Introductory Logic (Canon Press)

Introductory Logic is a formal-logic textbook now in its fifth edition. The course introduces terms, categorical statements, syllogisms, and fallacies across thirty-six lessons.

Last updated: 2026-10-03 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Classical; formal Aristotelian logic
Worldview	Christian-Reformed
Grades	6-12
Formats	Print textbook, teacher edition, test and quiz book, video course
Cost tier	Standard
Parent intensity	3 (self-teaching possible with video; lower with co-op)
ESA-common	No
Accredited	No
Website	canonpress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	5	Genuinely a logic textbook, not a logic-themed workbook
Ease of teaching	3	Accessible with the video course; demanding for parents teaching cold
Content quality	5	Careful exposition, well-chosen exercises
Flexibility	4	Works stand-alone, in co-op, or with video; fits any classical framework
Value for money	4	Reasonable for a complete program; video course is a meaningful additional cost
Worldview scope	3	Logic content is worldview-neutral; examples and framing are Christian
Visual/design	3	Clean, readable, not flashy
Support resources	4	Video course, teacher's edition, test and quiz packet, flashcards

Who the publisher is

Canon Press's About page calls it a Christian publisher and describes its aim as changing the world through simple, Christ-centered, faithful living. Its curriculum catalog includes logic, Latin, and literature courses.

Introductory Logic has gone through multiple revised editions; the current fifth edition was revised and updated in 2014.

Introductory Logic is a formal logic textbook: the subject matter is categorical syllogisms, distribution of terms, and validity rules, not theology or politics. The text's worldview footprint is limited primarily to the choice of example statements used in exercises (some of which draw on scripture or Christian theology for subject matter, as examples).

The core pedagogy

Introductory Logic is a classical Aristotelian logic course in the tradition of medieval and early-modern logic textbooks: it teaches categorical (term) logic, not modern symbolic logic (the subsequent Intermediate Logic volume handles propositional and symbolic logic). The thirty-six lessons can be paced one per week across a single school year, or two per week across a semester for accelerated students. Each lesson presents a concept, illustrates it with examples, and provides exercises for the student to work independently.

The scope moves through four major units. Unit one handles terms and their definitions, genus, species, differentia, the rules of definition. Unit two handles categorical statements, the four standard forms (A, E, I, O), contradictions, contraries, subcontraries, and the traditional square of opposition. Unit three handles syllogisms, the structure, moods, figures, and the validity rules for determining whether an argument's conclusion follows from its premises. Unit four handles informal fallacies, ad hominem, straw man, false dilemma, and roughly twenty others, with examples the student is asked to identify and diagnose.

Signature mechanics: (1) Workbook-style exercises. Each lesson has a short exposition followed by a large set of practice problems; the student learns by doing, not by reading. (2) Progressive building. Later lessons assume mastery of earlier material; the syllogism lessons are unusable without the term and statement foundations. (3) Video course. The DVD course, which the publisher also lists for streaming with a Canon+ subscription, has veteran teacher Brian Kohl teaching through every lesson and practice test, per the product page, which lowers the parent-teaching burden for an independent student. (4) Test and quiz packet. Canon Press publishes a separate test and quiz book with parallel assessment materials for each lesson, suitable for transcript documentation.

What they do exceptionally well

It is an actual logic textbook. Introductory Logic genuinely teaches categorical logic, students finishing it can identify a syllogism's mood and figure, diagnose which validity rule it violates, and construct a formal proof that an argument is valid.

Exposition. In our assessment, explanations build cleanly, examples are chosen well, and the common sticking points (the distribution rule, the fallacy of the undistributed middle) are handled directly rather than skipped.

Video course. The publisher's product page describes the video course as having veteran teacher Brian Kohl teach through every lesson and practice test to help independent students or teachers who need to prepare. For a student who would find the textbook intimidating on its own, that structure adds a teacher's voice to each lesson.

What they do poorly

Density for students not ready. Introductory Logic assumes reading fluency, capacity for abstract symbolic manipulation, and patience for workbook exercises. Students younger than seventh grade, or students who struggle with algebraic thinking, sometimes find the course hits before they are ready. Families who try the course in fifth or sixth grade should expect the student to need more handholding or to finish the book at a slower pace.

Worldview footprint in example selection. The logic content itself is worldview-neutral, the validity of a syllogism does not depend on its subject matter, but the example statements and exercise arguments include substantial Christian and scriptural content. A student working through exercises encounters propositions like "All Christians are believers in Christ's resurrection" as test subjects. This is a fit for families inside the tradition the textbook was written in and a misfit for families outside it; either way, the logic being taught is the same logic.

Workbook format can feel monotonous. Students who enjoy conceptual discussion and find exercise-after-exercise tedious sometimes struggle to sustain attention across all thirty-six lessons. This is a feature of formal logic instruction in general rather than a defect specific to Canon Press's version, but families with discussion-oriented learners should know that the course is heavy on problem sets.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Introductory Logic if: your family is using a classical or classical-Christian framework and wants a formal logic course rather than a critical-thinking workbook; your student is ready for abstract reasoning; you want the video course or can arrange the course through a co-op; you are comfortable with Canon Press as a publisher; you intend to move into Intermediate Logic after completing this text.

• Skip Introductory Logic if: you want an introduction to critical thinking at an earlier grade or for a less math-oriented student; you prefer symbolic or propositional logic as the starting point (in which case start directly with Intermediate Logic or a different text); you object to Canon Press's broader theological positioning and prefer a different publisher; your student needs discussion-based pedagogy rather than workbook exercises.

Cost honest assessment

Canon Press's Introductory Logic product page, retrieved October 2026, lists the Books & Tests Package plus DVD Course plus Flashcards at $167.97, the Books & Tests Package plus DVD Course at $153.97, and the Books & Tests Package alone at $78.97. Components are also sold separately: the Student Workbook at $31.99, the Teacher's Edition at $34.99, the Test & Quiz Packet at $11.99, the DVD Course at $75.00, and Flashcards at $14.00. The same page lists Canon+ subscription plans starting at $9.99 per month with a 30-day free trial, and says the complete video course is available for streaming with a Canon+ subscription.

Compared to Memoria Press's Traditional Logic at roughly $90 for the student book and teacher manual and more with video, or Memoria Press's Material Logic at similar pricing, Introductory Logic is competitive. Compared to The Fallacy Detective at roughly $30 for the single book, which is a critical-thinking introduction rather than a formal logic course, Introductory Logic is substantially more expensive because it is a substantially more ambitious text. A realistic budget for one student is the $78.97 Books & Tests Package, or $153.97 to $167.97 with the DVD Course, at the October 2026 prices above.

ESA eligibility notes

Canon Press curriculum materials are approved on several state ESA marketplaces where religious publishers are permitted, including some approvals on Arizona's ClassWallet, Florida's Step Up For Students, and West Virginia's Hope Scholarship. Approval for specific Canon Press products varies; families should search the marketplace by title before ordering. Some states restrict or exclude religious-content curricula, and Canon Press is classified as a religious publisher even when individual titles (like Introductory Logic) are academically worldview-neutral. ESA-funded families should verify eligibility within their specific state marketplace, and can typically order Canon Press materials through an approved retailer (Rainbow Resource, Christianbook) if direct vendor reimbursement is restricted.

Alternatives

• Memoria Press Traditional Logic (Cothran), a family would choose Memoria's course over Canon Press when they prefer Martin Cothran's explicitly classical and more explicitly Catholic-friendly framing, or when they are already using Memoria's broader classical curriculum.
• The Fallacy Detective (Bluedorn), a family would choose Fallacy Detective over Introductory Logic when they want an informal critical-thinking introduction for younger students (around 4th-7th grade) before a formal logic course, rather than a formal logic course itself.
• The Art of Argument (Classical Academic Press), a family would choose CAP when they want a discussion-oriented, visually engaging introduction to informal fallacies before moving into formal syllogistic logic; CAP's approach is lighter on workbook exercises and stronger on conversation.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed Canon Press's Introductory Logic product page, About page, and logic collection, and the Christianbook.com listing for the fifth edition, in October 2026. Prices and program details verified October 2026.