Kindergarten
“Fill their mind and imagination with images and concepts, pictures and stories. Spread knowledge out in front of them, and let them feast.”
– The Well-Trained Mind
Kindergarten is a child’s first experience with school. At Commission we desire to encourage a love of learning that will go with them their entire life. Classical education recognizes that young children are naturally gifted at memorization and find enjoyment in reciting, collecting facts, demonstrating what they know and are learning. We want to capitalize on that skill and provide students with a wealth of information that they can retain over a lifetime all while having a positive attitude towards being a life-long learner.
Memory Work
Since young children are naturally gifted in memorization, classical methods of chants, songs, rhymes, and jingles are used to partner with their absorption of facts and information. Students begin their day with Morning Assembly where they playfully practice catechism and worship through song.
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Phonetic Learning
Through saying, writing, seeing, and reading, the students learn the forty-five sounds made by the seventy basic phonograms of the English language. Using multi-sensory instruction is a powerful way to fix information firmly in the brain. This is reinforced through various exciting games and activities in the classroom and at home. Together with the spelling rules, the students gain the tools needed to spell, write, and read the words of the English language.
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Cursive Writing
We begin with pre-writing skills, learning to move our hands and bodies from left to right as our language progresses. While practicing writing strokes in sand bins, shaving cream, or other mediums, students begin to pair writing strokes with the sight and sound of phonograms. The flow of uninterrupted movements of the hand that make cursive letters easier for children to form, prepares them well as they internalize the phonograms to spell and then read words.
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Reading
In class, we experience great stories together from a wide range of genres to create exposure to rich language, wonderful ideas, and moral decisions. In turn, students and parents can move deep and wider on home days through home assignments that reinforce what they are learning on campus.
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Mathematics
Students begin to process and cultivate mathematics through the use of various manipulatives and practicing math facts helping students make connections from concrete to abstract ideas.
Science
Psalm 111:2 proclaims, “The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.” Kindergarten students explore the wonders of all that God created as we sequentially unpack days 1-6 of creation. We memorize facts related to each day and organize the information and related activities into 6 folders that the students can look back on when exploring science further in the grammar school years.
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History
History is the study of the events and people (both sinners and saints) that God used to shape the story of mankind. It is His Story. The kindergarten class uses motions and chanting to sequentially memorize a timeline of historical events beginning with Creation.
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Electives
Students will enjoy art and music that are designed to be engaging, collaborative, joyful, and conducive for fellowship and connection. During instruction, they can learn to develop skills that grow creativity, and confidence, while working together with teachers and peers to problem solve and communicate reflectively.