Lower School Curriculum

Lower school students are introduced to a biblical worldview that is expressed through the study of the Old and New Testaments that leads to a greater understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible is upheld as the standard for life and moral values. It is the framework in which students become responsible caretakers and peacemakers among their peers and community.

A research-based balanced literacy approach to teaching language arts surrounds lower school students with foundations in phonics, reading fluency, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, penmanship, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Instruction in language arts is a process of whole-class, small-group, and individual practice targeting key literacy skills to reinforce and develop.

Grounded in the current research of how students learn mathematics, students are engaged in a coherent sequence of learning mathematics designed to build a strong foundation of conceptual understanding, procedural skill, math fluency, and application to problem-solving.

Lower school students are introduced to thinking and understanding about the past and present, geographic and regional perspectives, cultures, and communities to prepare them for the future as independent life-long thinkers and learners. Through history and geography topics unfold to answer essential questions leading to an understanding of how God acts in time and place with illustrations of how humans have developed various aspects of culture such as government and institutions.

Preparing future-ready students of science is anchored in the biblical perspective that God is the creator and sustainer of all life. Essential concepts drawn from the discipline of science are introduced, calling upon students to investigate, collect, analyze, and think critically about the vastly complex world that is ordered by and reflecting on God’s laws.

Lower school students are introduced to the Spanish language and develop their newly acquired oral and written skills as communication tools. Cultural appreciation is strengthened through songs, interactive games, demonstrations, projects, and role-playing. Exploration of a new culture through the study of its written and spoken language emphasizes the value of all of God’s people and the gift of communication.

Students learn the fundamental concepts of technology literacy through design thinking, a process of creative problem-solving. Lower school students use and interact with technology through a curriculum that is aligned with the research-based International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) benchmarks that empowers students to learn perseverance and create a capacity to work with open-ended problems.

Lower school students explore their artistic abilities as gifts from God through artistic and musical expression. Through the study of visual arts, students learn to appreciate art through experience and creation using the principles of the discipline. Music study nurtures students to perform music and learn more formally about the principles of composition and style.

The lower school physical education program progresses from introductory movement skills and coordination to meaningful challenges that continue to contribute to the enjoyment of activity as well as the development of the physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual potential of each student. The goal of the lower school physical education curriculum is to enable all students to become active citizens who value lifetime fitness.