ELEMENTARY ACADEMICS
Heritage Christian Academy is committed to providing a high standard of academic excellence for its students, while developing Christ-like character in them. To achieve this, we utilize a superior curriculum and maintain a community of outstanding teachers with a strong commitment to Jesus Christ, His word, and His church.
CURRICULUM
BIBLE
As followers of Christ, we believe that it is only through God’s word that we understand our true identity as God’s people and how God relates to His people over the centuries. Our Bible curriculum—Walking With God and His People by Christian Schools International—immerses students in the Story of Scripture, helping students know the Story (head), believe His promise (heart), and live in faith and obedience (hands). Sound theology from a Reformed evangelical perspective, taught with educational best practices including Scripture memorization, provide a structured foundation of biblical knowledge. Beginning in first grade, we also utilize Young Peacemakers to teach biblical principles of conflict resolution, forgiveness, and other Christian character qualities.
LANGUAGE ARTS
God has given humankind His word in written form that we may read it and come to know Him. He also gave us the ability to formulate, convey, receive and comprehend ideas. In whatever mode language is used, it is a primary means of communication and thus foundational for all areas of learning.
- To teach Reading, a receptive form of language, we utilize a phonics-based curriculum, providing students a logical way of learning to read. Scholars begin with reading anthologies and add novels to expand their study of literature.
- Grammar and Writing are both expressive modes of language. Grammar is the set of principles by which language functions; by analyzing language, the student is better equipped to understand what he reads and writes. Writing is the art by which ideas are conveyed in written language and emphasizes accuracy and clarity of meaning.
- A component of Writing is Spelling, the way we combine letters to write new words.
- Handwriting is a skill that also must be developed for clear written communication.
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics practically integrates God’s orderliness and beauty with everyday life. Just as the Bible says, “precept upon precept, line upon line,” (Isaiah 28:10), students must build concept upon concept in math. The sequential mastery of mathematical concepts is the primary objective of our math curriculum. A spiral method, Abeka Math integrates biblical values, is a more traditional and procedural math curriculum that combines a step-by-step approach, incremental skill development, continual review and thorough practice to achieve stronger math results.
SCIENCE
In Science, teachers have numerous opportunities to highlight the order and design of God’s world. Our focus is familiarizing students with the language and basic facts of science. Each grade level offers a life science, a physical science and an earth science. We use Delta Science Modules because its hands-on approach engages students and lays the foundation for an interest in the sciences.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The nature of God is apparent in the rules and systems by which He orders and governs His creation. The study of the divinely-ordered “social systems,” which we call Social Studies, reveal a God of order and justice. Social Studies education focuses initially on social relationships and family and expands to community, then national and international relationships. As students mature, the aspects of geographic features, cultural distinctives, citizenship, law, political functions and economic principles are added.