Academics

The core belief of our particular approach is that there is no one-size-fits-all pedagogy. Rather, the classical education model understood that instruction should facilitate the attainment of specific educational goals as the child grows and develops. In younger years (up to 6yo), children grow best by playing. They learn through gross motor and fine motor tasks, as well as memorization to build a foundation for future learning. They learn passively as they memorize music, chants, and reading. Music helps build grammar and information, which later becomes a “mental hook” for analyzing that information. Outdoor play builds fine motor and gross motor skills. Similarly, in the intermediate years, or the continuation of the grammar years (7 to 11 years old), children are more actively learning in the classroom. They are focused on facts. Education in this phase revolves around Latin endings and history facts. Finally, the analytical years start around age twelve, and this is when logic—among other features of the trivium—is introduced. As the program grows, so will the development of the later educational stages.

Undergirding all of this is a commitment to growing in the Christian faith and life. We wish to teach our children Lutheran doctrine and to be an extension of a catechesis that begins in the home. As a specifically Lutheran classical program, we hope to both support catechesis in Lutheran doctrine and build strong bonds among fellow LCMS homeschoolers that will continue as the children move through the various stages of education and into adulthood. Teachers would support not only the educational development of the children, but also their spiritual development. 

Our curriculum Map can be found here.

Because the “work” of the two-to-six-year-old is play, we encourage learning through play. The three- and four-year-old class discovers the world around them through read-aloud books and outdoor nature study. They will be gently introduced to phonics with the Memoria Press two-day Jr. Kindergarten curriculum. Because the child’s attention span does not automatically develop, we will work toward being able to sit for 20 minutes for table time. This will be done at their own pace. Additionally, they will go over the Myself & Others: Book One, which is an introduction to the basics in manners and brief lessons in social understanding, safety, friendship, health, and service. They will also learn through music. Catechism is heard in the classroom through background music like Sing the Faith (CPH). Latin is also learned with music and memorization. 

We don’t expect very much academic homeschooling for this age at home. We will provide booklists and possible home activities (such as baking, chore ideas, etc.), but we desire 3-4 year olds to continue their “work” of playing at home. 

There is a degree of carryover with the five- and six-year-old class. This class is also encouraged to discover the world through play. They will have a gentle introduction to phonics and letter formation, as well, but can advance to the Memoria Press Kindergarten curriculum. Special care will be taken to assist with motor control of the pencil and correct direction when writing letters. Additionally we will work towards being able to sit with classmates at a table to learn. Myself & Others: Book One is also appropriate for this age. Since children learn vocabulary, writing, and imagination through reading, an emphasis will be placed on read-aloud books. The read aloud books started in class will all be read completely in class. Catechism and Latin will be learned through song, but, rather than just background music, the teacher will sing it with the children. 

Similar to three- and four-year olds, we encourage five- and six-year olds to continue playing at home. Though we will provide a reading list, ideas for home activities, and possibly songs we teach to reinforce memory work, we believe younger years are meant for learning through play. 

The first grade student still continues to learn through play, reading, and music. This class will explore the first grade Memoria Press book list with read-aloud books throughout the school year. Memoria Press starts cursive at this age because children are excited about learning script. Care will be taken to ensure proper form during writing. A dedicated math book is started with this class. They will continue to nurture relationships between others with the Myself & Others curriculum. 

Parent and teacher communication will ramp up in first grade. An assignment sheet for the week will be available by Sunday of that week. The assignments will run on a Tuesday - Monday schedule so anything assigned in the previous week will just need to be completed by Monday and brought in on Tuesday. Math Mammoth has all the instructions in the worktexts. It is written directly to the student, and many can teach themselves. This is a valuable problem solving tool to begin learning. With this system the teacher and the parent are close by to answer any questions. 

As we move into more academic learning years, we recognize that each student is unique. The benefits of a homeschool life is that schooling can be catered to the student. This hybrid program would be no different. In this pilot year, we plan on using a one house schoolroom system. Math Mammoth will be used. For English, second and third graders will move into Shurley English. Shurley English is an excellent program that teaches parts of speech and sentence structure. They systematically classify sentences using visual and auditory learning methods. With grammar in place, the student begins to develop paragraphs. The Shurley English system will be used through fifth grade. By using this system the student will establish a solid base in English and writing. The teaching for Shurley English will be done in class and the weekly assessment/test as well as the writing section will be done at home. We will continue to read aloud in class. Many times when students start reading on their own, read-aloud time in school decreases; however, reading rich classical books will increase their vocabulary, which in turn increases reading comprehension. The Memoria Press book list will be suggested for reading at home, which the family would acquire by purchasing or borrowing from the library.