Our Approach

The Master’s Study (TMS) has been created to support home educating families in the Indianapolis area who embrace the concepts of classical Christian education. Our focus is to inspire a love of learning that grows out of a true liberal arts education while equipping the parent with direction, encouragement, and drive. In that, TMS adopts a tutelage model – one in which the parents remain the lead teacher in the home, while the TMS teacher/tutor staff aim to:

• supplement and enrich the homeschool experience with students in the Lower Grammar School;
• provide a guide for the parent/teachers in the Upper Grammar School;
• direct the homeschool experience for the Dialectic parent/teacher who is grooming his/her student for high school; and
• drive the homeschool experience once a student hits high school and begins the final steps of independent learning.

Our Perspective

Classical education groups students into distinct learning groups.  You will frequently see TMS refer to a student’s school placement, not their “grade.”  Because so many of us are still accustomed to the western method of student classification, we tend to blend the two.

• PreK:  PreK students need to explore for the sake of exploration!  These students have not started formal academics yet.  Growing in knowledge through experience, exposure, and practical application of the most elementary and essential building blocks is key for our tiniest of students.  Read, chat, play, explore, pretend!
•  Lower Grammar School (K-1-2-3):  These students are busy gathering facts and basic building blocks of academic study.  Students will ask why, but may not be ready to completely understand why.  We often refer to this as the “sponge” stage.   Learning at this age should be rich and fun!
•  Upper Grammar School (4-5-6):  These students are still gathering facts like their younger counterparts, but the building blocks now have a bit more weight.  Laying a foundation for more advanced study, these sponges are beginning to manipulate and use their blocks of learning.  Cause and effect are becoming evident to them.  Students are approaching the opportunity to think through arguments.
• Dialectic (7-8-9):  Now it’s time to put mortar between the facts!  These are the years when students learn the difference between being argumentative and how to make an argument.  Logic is present in all areas of study, even if the student doesn’t see it readily.  Reflected in the writing, the study of Latin, literary criticism, and the application of historical events to today’s world,  the development of logical-ordered thinking is present in all facets of study.  Dialectic III – or 9th graders – are part of the High School program.
• Rhetoric (10-11-12):  Finally, all the studies come together.   Students begin to construct a structure which is personalized and individual.  Critical thinking, defense of ideas, and expression of self (beyond clothing choices and hair color!) are the hallmark of this stage.  The culminating experience for this age group is the exploration, development, presentation, and defense of a senior thesis.

Our Beliefs

To learn more of what we believe, please review the Statement of Faith and Guiding Principles.

Families can learn more about classical education and the trivium at:

The Well-Trained Mind
Classical Christian Homeschooling