Grammar School
Where children are awakened to the joy of learning
“Fairy tales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know the dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
– G.K. Chesterton

Preschool
Kindergarten
Also a very important component of building character at this age, we practice relating to classmates with kindness and growing friendships, all day long keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
NCA offers a full day Kindergarten option which extends the day until 3:15. Afternoons supplement our core curriculum with enrichment activities for the student, such as additional reading and writing, hands-on geography, art projects and scientific discovery. The half day program contains all of our core curriculum and ends at noon.
1st Grade
It is a joy to watch the first-graders grow in confidence and ability. Visit our class sometime to see learning in action!
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
Fourth grade at NCA centers around the history of the Renaissance and the Reformation, including the works of the great artists (DaVinci, Michelangelo, etc.) and the life of Martin Luther, as well as the geography of the American continents and the explorers who discovered them for the western world. We study Earth science, which challenges us to learn about the age of the Earth, its different layers, and how the Biblical account of creation reconciles with science. We use Peacemakers as our Bible curriculum, learning about kind treatment of our neighbors and Christian conflict resolution. Our language program progresses in grammar from the basic parts of speech to applying them in all written work and using more expression in oral presentations. And, as always, we welcome questions and discovery!
5th Grade
NCA fifth graders are leaders and examples to the younger students in the Grammar School. Their growing maturity is evident as, having made good progress in reading comprehension, they begin developing skills in literary analysis and discussion of ideas rather than facts. Other highlights include completing their study of the countries of the world with Africa, learning about the U.S. and French Revolutions, and translating more complex sentences in Latin. It is an exciting year as we send these students on to the Logic School for the next stage of the Trivium.
Grammar School Curriculum Overview
Subjects | Kindergarten | 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Math | Developing Roots / Saxon 1 | Saxon 2 / Think! Mathematics 1 | Think! Mathematics 2 / Classical Math 2 | Think! Mathematics 3 | Think! Mathematics 4 | Think! Mathematics 5 |
Science | Senses, Seasons, Nutrition | Animals | Plants, Human Body | Universe | Earth Science and Weather | Physics |
History | Family, Community, Holidays | Ancient Egypt | Ancient Greece and Rome | Middle Ages | Renaissance and Reformation | Age of Enlightenment and Revolution |
Grammar | N/A | N/A | Shurley English 2 | Shurley English 3 | Shurley English 4 and Warriner’s Intro Course | Warriner’s First Course |
Latin | N/A | N/A | N/A | Latin for Children A (Part 1) | Latin for Children A (Part 2) | Latin for Children B |
Phonics | Saxon K | Saxon 1 | Phonics Review | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Spelling | with phonics | with phonics | The Grammar of Spelling 2 | The Grammar of Spelling 3 | The Grammar of Spelling 4 | The Grammar of Spelling 5 |
Geography | Continents and Oceans | United States | Holy Lands and Asia | Europe | The Americas and Islands | Africa |
Composition | Oral Narration & Copywork | Writing with Ease Level 1 | Writing with Ease Level 2 | Institute for Excellence in Writing | Institute for Excellence in Writing | Institute for Excellence in Writing |
Handwriting | Zaner-Bloser Manuscript K | Zaner-Bloser Manuscript 1 | Zaner-Bloser Cursive 2C | Zaner-Bloser Cursive 3 | Cursive in assignments | Cursive in assignments |
Bible | Bible Heroes | Genesis – Ruth | I Samuel – Malachi | The Gospels | Peacemakers and Acts – Ephesians | Philippians – Revelation |
Artist Study | Various Artists | Renoir, Van Gogh, Cassatt | Monet, Millet, Vermeer | Rembrandt, Cezanne, Degas | Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Seurat | Velasquez, Homer, Lois-David |
Composer Study | Vivaldi and various other composers | Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Copland | Handel, Chopin, Debussy | Bach, Schubert, Holst | Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Stravinsky | Brahms, Gershwin, Haydn |
Poetry | Nursery Rhymes and other poems | Robert Louis Stevenson, A.A. Milne, Aileen Fisher | Walter de la Mare, Eugene Field and James Whitcomb Riley, Christina Rosetti | William Blake, Sara Teasdale and Hilda Conkling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow | Alfred Lord Tennyson, Emily Dickinson, William Wordsworth | Robert Frost, John Greenleaf Whittier, Rudyard Kipling |
Literature | List includes historically-based literature, read alouds, grade appropriate literature and biographies | |||||
Art | Two times a week including elements of art, art history and history-related art projects | |||||
Music | Two times a week including elements of music, music history and music theory | |||||
Physical Education | Three times a week including building large motor skills, game structure, and physical fitness |