries, described the work of grammar as involving both "the art of speaking correctly and the interpretation of the poets." He immediately adds, "there is more beneath the surface than meets the eye." Grammar was never intended to stop with rules. It led pupils into the careful reading, understanding, and imitation of great authors.

Aristotle also reminds us that communication belongs to every person. At the beginning of his Rhetoric, he explains that rhetoric is an art practised by everyone because all people seek to explain, persuade, defend, and communicate their ideas. These are not skills reserved for lawyers, politicians, or public speakers. They belong to ordinary life.

At Britannia Classical Institute, we therefore believe that composition should form an integral part of every subject.

Most lessons include written assignments that invite pupils to reflect upon what they have read, organise their thoughts, and communicate their understanding. A history lesson may require a written narration. A science lesson may ask the pupil to explain an observation. A Scripture lesson may invite reflection upon a passage. A Latin lesson may involve translation and explanation. Every subject provides opportunities to strengthen the art of composition.

Parents remain free to develop this skill according to the age and ability of each child. Younger pupils may begin by answering orally before writing a few simple sentences. Older pupils can gradually produce fuller narrations, summaries, explanations, and essays. Composition grows naturally as the child matures.

Children become good writers by writing regularly.

For this reason, Britannia Classical Institute does not confine composition to a single lesson each week. We believe writing should accompany learning itself. Every subject provides an opportunity to think more deeply, communicate more clearly, and grow in wisdom.

A child who reads carefully, speaks confidently, and writes clearly possesses three of the greatest gifts that a classical education can offer.

A R Hutchinson