Developing Excellent Writers for Our Future: Using the Progymnasmata |
Elegantly Effective Writing
|
Curriculum |
Developing Excellent Writers for Our Future: Using the Progymnasmata |
Elegantly Effective Writing
|
Curriculum |
|
 |
Discovering the Skills of Writing
The Curriculum below trains students to become good writers. Good writers are good thinkers, both logically and rhetorically, and good compositions must be driven by both the intellect and the imagination. The Progymnasmata or "Before Exercises" on which this curriculum is based begins to develop logical and rhetorical structures in the mind. Good writing, as well as good speaking, is logically correct and it is a pleasure to encounter. Our minds and imaginations are uplifted by a well-communicated encounter with truth. Such an experience lies at the heart of excellent communication. We rejoice in this type of quality and have taken as our task, as our goal, to ensure that every graduate is a good writer.
Students begin to master the skills of narrative invention, facility with language or style, and flexibility in perspective. Students continue to master the skills of narrative invention, and continue to develop innovative facility with language and flexibility of perspective. Students are introduced to the skill of arrangement and gain the ability to generate persuasive discouse. They will continue to exercise flexibility and style. Students begin to master the skills of argumentation and invention as they continue to develop their facility with language, flexibility in perspective, and basic skills of arrangement. Common Topic reinforces and varies the skills mastered in the previous stages through a specific focus or narrowing of thought around a particular thesis. Though explicit and focused, students find this exercise a creative and wide open expression of their thoughts. It is one of the most popular of the Progymnasmata. These three stages continue to train the students in their ability to utilize and integrate heads of development, shifting from the particular to the general in communicating ideas as well as continuing to train them in the use of heads of purpose or modes of argument. Students are introduced to sub skills foundational to the rather advanced skills of style. Characterization, a monologue, models for the students “a style that is clear, concise, colourful, unconstrained, not intricate or figurative.” In this stage students learn to adopt a free, relaxed style and ornament it with different figures.” These stages serve as a capstone to the five plus years students have been learning to write through the Progymnasmata, specifically honing the reasoning skills through the introduction of counter point and resolution. |
|
 Papers on Aphthonius' Progymnasmata The Vertical Integration of Aphthonius' Progymnasmata
Aphthonius’ Progymnasmata as a Means to Preparing Innovative Communicators Other Resources
|