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CURRICULUM |
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BACK TO OUR WORK |
The Curriculum
Living Books Curriculum is name given the curriculum used by our homeschooling families, missionary families and school children in developing nations. The distinctive feature of the Living Books Curriculum is the teaching method used. We use high-quality books for our curriculum, but the fact is, books go in and out of print. The Living Books Curriculum teaching method does not. The core curriculum has eleven areas of study: Bible study, mathematics, language arts, science, nature study, art, picture study, music, the site country’s history, world history and geography. The approaches used for learning are: reading classic literature, storytelling, active involvement, time spent outdoors, using local materials and local knowledge, and creating a supportive atmosphere. Living Books Curriculum has currently produced Foundation Year (kindergarten), Grade One, Grade Two, Grade Three, and Grade Four curriculum packages. We are currently in the research and development stages of Five through Eight. Using Living Books Curriculum is straightforward. A comprehensive teaching guide is available for each curriculum package to help the teacher organize the lessons and assess comprehension. Each teaching guide describes the Living Books Curriculum philosophy, supplies helpful articles, and provides numerous teaching resources. Some of these are: a week-by-week teaching guide, an overview of each subject, a checklist that reminds the teacher to regularly include the fundamentals of the Charlotte Mason method, and a suggested daily schedule. One of the advantages of Living Books Curriculum is schedule flexibility. Similar to Charlotte Mason’s Parent’s National Education Union schools, Living Books Curriculum allows our partners to organize an academic schedule that suits the site country’s teaching schedule. Schools can begin and end their school year as best matches their schedule. We plan for a 5-day school week with 3-6 hours of academic work (depending on age); the remaining time is reserved for handicrafts, outdoor activities, creative play, or skill training. |
Foundation Year
A key feature of Education in a Box is the Foundation Year. All children, regardless of age, will begin with this curriculum. It lays a foundation for the work to come by introducing the basic principles and methods of instruction as well as providing evaluation and assessment of the child's developmental (not chronological) age. Completing the Foundation Year will ensure that each child has the basic language and learning skills to move to the next level.
Many of the children receiving instruction may be malnourished, abused, or in other ways at a less-than-ideal level of readiness for learning. These factors must be addressed. By using the Foundation Year assessment tools, the teacher will be able to discern the needs of each child. Academic years 1 through 8 will each contain five modules: math, language arts, English language instruction, science, and humanities.
