Academics

Our classical curriculum is designed to feed a love for learning at all grade levels. In accordance with the principles of classical education, our course of study is designed to be deep, rather than wide. This means, practically speaking, that we make it a priority that each student should master the basic skills, facts, and habits of the most central areas of knowledge, and so develop a deep and firm foundation upon which one’s education and life can be built.

We use the standard divisions of elementary, middle, and high school, though we subdivide the elementary school into two units. We also use the classical-specific descriptors of primary, grammar, logic, and rhetoric to describe the focus of each stage of learning. For more on these descriptors, please see What is Classical Education?

See also the Literature Lists compiled for each grade level.

Our Curriculum

Early Elementary (Primary Grammar Stage) Curriculum

In the primary grades (kindergarten through second grade), the main focus is on reading, the most fundamental of all academic skills. We devote significant time to the basics of reading, including dedicated work on phonics, handwriting and cursive, and reading aloud. We also devote time for students to listen to literature that is one grade level above their own and read aloud to them, which is a crucial part of developing reading ability.

Primary students also begin to study a rigorous math and science curriculum that is nevertheless engaging and fun, while ensuring that they build the proper foundation for study in later years.

Students at this level also enjoy systematic exposure to some of the greatest works of art and music in human history at this level. A student who completes kindergarten through second grade will gain exposure to 100 pieces of great art, music, and poetry, with the aim of encouraging appreciation and widening intellectual horizons.

Finally, students at this level conduct a systematic walk through all the major stories of the Bible, using an elegant but age-appropriate version of Scripture itself.

The curriculum in the early elementary stage therefore contains the following main subject areas:

Reading
Phonics
Writing
History, Geography, and Culture
Science
Mathematics
Fine Arts, Music, and Poetry
Bible

Later Elementary (Grammar Stage) Curriculum

In third through sixth grades, students continue the studies they began in the early elementary grades, but with increasing sophistication. By this stage, students are advancing their reading ability and being challenged to deepen their understanding of language at every level. They continue to learn and practice handwriting and cursive, a largely forgotten skill that works wonders in developing memory and other critical study habits like perseverance and diligence. At this stage, they begin the Classical Composition program that they will continue through twelfth grade – the same program of writing instruction that our founding fathers undertook. They also begin the English Grammar Recitation program, which introduces them to the rules of grammar over time, while conscious of the fact that comprehension of grammatical rules often comes later.

In fourth grade, students begin the first of three cycles of concentrated history studies that will be completed in grade six, covering ancient Rome, Greece, medieval Europe, and America. They also begin at this stage the systematic construction of a historical timeline covering the major events from biblical, ancient, and modern history, preparing them for a nuanced and well-ordered understanding of history that will set them apart from their peers.

They continue with their in-depth mastery of basic math skills and explore the wonderful world of God’s creation through a science curriculum that encourages them to engage with the world outside of the classroom.

Once again, in grades three through six, students cover the entirety of the Bible, in greater depth than the early elementary grades, though still at a level attuned to their abilities.

The curriculum in the later elementary unit contains the following main subject areas:

Reading & Literature
Composition, and Grammar
History, Geography, and Culture
Mathematics
Science
Bible

Elementary Curriculum

Middle School Curriculum

While there is great continuity between the later elementary and middle school curricula, students at this stage reach another level of sophistication.

They continue the writing and grammar program they began in the later elementary stages, which increases in depth and complexity as the students develop aptitude and ability. They study ancient Greek, Roman, and American history again at this stage, in greater depth and engaging more with the ideas that characterize each culture.

Students undertake a series of logic courses, engaging their developing desire to argue and understand ideas, and preparing them for the rhetoric and debate classes they will take in high school.

Students also build on their solid foundations in math and science, and begin moving into algebra and other advanced mathematics courses.

Bible class in the middle school years is designed as a capstone series to the two cycles of bible study they have undergone previously, and consisting of a survey of the entire Bible, with the goal of solidifying students’ understanding of the general arc of the biblical narrative and salvation history.

The curriculum in the middle school unit contains the following main subject areas:

Literature
Composition and Grammar
History, Geography, and Culture
Mathematics (Pre-Algebra, Algebra I,
Science
Logic
Bible

High School Curriculum

At the high school level, students are ready to enter the rhetoric stage of their education, where the formulation and expression of ideas takes center stage. Students continue their study of literature, encountering many of the greatest and best-loved works of all time. They also continue the Classical Composition program, honing their writing skills to a level far beyond most of their contemporaries.

They enter a new stage in their study of history, studying the same cultures they have at previous levels, but doing so now by studying primary documents – reading the writings of historical figures themselves, rather than a textbook summary version. Thus, students engage directly with figures like Socrates, Homer, Julius Caesar, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, affording them a uniquely deep and intimate understanding of history and philosophy.

Students at this stage engage in the advanced study of math and science, having been well-prepared for the biology, chemistry, geometry, and advanced algebra classes that can be so intimidating. These courses are still taught in a classical, mastery framework, guiding students into and through each subject.

Students study rhetoric and debate, building on their study of logic in middle school. In this, they learn how to craft convincing arguments, how to recognize faulty ones, and to become seekers and speakers of truth throughout their lives.

Their study is capped off by in-depth studies of theology, building on the biblical knowledge they have already attained and continue to add to. They tackle subjects like church history and apologetics, preparing them to understand and defend Christianity whenever called upon to do so.

The curriculum in the middle school unit contains the following main subject areas:

Literature
Composition
Classical History
Classical Literature
Mathematics
Science
Theology
Rhetoric and Debate