Elementary School Core Curriculum Overview
Kindergarten
The goal of kindergarten at North Raleigh Christian Academy is to provide academic excellence and spiritual/character development in a Christ centered environment.
Our program fosters a feeling of love and reverence for God and respect for the value of others around us. In a positive atmosphere, we maximize each child's God-given abilities academically, spiritually and emotionally, as we instill the love of learning and provide learning experiences that facilitate development of the whole child.
Our curriculum consists of daily core subjects of Bible, mathematics, phonics, reading and writing. Enrichment classes are social studies, science, art, computer, physical education, Spanish and music. These learning experiences are balanced with parties and off-campus field trips. The kindergarten teachers encourage parental involvement and communication.
Our kindergarten teachers look forward to being your partner in making the kindergarten year of school one that both you and your child will enjoy.
Bible
Bible time and prayer is a very important time of our kindergarten day. The ABeka Bible program has
colorful visuals that help tell the stories of the Old and New Testaments. Students are encouraged to apply
the moral lessons of the story to their lives at their grade level. Each week a Bible verse is memorized.
Bible hymns and choruses are enjoyed. Each month we highlight a special character trait, such as obedience,
respect and responsibility.
Social Studies
The social studies curriculum in kindergarten seeks to build upon the foundation of family and community
as children develop an understanding of the need for laws and government. A study of community helpers
broadens to an introduction of map skills and the history and geography of our country as they explore
America. Worldview is extended to an understanding of God's love for all people as they learn about other
cultures. Countries such as Mexico, Kenya, China and Australia are explored.
Mathematics
The kindergartners begin the year in math by learning their shapes, patterns, position words, comparisons,
and calendar parts. Fractions, ordinal numbers and the writing of numbers are introduced later in the year.
They learn to count and recognize numbers from 1 to 100, as well as counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's to 100.
Addition and subtraction are taught using manipulatives. They also learn to tell time, count money and
understand measurement. These concepts are taught in conjunction with various hands on manipulatives.
Science
The science curriculum builds upon the natural curiosity of young children as they discover the wonders of
God's creation. Students learn about the world around them as they investigate God's plan for weather, seasons,
seeds, animals and their own uniquely designed bodies.
Language Arts
The kindergarten language arts program offered at North Raleigh Christian Academy has a strong phonetic base.
The students become skilled readers as they learn: the name and sounds for the short vowels, consonants, blends,
long vowels, vowel rules, and special sounds. The students work in small groups to complete twelve phonetic
readers. The writing program is correlated with the reading program. As students learn a new letter, they
also learn to write the letter. As the year progresses students will write blends, words and sentences. The
language arts program at NRCA is integrated with reading, writing and literature and includes creative writing,
songs, poems, crafts and games that reinforce the skills as they are learned.
Physical Education
Children of all ages need to experience free play in order to develop and enhance creative thinking and
self-confidence. Our facility offers equipment designed to strengthen gross motor skills as well as encourage
free play. Each day the kindergartners have an opportunity to play outside on a playground, or, on inclement
weather days, in a gymnasium with age appropriate equipment. Once a week the students are engaged in developing
their motor skills in a physical education class which introduces them to team sports and games. We focus on
helping the children stay physically fit as well as enhancing their ability to play corporately.
First Grade
Bible
The first grade Bible curriculum relates familiar Bible stories to God's gifts to His children. The concepts
taught help the students view family, the world, salvation, church and life as God-ordained and directed.
God's Word comes alive through weekly chapels, colorful visuals, puzzles, games, skits, and songs.
Scripture and worship song memorization are components of the classroom and chapel each week.
Participation in Christian character education and an annual Christmas program provide students
with an application of biblical concepts taught in the classroom.
Social Studies
The North Raleigh Christian Academy social studies curriculum is a Biblically integrated approach which
provides students an awareness and respect for their community and country. As first grade studies the various
countries around the world they will develop an understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures and learn
map and globe utilization skills.
Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum of NRCA utilizes a logical method of instruction through a biblical worldview.
Four interesting themes highlight learning fun throughout the year, acknowledging God as the Creator of the
heavens and the earth. Problem solving is emphasized in each lesson. Word problems show people working,
or enjoying God's world, to develop strong Christian character. Concepts are presented in an orderly
manner for student understanding, helping students to know more of God's character. Teachers introduce a
new topic using known facts, reviewing prior learning, giving hands-on experiences using manipulatives, and
then encouraging students to think through new concepts. Students are given opportunities to apply the
concepts to many concrete situations. Abundant review and practice provide mastery of concepts and facts
for the students. The program incorporates cross-curricular concepts: songs and poems, science, listening
skills, reading, geography, patriotism, holidays, and seasons. The scope of the curriculum involves counting
to 100, 200, and 1,000, addition and subtraction concepts, number reading and writing, place value, problem
solving, money, geometry, logic, graphs, calendar, measurements, fractions and multiplication.
Science
NRCA's science program is designed to stimulate the student's interest in science through a study of the
wonders of creation. Hands-on activities help students to discover, classify, measure, predict, observe,
experiment, interpret, compare, infer, examine, demonstrate, categorize, solve, organize, and identify.
Teachers biblically integrate science with all subjects that they teach. Students develop many opportunities
to develop creative writing, drawing, reading, and math strategies. Students learn exciting facts about
themselves and the world around them. This opens the door to new worlds in life, physical and earth sciences
which includes the five senses, living things, non-living things, animals, plants, simple machines, magnets,
water, wind, air, fossils, rocks and minerals.
Language Arts
The goal of first grade language arts is to equip the student with the tools necessary for reading success and to integrate Biblical principles through the strategies employed. Our program combines the core subjects of reading, phonics, grammar, spelling, and writing into a system that promotes phonemic awareness, word recognition and decoding, comprehension, and creative writing.
Our phonics program is one that provides a skillful and interesting way to bring letter-sound correspondence through special sound application. Our special sound charts, workbooks and manipulatives serve to make use of the student's keen rote memory skills, and at the same time, increase the student's vocabulary and word recognition.
Our reading program hinges on the strong phonetic base, and brings the student to a level that uses all the special sounds, sight words and spelling words that are presented throughout the year. Reading comprehension is the primary goal of reading at this level, as well as, the skill of creatively writing what has been read.
Shurley grammar is the classical method that we employ to teach our students study skills, reading readiness, parts of speech, sentence construction, paragraph formation, and creative writing. Students enjoy the chants, poems and jingles that accompany this subject.
Spelling provides the students with strategies that not only help them to spell words correctly, but determine the meaning of words. Vocabulary enrichment and acquisition is the key to this spelling program.
The final component of language arts comprises not only the emphasis on letter formation, spacing, and good penmanship, but on creative writing. Students are encouraged to write about many different topics throughout the year, and then maintain a writing journal.
Health
NRCA's health program is designed to motivate children to take care of the body God has given them, to educate
them in how best to do this, and to train them to be courteous and to develop good health and safety habits.
Students will learn through reading, class discussion, checklists, and pictures. The curriculum will include
the care of skin, hair, eyes, ears, nose, teeth, safety in and away from home, on the street, on the playground,
in the water, and in a storm and manners at home, at school, at church and in public.
Second Grade
In second grade at NRCA we strive for academic excellence with emphasis on spiritual character development along with enriching the creativity in each student in a loving Christ centered environment.
Core subjects include Bible, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health. Each student can be successful through the use of a variety of teaching methods (e.g., visual, auditory, etc.) that are used in daily instruction. Homework is given to reinforce skills and concepts that are taught.
Each week the students attend music, physical education, library, Spanish, computer, and art classes for further enrichment to the educational program. Chapel is weekly with exciting motivational speakers and music. This is always a favorite of the students and parents who are invited to attend.
To complete the educational experience for each student, curriculum-related field trips, community service projects, guest speakers, and special programs are planned each year.
Bible
Second graders begin learning about Bible characters in two and three-week units, focusing on character traits
demonstrated throughout the Bible. Through the year students study thirty-six Biblical character traits and
how to emulate these traits in their daily lives. Beside character traits, other life issues are addressed
in the curriculum. Being honest, selfishness, feeling that others are unfair, and self-esteem comprise some
of the issues discussed. Seven repeated themes also weave throughout the lessons both directly and indirectly.
Students also learn about a missions family in Central America and have many opportunities for exciting,
challenging daily activities.
Social Studies
The goal of our history curriculum is to instill a love of history and a desire to be loyal to his/her country as an American citizen. Our students will begin to develop a patriotic appreciation, which will grow as they see how God guides in the building of a country. We believe history is "His story" and that history facts in the Bible are accurate and show God's love and concern as He controls the events of world history. Our curriculum is divided into three sections: America, Our Home, The People Who Built America, and Tomorrow's America.
Unit 1 America, Our Home: In this unit, the students will learn that America is a great place to live. Patriotism and pride for our country is encouraged as the children learn more about their country, its flag, freedoms, patriotic holidays and songs.
Unit 2 The People Who Built America: In this unit students will learn about the people who have lived and died to make America the great country that she is today. They will learn of the Separatists, America's Indians, the colonists, the pioneers, the cowboys, and the many new Americans from all around the world.
Unit 3 Tomorrow's America: This unit will encourage students to do their part to be good citizens and to help keep America great.
Mathematics
The A Beka arithmetic curriculum is used in all second grade classrooms. This mathematics curriculum provides
the student with an approach that is traditional, structured and organized. This program promotes absolute
truth as created by God. The students memorize facts and at the same time learn problem solving skills. The
program lays a strong foundation in math that will be very beneficial to the student as they progress in
school. The curriculum is supplemented by charts, games, visuals, and flashcards. Students are given both
a weekly written test and an oral facts test. Daily lessons offer not only new objectives to learn but also
opportunities to review skills taught previously. The students read and study stories in literature that have
mathematical themes.
Science
The purpose of Enjoying God's World is to stimulate the students' interests in science through a study of
the wonders of God's creation. Students will study units on life science (people, plants and animals),
earth science (our planet, the solar system, geography), and physical science (energy, force, gravity).
This curriculum also stimulates the students' desire to read and increase their comprehension skills. To
further stimulate the students' interests, a variety of hands-on experiments are included in each unit of
study. Using the scientific method learning takes place through using the steps of observation, following
procedures, recording data, and drawing conclusions.
Language Arts
Our second grade language arts curriculum has been carefully selected to provide learning skills in spelling, reading, grammar, phonics, vocabulary, penmanship and creative writing. A variety of approaches and techniques are incorporated in the teaching process to insure the best learning environment.
The backbone of our grammar and writing program comes from Shurley Grammar. This curriculum achieves mastery in grammar skills through singing catchy jingles, building block learning by classifying parts of speech, and ample opportunity to apply syntax, punctuation and word usage.
Second graders mature in their reading ability and develop a deep love for books through our varied reading material choices. Take Tenn publications enforce critical thinking and comprehension skills beyond the reading group setting. Multiple unit studies on various books are interspersed throughout our year which incorporate history, language arts, art, research, documentation and creative writing skills. One of the reading highlights of second grade is participation in the 'Reading Quilt'. This is an independent reading curriculum introducing the students to numerous reading categories. This goal-setting reading reward program is a very positive activity for all second graders.
Our final language arts puzzle piece is spelling, vocabulary and poetry. The students master up to 28 words a week, with a portion of them being vocabulary words. All of our teachers integrate games, puzzles and supportive work pages to assist in the complete learning process for spelling and vocabulary. Each month students gain familiarity with new word usage and putting spelling into practice through the reading of poems.
Health
The purpose of the health curriculum is to encourage our student's interests in how to care for the body God has given him/her as well as to train them to be courteous and to use good health and safety habits.
Unit 1 Your Health: The Word of God tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". (Psalm 139:14) God desires us to take care of our bodies so we can serve Him each day. The second graders will learn more about caring for their bodies and staying healthy. Eating healthy, getting regular exercise, thinking right thoughts and keeping your body clean all are emphasized in this unit.
Unit 2 Your Manners: The Word of God teaches us that we should act toward others as we want then to act toward us. When we use good manners we are thinking of others more than ourselves as well as pleasing the Lord. The curriculum covers being courteous and polite as well as eating and phone manners.
Unit 3 Your Safety: This unit will help the second grade students to know how to stay safe. The curriculum covers safety on the street, at home, around water/during bad weather, in the kitchen and bathroom.
Third Grade
Third grade is a wonderful year where students grow academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. It is a time of new discoveries where students explore Bible, math, grammar, science, history, reading, spelling, and creative writing. What fun they have as they build upon the past preparing them for new and exciting things in the future.
Not only do students enjoy a variety of subjects, but they also enjoy art, music, physical education, Spanish, and computer. In these classes, they learn and perfect many different skills. This is a fun and enjoyable time away from the normal routines of the classroom.
Chapel is also a special time each week. Students enjoy worshipping God through songs, prayer time, and the study of His Word. This time allows them to focus on God and thank Him for His many blessings.
Through these third grade experiences, students will make lasting memories that can be cherished for a lifetime!
Bible
The third grade Bible program takes the students on a journey through the life of Christ, the book of Acts, and
missions. While studying the life of Christ, the students will read and become familiar with the Gospels. They
will learn and make daily applications from Jesus' parables, miracles, messages, and life. As the students read
throughout the book of Acts, the students will see the beginning and the growth of Christianity's early church.
The importance of being a daily witness in their own lives is stressed as they learn about the missionary journeys
of Paul and other famous missionaries in history. They will also become acquainted with various Christian heroes
of the faith who lived throughout history. The students memorize weekly Bible verses, which is
an important part of the Bible program.
Social Studies
The third grade curriculum focuses on twenty-one great Americans. From
Christopher Columbus, Mile Standish, George Washington, and Clara Barton,
to the famous evangelist, Billy Sunday, the students will learn about
history from a Biblical perspective. The textbook emphasizes godly
character, patriotism, respect, and a variety of contributions that these
Americans have made to United States history. Each student will compose
a project, which focuses on one of the twenty-one famous Americans.
Mathematics
The goal of the mathematics program is to help students build a solid foundation. Students begin by
reviewing simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems. By completing these simple
problems, the students are able to move on and solve more complex problems. Students are introduced
to the concepts of long division, fractions, geometric shapes, measurement problems, story problems,
averaging, and algebra equations. In our measurement study, they learn the English and metric measures
where they are taught how to convert measures. Story problems enable them to use their critical
thinking skills and logical reasoning skills to solve for the answer. Students develop a conceptual
understanding and skill proficiency in participating in all these various concepts.
Science
The students explore God's creation as they peek into the world of our nervous system and its five senses.
The students discover the way plants were designed as well as see the uniqueness of the five mammal groups.
The students also journey to the desert, ocean, pond, forest, and farmer's field in order to discover the
marvelous balance in nature that God designed for a purpose. At the close of the book, students study the
four types of precipitation that display God's amazing power.
Language Arts
The third grade language arts curriculum focuses on the following areas: reading, grammar and writing skills, and spelling and vocabulary building.
The reading curriculum uses A Beka readers and novels to continue the development of oral reading. Students practice and review decoding of words, listening skills, critical thinking skills, and analyzing skills through different types of literature. Students also conduct research of specific novels using oral and written book reports.
The Shurley Grammar curriculum teaches the foundation of grammar in an exciting, new way. Students use rhymes and specific questions to identify all of the words in a sentence as well as the sentence structure. Students learn that each part of the sentence works together to express a complete thought. Students learn how to develop, improve, and edit their creative writing. Students then learn how to convey their ideas through writing letters and through various types of creative writing.
The spelling curriculum is phonetic based utilizing the special sounds as well as learning to spell content words that coincide with other subjects. Games, contests, and review exercises are used daily to create a fun approach to spelling. Dictionary skills, writing skills, and word usage skills are used each week to review concepts that are taught in grammar and reading. Vocabulary words and definitions are introduced each week to expand a child's vocabulary.
Health
The health program shows us that our bodies are designed to work together. The students discover that certain
foods contain substances that our bodies need and eating the proper balance of these foods will give them strong,
healthy bodies. The students also examine their spiritual life to make sure it is edifying and pleasing to the
Lord.
Penmanship
The goal of the penmanship program is for the students to develop outstanding cursive handwriting. The
students begin by reviewing the cursive formation of all the letters in the alphabet. Through the penmanship
study, the students are involved in discovering Bible truths, a historical study of the 50 states and Canada's
provinces, and several character qualities. Working faithfully every day in these cursive writing exercises,
the students learn to have success in developing outstanding handwriting.
Fourth Grade
Fourth grade is the "bridge" between the primary and intermediate grades. Students develop into more
independent learners and are encouraged to use higher-level thinking skills. The curriculum advances the
attainment of these goals.
Bible
Fourth graders learn Bible doctrine with the help of two fictional characters, Randy "Sherlock" Holmes and
his dog Woofson. These characters assist the students in discovering how to use Bible tools such as timelines,
maps and a concordance. The doctrinal truths investigated are: God, His Word, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the
church, salvation, as well as heaven and hell. Students learn how to apply these truths in a personal way
through Bible stories, visual aids, memory verses, and a variety of class activities.
Social Studies
The fourth grade program centers on the history of the United States of America from a Christian perspective.
The students begin their study with explorers to the new world and conclude with the American Revolution. Map
skills and geography are also incorporated into the curriculum. In addition, our program examines the state
of North Carolina. The history, geography, industry, agriculture, and landmarks are key components of this
unit of study. Field trips enhance the students' learning experiences. Literature is integrated with the social
studies curriculum to provide a better understanding of American history.
Mathematics
NRCA's curriculum concentrates on traditional and practical mathematical concepts. The curriculum's major
objectives focus on place value, problem-solving, averaging, metric and English measures, fractions, long
division, graphing and geometry.
Science
The curriculum utilizes weekly lessons with associated labs to reinforce concepts. Areas examined include
life science (the study of living things), physical science (forces, energy, and matter), earth science,
and safety. Investigations are inquiry-based, student-driven, and teacher-directed. Connections to Scripture
will be examined, emphasized, and encouraged.
Language Arts
The fourth grade curriculum focuses on the following subject areas: reading, grammar, and spelling.
Reading opens the door to the world. Students learn to read a textbook by studying its parts and learning how to use reading tools such as maps, graphs, special fonts, and a glossary. Then they proceed to reading comprehension. They read to increase comprehension using stories and novels, with special emphasis on missionary stories around the world. Other specific skills taught include utilizing context clues to predict meanings of words, characterizing, comparing and contrasting, and discerning fact from opinion.
The grammar curriculum utilized is the Shurley grammar method. It uses rhythm and rhyme to help students learn the parts of speech and to improve their grammar skills. Students learn to classify sentences through oral repetition. They apply their knowledge of grammar skills to sentence and paragraph structure. The Shurley method includes formal and creative writing lessons.
Students need the ability to express themselves in a clear and concise manner. The spelling course presents the students with 20 words weekly, based on high frequency, high interest, and phonetic principles. An additional five words are added to enrich their vocabulary skills. The lessons are teacher-directed and incorporate independent and cooperative activities stressing sound-letter relationships, visual memory, and meanings of words. Biblical principles, verses and a mission theme are presented in each lesson.
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade is the final elementary grade so that it serves as a transition from elementary to middle school.
Our curriculum strives to meet the needs of our students' varied learning styles.
Bible
Three strands of instruction occur in fifth grade ACSI Bible curriculum. First is an overview of the Old
Testament. Second is an in-depth study of the lives of various Bible characters presented in chronological
order as a part of the survey of the Old Testament. Third is the focus on the choices these individuals made
whether good or bad. This third level of instruction provides the natural bridge to application in the personal
lives of students as they make their own choices.
Social Studies
The history curriculum provides a Biblically based approach in the study of world history including the five
continents on the Eastern Hemisphere during the time frame of the beginning of time to the present. This study
incorporates the geography of this area of the world with its historical study. Computer research and hands-on
activities along with historical fiction novel studies and creative writing assignments enhance this study of
the Old World. Highlighting the immigration of people from other countries to America establishes a link between
the Old and New Worlds.
Mathematics
Our orderly, heavenly Father used mathematics as He created our world. The fifth grade mathematics curriculum
promotes structure and order and shows students the order of the real world. Arithmetic 5 prepares the students'
arithmetic skills for higher levels of mathematics. Fifth grade arithmetic contains a variety of exercises
involving new and review material in each lesson. Students hear a complete explanation of each concept as well
as see procedures demonstrated step by step by the teacher. The students will master addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division of whole numbers, measurements (English and Metric), fractions, algebraic equations,
decimals, graphs-pictographs, bar, line, graphing ordered pairs, scale drawings, temperatures, and geometry.
Science
This course focuses on the scientific method of investigation, hands-on-learning and science labs. The science
units are taught from a Christian perspective, always stressing Biblical foundations and principles with regards
to God as Creator. The curriculum is based on three sections of science including life science, physical science
(forces, energy and matter), and earth science.
The students along with teacher guidance conduct weekly experiments. The students visit the NRCA greenhouse to
perform several of the experiments. Students learn to write lab reports and participate in the ACSI Science Fair.
Field trips also help reinforce what has been learned in class.
Language Arts
The fifth grade language arts curriculum encompasses these subject areas: reading, grammar, spelling, and creative writing.
In English, students learn grammar and writing techniques by using the Shurley Method. Students use rhythm and a set of specific questions to classify sentences orally, identifying each sentence part as well as the overall sentence structure. They learn how all sentence parts fit together to make sense and express an idea. Students learn how to expand, improve, and edit their writing. They then learn how to express their own ideas through formal and creative writing.
The reading program incorporates lessons in character development based on Biblical principles. Students increase their vocabulary through word studies in the literature and develop comprehension and critical thinking skills from discussion and related activities. A variety of book reports are required throughout the year, which enhance students' awareness of different literary genre. The reading curriculum is integrated with the study of history through the use of historical fiction novel studies. A basal reader is used along with other enrichment reading materials. Students attend plays that pertain to subject matter.
Creative writing is integrated with other subjects throughout the curriculum. Portfolios of students' writings are maintained.
In this class the focus is on not only spelling the words correctly, but also understanding their definitions and being able to use them correctly in everyday conversation. Five other words are added each week along with definitions that are from words used in other 5th grade subject matter.
