The 5th through 8th grade comprises the Understanding stage of Scholé Christian Tradition (SCT), and it is the fruit and advancement of the Knowledge (PreK-4th grade) stage. This stage looks ahead to the Wisdom stage in order to build a foundation of understanding that will ultimately lead to wisdom and virtue.
This stage of development occurs approximately between the ages of 11 - 14. The Understanding stage centers around the art of logic in addition to advanced learning. Students will gain:
The Understanding curriculum has been developed and curated to give students the most purposeful knowledge that will yield the most fruit moving forward into the Wisdom stage.
Understanding is not merely about the head but about the heart and hands as well.
The goal of SCT is that its graduates would be men and women of wisdom and virtue with broad knowledge, deep understanding, and advanced skills in thinking, writing, and speaking.
Understanding students will have the opportunity to go through the whole Bible in their four years. Every teacher will draw from Biblical examples and Scripture as they teach. However, students will also be guided through one of four parts of the Bible explicitly in their “Understanding Tradition: History, Geography and Bible” course. This division will be explained further below.
Only the Bible has the authority and power of God behind it and God uses His Word to change our hearts.
“If education is about the communication of values, or meaningful information, and of wisdom and of tradition, between persons and across generations, it is important to know that it can only take place in the heart; that is, in the center of the human person.” –Stratford Caldecott
SCT values the Bible as the infallible and inerrant Word of God which is profitable for teaching and reproof (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That is why there is an emphasis at every stage to read and teach the Bible systematically in conjunction with every subject. Scholé Christian Tradition has purposefully made this an emphasis at every level, including the Understanding stage.
Each year of Tradition’s 4-year rotation focuses on different historical-cultural worldviews. SCT rotates through these 4 Traditions as a whole school. Our 5th-8th grade students will go through each of these Traditions once:
Students will have two different courses that cover these Worlds:
Both courses are designed to provide context for each other and work in tandem. The history the students learn will contextualize the literature that they are learning and the geography covered will enhance the history lesson.
The Bible has been divided into 4 sections which will correspond and enhance what the student is learning. If students and families follow the at-home Bible reading plan, they will finish reading the Bible in its entirety over the 4 years.
| Ancient World | Pentateuch | Inform their understanding of the creation story and antiquity |
| Classical World | Gospels | Provides context for the world that Jesus came to. |
| Medieval World | Old Testament writings: Psalms, Proverbs and exilic books | Understanding of Medieval worship, ethics and other themes that parallel our literature reading |
| Modern World | Epistles of the New Testament | Provide instruction in morality and Christian doctrine that explain how we should behave in the modern world |
This 4 year rotation will match the Knowledge students’ rotation between the Old and New Testaments, as well as the 9th and 10th graders rotation of Old and New Testament Surveys.
One of the benefits of having the whole school on the same Tradition, is that this provides for assigned discipleship opportunities where the older students can teach the younger.
This fosters an appreciation for the teacher’s work, inter-grade mentorship, and mastery of subjects.
Saxon Math has consistently been one of homeschoolers’ top choices when it comes to math curriculum.
Saxon’s incremental spiral-approach teaches students information in small amounts, and continually repeats concepts to keep newly acquired skills fresh and active.
This incremental approach to math provides a learning structure proven to advance students steadily and assuredly to higher levels of understanding, increasing retention of knowledge to the level of mastery.
| Mathematics | 4 Years | Saxon 65 Saxon 76 Saxon 87 Algebra 1⁄2 |
Understanding level science will be geared toward expanding the wonder and curiosity of our world from the Knowledge stage, and preparing our students for the study of science in the Wisdom stage.
It will include a formal introduction to and practice of the scientific method, building observational skills, and foundational studies in biology, chemistry and physics.
| Science | 4 Years | General & Physical Science |
We will be adding more about our latin and logic programs shortly.
| Latin | 4 Years |
| Logic | 4 Years |
Aristotle
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