Academics & Enrichments

While teachers integrate biblical truth into every unit of study, Bible is also taught as a separate subject. Children’s beliefs and values develop early in life, and students bring these into the classroom. Foundational beliefs and values influence how students interpret knowledge and guide their actions.

Building on the Rock is a unique curriculum designed to help students in kindergarten through fifth grades interpret knowledge and build foundational beliefs and values from a biblical perspective. In an age of competing worldviews, this curriculum helps young students formulate a biblical perspective of the world and then live accordingly. It incorporates worldview and Bible survey curricula in a way that cohesively presents the affirmations of the biblical worldview within the historic biblical truths of creation, the fall, and redemption. It also lays the groundwork for later comparative worldview studies at the secondary and higher levels of education.

Preschool and elementary teachers are trained in The Complete Reading Series (The CRS) through the Georgia ETA. The CRS is a sixty–five hour evidence-based multisensory training in structured literacy and effective instructional practices, supported by research from the National Reading Panel, the NICHD Education Research Program, Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, and the National Institute for Literacy. It is aligned with the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum is taught in preschool through first grades. This is a research-based program for foundational literacy incorporating strong phonemic awareness crucial to reading success, and its lessons are quick, fun, and multisensory.

Curriculum for kindergarten through the beginning of 3rd grade includes S.P.I.R.E.®, a research-proven reading program designed to build reading success through an intensive, structured, and spiraling curriculum that incorporates phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

McGraw Hill Reading Wonders, used in kindergarten through 5th grades, is a supplemental resource incorporating both fiction and nonfiction stories. These introduce beginning strategies for reading, including comprehension, cause and effect, sequencing events, character study, and other vital components of becoming a well-rounded reader.

Our 3rd–5th grade reading and English language arts program is designed to develop thoughtful, discerning, and confident readers, writers, and communicators. Through literature units featuring high-quality, award-winning novels, students engage with rich texts that inspire a love of reading while strengthening essential literacy skills. As they explore a variety of genres, students build reading fluency, deepen comprehension, expand vocabulary, and develop critical thinking through meaningful discussions, literary analysis, and written responses. Literature is examined through a biblical worldview, encouraging students to apply timeless truths and biblical principles to the themes and characters they encounter.

Grammar and language instruction is provided through Shurley English, a proven program that equips students with a strong foundation in grammar, sentence structure, and writing mechanics. Using an engaging approach that incorporates jingles, rhythm, rhyme, movement, and repetition, students master the parts of speech and develop confidence in their understanding of language. Daily language review and weekly in-depth grammar instruction reinforce concepts while strengthening skills in usage, punctuation, capitalization, editing, and proofreading.

Writing instruction is woven throughout the curriculum, providing students with frequent opportunities to express their ideas clearly and effectively. Students learn to organize their thoughts, write with purpose, and apply grammar and mechanics across a variety of writing styles, preparing them for success in future academic pursuits.

Students also participate in daily Handwriting Without Tears® instruction to develop fluent, legible cursive handwriting. Consistent practice in proper letter formation, spacing, and writing fluency builds confidence and supports effective written communication across all subject areas.

By integrating strong academic instruction with biblical truth, our reading and English language arts program equips students to become skilled readers, effective communicators, and lifelong learners who honor Christ in both thought and expression.

BJU Press Mathematics

Vision: to enable students to master foundational math skills by applying consistent reasoning to concrete and abstract models to solve problems within the context of a biblical worldview.

Goals

• Develop number sense by progressing from manipulatives to abstract representations
• Promote computational fluency and automaticity through consistent, strategic practice and spiral review
• Develop a foundation in number systems, fraction theory, algebra, geometry, and statistics
• Build grit and problem-solving skills through meaningful, authentic applications, including word problems and collaborative STEM experiences
• Make sense of mathematical concepts and applications in light of biblical principles

Elementary science integrates science concepts throughout the day in learning centers, whole group experiments, and special units that correlate by grade level to state standards. Teachers employ methods focused on investigation, observation, and experimentation, including a hands-on science lab with weekly STEM activities. STEM integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, developing key skills including problem solving, creativity, and critical analysis.

Gallopade Curriculum for Georgia offers a comprehensive and flexible program designed to engage students in a robust and interactive learning experience that is fully aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence. Gallopade provides resources in multiple formats, along with instructional strategies and implementation ideas, so teachers can tailor lessons to the specific needs of their students.

The curriculum equips students and teachers with a state-specific, standards-aligned program designed to meet the needs of every learner, guiding students through a customized learning experience that positively impacts their mastery of the standards.