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Primary School
Junior Kindergarten through Second Grade
Curriculum
The purpose of the primary education program is to provide students with a sound educational foundation and a positive learning experience during their first years of school. At KGA, our goal is to gift students with a well rounded education rooted in tradition and excellence. Through a classical approach to education and the Core Knowledge curriculum, we offer students an education that includes subjects such as world history, geography, science, classical literature, and character development. We also provide students with learning opportunities in technology, foreign language, art history, music history, and physical education.
A Classical Approach
KGA begins with a classical approach to teaching even our youngest students with the knowledge that it will benefit them for a lifetime. Our lower school program teaches students how to learn through the use of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, with an emphasis on tradition, high academic standards, order, and self discipline.
Educational Mobility
The primary school strives to give our students a strong understanding of the core basics: reading, math, and writing using a variety of teaching techniques and programs. We also offer smaller classroom sizes in order to ensure that each child receives instruction based on his/her academic abilities. Advanced students are given the benefit of more challenging lessons and mobility that allows them to visit higher grade levels for reading, math, and spelling. Students who need additional coaching are provided with lessons at a skill level that promotes success, and are also given additional guidance in necessary areas.
Early Literacy for Long Lasting Success
Reading is taught as early as junior kindergarten. Through the use of the Orton-Gillingham Phonics First approach, students are taught letter recognition, phonics, and sight words. As the lessons progress through the alphabet, students begin sounding out words, writing simple sentences, and reading books. As students progress through kindergarten, first, and second grade, Phonics First is used to teach more complicated sounds, spelling rules, decoding, and sentence structure. Leveled readers in a variety of genres provide students with reading material at their skill level. Reading fluency and comprehension are emphasized throughout all grades. Students are taught grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation. Creative writing opportunities are offered through journals, classroom lessons, and special projects.
Math Matters!
Mathematical success is equally emphasized beginning with junior-kindergarten. Through Saxon Math, students participate in hands-on lessons that introduce them to concepts such as geometry, money, time, weight, measurement, place value, addition, and subtraction. Number recognition skills are reinforced as well. The hands-on approach, along with daily lessons and activities that reinforce concepts to give students practice in essential math skills. Small group instruction allows students to advance or progress at a pace that is appropriate for their individual mathematical ability.
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