Academics
Christ Lutheran Academy seeks to follow a classical education model for its curriculum and approach to teaching and learning. What this means is that we believe there are three stages to learning, commonly called the Trivium:
- Grammar, which focuses on learning facts;
- Logic, which focuses on understanding; and
- Rhetoric, which focuses on integration and synthesis.
This approach to teaching and learning goes all the way back to the Greeks in ancient times, and has served Western Civilization for millennia in teaching and integrating knowledge into a cohesive unit. Some of the specific curricula materials we currently use include the following:
The Well-Trained Mind, by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, is a guide to classical education. It outlines the Trivium, which organizes learning around the maturing capacity of the child’s mind. It gives specific suggestions for every curriculum area.
Studying quality literature is another hallmark of a classical education. Christ Lutheran Academy will draw on quality historical narratives, historical fiction, “living books,” and worthy literature, briefly annotated, from a number of well-known and respected sources such as Books Children Love, Great Books of Western Civilization, The Reading Teachers List of 1000 Books, Greenleaf Press, Landmark Books Series, Newbery and Newbery Honor Award books, and Veritas Press.
The Teaching of Reading
Christ Lutheran Academy believes that the ability to read is the most important skill to be taught to elementary children to ensure their academic growth and success in school. Our academy pledges itself to the teaching of phonics as the foundation for learning to read. Children are taught the basic building blocks of the English language, including proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. Literacy is fostered in our students by grounding them in the skills necessary to read and write the English language.
Music and the Arts
Christ Lutheran Academy teaches music and the arts on a daily basis. Particular emphasis is given to the art of singing, so that the young Christian learns to participate in the devotional richness of the Church’s liturgy and hymnody. In addition, there are many opportunities to explore the vast secular musical and artistic treasures from outside the church.