Elementary

The Elementary curriculum begins with the first of five Great Lessons, the Story of the Beginning of the Universe, which introduces students to the wonders of all sciences, most specifically geography. The geography curriculum then follows, including physical, political, economic and human geography.  This area of study includes small group lessons, research projects and self-study.  Cultural study is emphasized and includes the study of religion, art, music and food variety around the world.

The Story of the Coming of Life, the second of the five Great Lessons, introduces the study of botany, zoology and ecology. Lessons in botany include study of the parts of the plant - leaf, root, stem, flower, fruit and seed - as well as plant classification. Lessons in zoology include the study of vertebrates and invertebrates, animal classification, and body systems and classes. Lessons in human anatomy begin with the importance of the flow of blood in our bodies. Lessons in ecology introduce students to the interconnectedness of all living things and the part they play in the preservation of the planet and its species. An introduction to chemistry and physics prepares students for the challenges of the Middle School science curriculum.

The Story of the Coming of Humans, the third of the five Great Lessons, introduces the development of humans throughout history. Lessons in history include the study of natural history, human history and the study of civilizations. Students learn about human inventions for the recording of time.

The Story of Our Alphabet, the fourth of the five Great Lessons, tells the history of written communication. Grammar is taught through word study, parts of speech, logical analysis and syntax study. Language expression includes studies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, interpretive reading, poetry, and style. Lessons in written expression include study of phrases, clauses, sentences, sentence analysis and writing paragraphs. Language study also includes practice in the use of dictionaries, encyclopedias, the thesaurus, and other reference materials. Students learn to outline, use story maps, and prepare rough drafts and final copies of their written work. These studies serve the students in both creative writing and practical writing. Literature studies include small group discussion, book reports and essay writing.

The Great Story of Numerals, the last of the five Great Lessons of the Elementary curriculum, tells the history of numbers and their importance. Math study encompasses lessons in common math symbols, basic math operations, and order of operations. Elementary students study whole numbers, decimals, fractions, percentage, integers and rational numbers. They also study powers of numbers, operations with exponents, square and cube root and powers of ten. The curriculum includes study of graphs, probability and statistics, algebraic expressions and equations, ratio, rate and proportion. In geometry, students are introduced to basic geometric concepts which lead them to the study of area and volume. After acquiring the basic mathematical concepts, students apply this knowledge using word problems.

The Elementary child is ready for a formalized study of world language, as he or she has had sensorial experiences in many languages, reads and writes in a native language, and is using abstraction as a common exercise in learning. Spanish is the chosen language of the Springmont Elementary curriculum.  Spanish vocabulary and pronunciation previously experienced in Primary classes are built upon at the Elementary level as students begin the exercise of reading and writing in Spanish.

Spanish in the Elementary class is taught as an integrated part of the curriculum and is approached through the study of grammar, sentence analysis and word study.  Children learn Spanish in relation to the study of language, math, history, zoology, botany and geometry as well as political and physical geography which easily lend themselves to the study of Spanish-speaking countries and cultures.