Bible

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. Building on the Rock 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. 

 

Language Arts/Reading/Phonics

Pre-school 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. The CRS is supported by evidence-based research from the National Reading Panel, the NICHD Education Research Program, Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, and the National Institute for Literacy. The CRS is aligned with the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

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

Curriculum for grades Kindergarten-beginning of 3rd  grade include S.P.I.R.E.®, a research-proven reading program. This program is 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, utilized in grades Kindergarten-5th grades is a supplemental resource for incorporating both fiction and nonfiction stories. These stories are used to introduce beginning strategies for reading, including comprehension, cause and effect, sequencing events, character study, and other vital components that will aid in becoming a well-rounded reader. 

3rd-5th grade students move from the McGraw Hill Reading Wonders into multi-genre literature through chapter books and novels in preparation for middle school. 4th grade students are introduced to:  Soft Rain, Frindle, Shiloh, and The One and Only Ivan. 5th grade students are introduced to: Where the Red Fern Grows, The Bridge to Terabithia, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Inside Out and Back Again. The ELA coursework incorporates Shurley Grammar, a unique tool, specifically designed to help students master the parts of speech and sentence structure. Students learn definitions for the parts of speech through jingles that incorporate rhythm, rhyme, movement, and fun.

Math

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

Science

Elementary science curriculum 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 that focus primarily on investigation, observation, and experimentation, which include a hands-on / in class science lab that include weekly STEM activities.  STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through STEM, students develop key skills including problem solving, creativity, and critical analysis. 

Social Studies

In our primary grades the social studies curriculum allows teachers to use themed units of study and integrates these concepts throughout the day to help students make sense of the world by relating it to their own life. Topics include family and home, community helpers, national holidays, famous American symbols and people, and beginning map skills.

Upper elementary social studies curriculum includes social studies standards and objectives, which are targeted through informational texts published in a weekly newspaper format. The primary focus at this grade level is democracy and the contributions of great Americans in building the foundation of America. Students will learn geographical terminology and skills associated with maps and globes in order to better understand various people groups, locations, and environments. In addition, classes will concentrate on world geography, culture, and religion as a necessary means to understand the importance of global evangelism. Students will develop an understanding of different people groups and the progress of the gospel throughout the world.