Elementary School
Curriculum Overview
At Christian Hills School, we believe that a strong foundation
both academically and spiritually is a necessity for success in a
child's life. Our curriculum emphasizes both areas of child
development.
Our elementary grades learn to understand who God is
through stories and lessons as we study characters in the Bible.
We work on applying the things taught into their daily lives.
We also bring a spiritual perspective into the study of other
subjects such as Math, Science, History and Reading/Language
Arts. Our young readers develop a love of learning and word
usage. The children learn to read both phonetically and
through whole language sight words. We use a variety of
teaching methods such as whole class reading and group
reading.
They learn God's design in Math by working on skills such as
patterns, number quantities, adding and subtracting, basic
Geometry, and fractions.
In Science our students begin the foundations of God's
creation by studying topics such as animals, plants, weather, and
the human body with hands on learning.
History, in the elementary grades, focuses on studying about
the people in our country and around the world.
Additional Enhancement Courses
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Music
All elementary students participate in music class during the week. Music consists of singing, playing, listening, moving and analyzing. They also develop musical skills at age appropriate levels while gaining an understanding of music in relationship to other arts, history and culture. The students also participate in 2 musical performances throughout the year to showcase what they have learned in the classroom.
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Art
The students are learning about great artists, experiencing a variety of mediums, and developing skills of ability and expression all for the glory of God.
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Physical Education
The students work on caring for their bodies, through training, and developing their physical abilities, as a valuable gift from God. This also includes learning to work as a team and follow directions.
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Library
The students are taught to appreciate literature by listening and observing as books are read to them. They are taught how to take care of books and introduced to authors and illustrators. It also serves as a gateway of information for students, providing support to instruction and literacy development in the information age.
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Computer
Students learn to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. They also learn keyboarding placement and correct positioning. They are taught how to use Microsoft and Google products and the aspects of digital citizenship. They apply hardware and software as "tools" to communicate with, learn from, and utilize in the processing of information.
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Spanish
Language comes naturally to everyone, as beings created in God's image, we have a unique capacity to communicate through language. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. God desires that people from all languages become part of his kingdom (Rev 5:9). One of the best ways Christians can demonstrate Christ's love is to communicate with people in their native language.
Have you ever met someone who has stated, "I took Spanish four years in high school, but I can' t speak it." Science has shown that the process of acquiring our first language actually begins prior to birth. God has designed us to begin hearing sounds and acquiring them from the earliest stages of our lives.
There are so many benefits for children to learn a new language at an early age. First, it is easier than trying to learn it later. It stimulates the child's curiosity and helps boost their cognitive development which helps their overall academic progress. It tends to display more empathy toward others and more receptive to other cultures.
The curriculum used is Christian based and has been designed to help students focus on proper development. The texts are organized into units dealing with school, home, community and world.
Each unit provide students with level-appropriate vocabulary. All activities include practice pronunciation and word formation. Culture is an important part of the lessons as well. Students will develop their ability to think critically from a biblical perspective on cultural issues in the Hispanic world, and they will be continually reminded that studying Spanish is one the many ways that they can fulfill the biblical mandate to love God and others.
To help support the students' learning, they participate in activities in an enjoyable atmosphere. Teaching puppets, read aloud books, work texts, teaching charts and music is provided for elementary school students.
These specialized areas of instruction are an integral part of the curriculum and development of our students.