The Essentials program is often described as the "bridge" in the Classical Conversations journey. It’s where the memory work from Foundations meets the analytical thinking required for the Challenge years.
Ages 9–11 | The Bridge to Dialectic Learning | Meeting Weekly from 1:00-3:00pm on Wednesdays
In the Essentials program, students transition from simply "knowing" facts to "understanding" how they work together. This fun robust program focuses on three foundational concepts: English Grammar, Writing, and Math Games. It is designed to turn students into confident communicators and agile thinkers.
1. Grammar
We dive into the mechanics of the English language. Using a comprehensive curriculum, students learn basic capitalization and punctuation, sentence structures and purposes, parsing sentence diagramming and more!
2. Writing
Using the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), students learn to write with structure and style. We walk them through:
Note-taking and outlines.
Summarizing narrative stories.
Writing from pictures and inventive writing.
Adding "dress-ups" (adverbs, quality adjectives) to make their prose engaging.
3. Math
Math in Essentials is about speed, accuracy, and fun. Through "Number Knockout" and other high-energy games, students practice mental math and the order of operations. This builds the calculation "fluency" necessary for the higher-level math they will encounter in the Challenge levels.
The "One-Room Schoolhouse": Essentials is designed for students of varying ages and abilities to learn in the same room. First-year students focus on the basics, while third-year students tackle advanced sentence structures, allowing for natural mentorship and review.
Parent-Student Collaboration: Just like in Foundations, parents attend the Essentials program. You will learn the grammar and writing techniques alongside your child, equipping you to be their editor and teacher at home.
Building Confidence: There is a unique joy in Essentials as students realize they can take a complex paragraph and break it down, or take a blank page and fill it with a well-structured essay.
45 Minutes: English Grammar (lesson, diagramming, and games).
45 Minutes: Writing Lesson (unit overview, stylistic techniques, and structural models).
30 Minutes: Mental Math and "Number Knockout."
"Essentials was the turning point for my son. He went from struggling to put a sentence together to truly enjoying the 'puzzle' of grammar and the craft of writing."
Ready to give your student the tools to tackle a foreign language, essays or pre-algebra confidently? Reach out for more information or to schedule a visit!