ReligionWe use Voyages: Exploring God’s Word as our guide for classroom study. Students use the new Bibles they receive in chapel the first day of school to get familiar with where the stories come from that we talk about.
MemoryBible memory verses are from the verses connected to the stories that we study weekly and also from the Family Altar schedule for St. John Church. Memory verses are recited to the teacher on Tuesday and Thursday each week. Normally, there are two verses assigned for each day.
Spelling, English, Phonics, ReadingThese core language arts subjects are all studied from within our Scott Foresman reading series. They are interwoven and build upon each other. There are usually 20 spelling words each week with a test on Friday. As we read, we work on oral and silent reading, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary building. Phonics and spelling skills overlap considerably, and in English we focus mainly on recognizing the major parts of speech and using them to develop good writing and speaking skills.
HandwritingOur handwriting lessons focus mainly on learning and mastering good cursive writing skills and neatness to prepare the third graders for doing the majority of their work in cursive in fourth grade.
MathThe Saxon Math program is used in K-3 grade levels. In third grade, we work toward becoming proficient in basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts by the end of the year. We also work on writing and solving word problems, measuring, two- and three-digit addition and subtraction, one- and two-digit multiplication, and some division. Normally there is homework each night with this program.
Social StudiesOur social studies program centers around what makes up the communities we live in. We start by studying history that has formed the basis for our communities within the United States and work our way up to current day communities. We look at similarities and differences, geography, landforms, our election process; and we spend a considerable amount of time on map skills. (We have a fun Thankfulness Brunch right before Thanksgiving break where students invite guests to share a “meal” and focus on what we have to be thankful for.)
ScienceWe have two units on which we focus: Life Science (animals, plants, pollination)--with a fun trip to Curtis Orchard in the fall, and Physical Science (matter, simple machines, forces, light, and sound).
ComputerWe focus mainly on developing good keyboarding skills, typing, saving, and printing a Word document. We use the Internet to enrich topics from the classroom and to study current events. We also take Accelerated Reader quizzes in the computer lab. We meet two times most weeks.
Music, Art, Physical Education, and SpanishMeet one or two times per week.
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