Grades 1 – 5

BJA’s academic program is thorough while remaining age-appropriate and exciting. Highlights of academic instruction for grades 1 through 5 are given below. A detailed scope and sequence is available here.

Related arts (one class daily)

• Art
• Music
• STEM
• Library/media
• Physical education

Additional opportunities

• Orchestra, band and choirs
• Music lessons in piano, strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion
• Field trips to farms, museums, art galleries and more
• Team sports (grade 5)

Hours

8 a.m.—2:45 p.m.
Early stay begins at 7:15 a.m.
Late stay is available until 5:30 p.m.

Grade 1

• Bible Truths—Lessons include memory verses and stories from Old and New Testaments.
• Heritage Studies—Students explore the general history and geography of their world starting from their own origins and expanding to all seven continents. Topics include map reading, early exploration and settlement of the New World, basic government, and important American sites.
• Science—Lessons examine human senses, animals, weather, health and safety, with introductory science process skills, such as observation and measurement.
• Math—Skill development focuses on place value, addition, subtraction, money and measurement. Activities often include manipulatives, graphs and equations.
• Phonics and English—Lessons emphasize phonemic awareness and patterns. An introduction to grammar focuses on punctuation. An introduction to writing begins with a focus on sentence structure and builds to the construction of a single paragraph.
• Spelling—Lessons expand beyond memorization to examine word families and definitions.
• Reading—Instruction develops phonics, reading comprehension and listening skills. Lessons integrate literary stories, Scripture, poetry and plays.
• Handwriting—Pre-cursive instruction focuses on proper formation of alphabetic letters and simple words.

Grade 2

• Bible Truths—Lessons include memory verses, timelines, and stories from Old and New Testaments.
• Heritage Studies—Students learn to appreciate the significance and progression of historical events from Creation to the American Colonial Period to the Revolutionary War. Lessons include the study of maps and land forms, citizenship, and cultures.
• Science—Students explore topics including plants, dinosaurs, fossils, environments and natural resources.
• Math—Instruction often uses manipulatives to develop basic understating of place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• English—Activities build a foundation for grammar, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
• Spelling—Students develop an understanding of phonics and word structure generalizations.
• Reading—Stories are used to build on phonics instruction introduced in English and to encourage comprehension and higher order thinking skills.
• Handwriting—Student writing transitions from printing to cursive.

Grade 3

• Bible Truths—Scriptural examples are used to illustrate life lessons in following Christ. Instruction is arranged thematically and chronologically.
• Heritage Studies—From a biblical perspective, students observe challenges faced by our nation during the years from the Constitutional Convention through the Civil War and westward expansion.
• Science—Lessons focus on creation through study of animal classification, the solar system, sound and weather.
• Math—Major topics of instruction include multiplication, division, fractions and decimals. Problem-solving skills are addressed via activities including word problems and graphing.
• English—Grammar and writing skills are reinforced with an emphasis on the writing process. Activities also address studying, listening and speaking skills.
• Spelling—Instruction continues to emphasize phonics and word structure. Spelling application is addressed by exercises that include writing and proofreading.
• Reading—Stories that underscore character building and biblical truths help students continue to develop comprehension and phonics skills.
• Handwriting—Practice in cursive writing also includes instruction in spacing, punctuation and margins.

Grade 4

• Bible Truths—Instruction emphasizes the importance of Bible study and application of that knowledge to daily life. Lessons are arranged chronologically and thematically from Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.
• Heritage Studies—Instruction begins with a study of the five regions of the United States, including a focus on states and capitals. Attention is then given to the aftermath of the Civil War and how our nation changed as we moved toward World War I, the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and World War II.
• Science—Students study topics including ecosystems, living organisms, machines and electricity. Scientific process is also addressed in projects and activities.
• Math—Developmental skills continue in whole number, fractional and decimal computation. Geometry, pre-algebra and problem solving are also incorporated into classroom activities.
• English—Proficiency in the writing process continues through advanced training in planning, drafting, revising and proofreading. Earlier instruction in study, listening and speaking skills is also reinforced.
• Spelling—Lessons focus on difficult spelling patterns and dictionary skills.
• Reading—Excerpts from classical literature and character-building stories help students increase reading and critical-thinking skills.
• Handwriting—Lessons that center on notable locations and sites across America help students refine handwriting skills. Skill development in the areas of writing journals, paragraphs, outlines and hymns is also emphasized.

Grade 5

• Bible Truths—Students develop skills in using resources including cross-references, concordances and Bible dictionaries. The goal of this instruction is to help students become more skilled in their personal study of Scripture.
• Heritage Studies—Lessons examine the development of American enterprise from the early 1900s to the present. Topics include the influence of travel via airplane and automobile. Struggles such as The Great Depression, civil rights and significant wars of this time period are also examined.
• Science—Heat, light, minerals, and the human respiratory and circulatory systems are major topics of instruction. Hands-on activities and projects help students apply knowledge acquired from these lessons.
• Math—Instruction aims for mastery in multiplication, division, fraction and decimal operations. Increased emphasis is also given to geometric and pre-algebraic concepts.
• English—Students increase proficiency in the writing process through activities that involve different types of writing and publishing. Skill development in studying, researching, listening and speaking is also reinforced.
• Spelling—Lessons focus on related pairs of words as well as names of the 50 states. Instruction also reinforces dictionary skills.
• Reading— Excerpts from classical literature and character-building stories continue from instruction in earlier years. These stories and activities are used to assist students in developing research and literary skills.

Related Arts
Students participate in related arts classes weekly. Each is taught by a specialized instructor.

• Art
• Spanish
• Library/Media
• Music
• Physical education