1st – 6th Grades
The basic elementary curriculum consists of Bible, Phonics (with Language Arts and Reading), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. To view curriculum specifics, please click on the ‘+’ to the left of a subject.
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Biblical Choices is a multisensory, activity-based Bible curriculum created for kindergarten through grade six. This one-of-a-kind Bible curriculum is created by teachers, for teachers. Biblical Choices uses activity-based lessons that promote understanding and retention. Students gain confidence in themselves because they succeed at learning—and they have fun! In addition, each week the children have a memory verse, and periodically they conduct Chapel services for the school.
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We use Open Court Reading ©2000 as the base for our language and reading program in first through sixth grades. We supplement Open Court Reading with Evan-Moor’s Daily Language Review which provides the frequent, focused practice necessary to master and retain language skills. Children are more successful when they learn to read through a balance of literature and explicit phonics skills instruction. That’s why Open Court Reading ©2000 has kept this trusted approach to reading instruction. Our well-designed, systematic program, balancing phonics and literature, has evolved over more than 40 years. We invite you to explore the elements of our success story.
For Open Court Reading ©2000, the goal of having all students reading by the end of third grade is not good enough. This program is designed to ensure that by the end of the first half of first grade, all students have the tools they need to begin reading authentic literature on grade level. In addition, from Kindergarten through Level 6, the program emphasizes fluency, comprehension, writing, research, and inquiry with the goal of developing students who are truly lifelong learners and readers.
Open Court Reading ©2000 comes from a long tradition of respecting the intelligence of children and teachers. The program offers the best in reading instruction and expects the best. By making no assumptions about prior knowledge, Open Court Reading ©2000 ensures that no students fall through the cracks. Phonemic awareness, print awareness, and an understanding of the alphabetic principle are not taken for granted.
SRA believes the foundations of reading includes: reading aloud, print awareness, phonemic awareness through oral blending and segmentation, the alphabetic principle, explicit systematic phonics and blending, fluency using decodable books for initial reading experience, comprehension strategies and skills, spelling, and writing. Each foundation is addressed specifically with complete instructions on how, when and why to use them in the program.
Focus of Level 1:
- Strengthens the solid foundation in phonemic awareness;
- Teaches the sounds of letters early, intensely, and quickly;
- Launches students into real literature as quickly as possible so they do not lose sight of the purpose and goal of learning the skills
- Develops reading fluency
- Allows students to gain fluency in writing, enabling them to use it as a tool of inquiry as well as communication
Focus of Levels 2-6:
- Continue developing reading fluency, which leads to greater comprehension and enjoyment of reading and the ability to use reading skills and strategies for inquiry and research
- Emphasize the presentation of instruction in meaning-based learning units, each of which revolves around compelling concepts from across the curriculum
- Develop writing skills to communicate knowledge
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All of our classes, first grade and up, use Wordly Wise 3000 to develop vocabulary skills. Starting in Book 2, vocabulary instruction becomes more sophisticated, while continuing to prepare students for content area learning. Lessons include reading comprehension, critical thinking, dictionary usage, word origins, and many other skills and strategies.
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The math text is Saxon Mathematics. Saxon has a hands-on approach with a difference. All new concepts are developed through hands-on activities and rich mathematical conversations that actively engage students in the learning process. Concepts are developed, reviewed, and practiced over time. Students move from the concrete to the pictorial to the abstract.
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The elementary grades use Scott Foresman Science (Texas Edition). This curriculum divides science into four main areas: Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and Human Body (Health). It develops an understanding of how science relates to everyday life. The science program builds on the children’s natural curiosity around them. in each grade students conduct many hands-on experiments such as dissecting owl pellets, making mystery matter and building simple machines.. They also learn how to relate science to their community with a special section on science in Texas and Texas parks. We supplement Scott Foresman Science with Considering God’s Creation by Eagle’s Wings. This is a creative in-depth encounter with natural science from a biblical perspective.
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Scott Foresman editors worked with the Smithsonian Institution’s curatorial staff to create lessons that incorporate images culled from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, National Air & Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Postal Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The materials cover a range of subjects including geography, culture, civics, government and economics. The goal of the program is to help illuminate both America’s past and its present for millions of social studies students in grades 1 through 6.
The collaborative program includes museum gallery pages with full-color images of artifacts, and captions based directly on Smithsonian research. Teacher editions include point-of-use information to help guide students’ learning about America’s heritage. A highlight of the program is “Look Inside the Smithsonian,” two-page features that appear throughout student editions. Special workbook activity pages encourage students to discover even more on their own.
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