The following is an excerpt from Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered Education, by Leigh Bortins.

The dialectic stage of learning is often referred to as logic or critical thinking skills. I prefer to think of it as a dialogue to clear reasoning. - Leigh Bortins

The dialectic stage of learning is often referred to as logic or critical thinking skills. I prefer to think of it as a dialogue to clear reasoning. The easiest way to explain the dialectic is to use examples. For instance, when I’m teaching Latin, I use the grammar rules the students have already learned in English to help them figure out the rules of Latin on their own.

I may write the words “who” and “whom” on the board and tell the students that “who” is the subject noun (also called nominative) and that “whom” is the direct object noun (also called accusative). If we add an “m,” we change the word from subject noun to direct object noun. Then I’d write the Latin words “elephantus” and “elephantum” on the board and ask the students to tell me which Latin word for elephant is the direct object. I may say, “If we add an ‘m’ to ‘who’ in order to make ‘whom’ the direct object, what do you think might be a clue for the Latin direct object?” Of course, elephantum is the direct object. So we can establish a preliminary rule that adding an “m” indicates the word is a direct object.

More Latin examples, like “gladius” and “gladium” may confirm the new rule. Eventually, we don’t have to think so hard because we recognize that every time we see a noun end with an ‘m’ in Latin, it is probably a direct object. We are now able to process the grammar, understand the rule, use the facts. We are thinking dialectically. The dialectic skills are easier to teach if the student has a firm base of grammar — rules and vocabulary — to associate with new ideas.

Here’s a dialectic process needed to score high on the SAT. Please take the time to think through the problem and notice how you take math facts you know and use them to teach yourself what you don’t know.

If I tell you these formulas:

3×3=9 2×2=4 and 9+4=13 is the same as 3@2=13
4×4=16 5×5=25 and 16+25=41 is equal to 4@5=41
Could you tell me the answer to 3@5?

In other words, can you take the two examples of a rule and apply it to a new problem? Can you compare what you already know with a new definition and gain new understanding?

You should get 3×3=9 and 5×5=25 and 9+25=34, so 3@5=34.

In order to define the new rule of “@”, we had to use our addition, multiplication, and equality definitions from our math shelf, sequentially and logically think through the example, while holding previously learned definitions in our head, and then apply them to a new symbol. In the process, we developed an understanding for the definition of “@”.

Dialectic skills are best practiced with puzzles, discussions, and group interaction led by an enthusiastic teacher. Dialectic skills are academically formalized through debate, algebra, and experiments.

So when I say “dialectic,” I think about “dialoging” with a student. A live person is needed, not a machine or book. This is the step of education where large classes and computers are ineffective. This is where we need to copy Jesus’ model of discipling a few students at a time to be effective. It requires a teacher to help the student appropriately question information, hold together many ideas, and develop logical conclusions.