Lower School Course Curriculum Guide

Students are immersed in the Bible from the beginning of their time at Charlotte Christian. Our curriculum establishes a base of biblical knowledge as it works through both the Old and New Testament. To bring the Bible to life, teachers lead class discussions, take time to pray with students and daily model walking with Christ. As the capstone of biblical learning, fifth grade students take an introductory course to Christian apologetics as they work through the young reader’s versions of Case for Christ and Case for Grace.

Reading

Great attention is given to the foundational concepts of phonics and word study. Students quickly become comfortable identifying and manipulating letters and sounds which boosts decoding skills. As accuracy and fluency increases, instructional attention turns to developing comprehension of texts. Students are no longer learning to read but reading to learn. Throughout this process students receive differentiated instruction at their reading and word study level so that each student can thrive.

Writing

Students learn to communicate and organize ideas in the form of small moments and seed stories focused on their lives. As their capacity develops, students learn the elements of research, organization and story-telling. Before departing for middle school, students receive extensive practice in narrative, informative, and persuasive writing styles. The workshop model allows students to flourish as writers via mini-lessons which equip them with tools to write. This system is paired with individualized coaching as the teacher conferences one-on-one with their students. The Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop program and “Pattern of Power” grammar curriculum is utilized.

Our approach to learning ensures students are well-versed in the “why” of math rather than rote memorization of the “how.” The foundation of the program is building number sense and flexibility. Activities in the classroom help students become comfortable deconstructing and manipulating numbers. Skilled instruction moves students from concrete manipulatives, to pictorial representation and lastly, abstract understanding. Ultimately the program is designed to provide deep mathematical understanding alongside an academically rigorous course of study. We use the Singapore Math approach with the Primary Math curriculum.

As students transition from grade to grade, the curriculum slowly expands their scope of the world. Beginning with families and neighborhoods and ending with global geography, students learn about human society and the important role they play in a globally connected world. Collaboration plays a central role in our Social Studies curriculum. Students are often grouped together to research, explore and create alongside one another. The Nystrom curriculum is utilized.

All investigations begin with the scientific method as students question, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, record data and come to a conclusion. Students also learn and utilize the engineering design process (ask, imagine, plan, create and improve) to become scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians and to gain the knowledge they need for the future. Hands-on learning is prioritized through a curriculum that blends classroom and STEM Lab experiences together.