Academics
Developing Lifelong Learners from the Start
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HHCA’s Lower School academic program serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade with a curriculum designed to provide each student with a strong foundation for intellectual, social and spiritual growth.
Our experiential learning model focuses on the creation of a safe, nurturing environment that promotes a love of learning and positive character development while engaging students in authentic, Christ-centered learning challenges.
Students in the Lower School enjoy classes in reading, language arts, mathematics, Bible, science, social studies, computers, music, art, and physical education.
Just the right balance of structure and exploration is provided throughout the curriculum to reach each student’s maximum potential in all areas of development. Our project-based model emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration in every subject, and provides opportunities for students to explore their passions within the framework of foundational content.
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Lower School Curriculum By Grade:
Kindergarten
Bible
- Old and New Testament Themes: God’s Creation; Jesus, Son of God
- Weekly Scripture
- Integration of Biblical Worldview in all subject areas
- Phonemic Awareness: Recognition of letter sounds; Rhyme; Word Families
- Reading Fluency: 100 Sight Words; Decodable and At-Level Books
- Reading Comprehension: Identification of Main Idea; Characters; Setting; Sequence; Prediction; Fiction/Nonfiction; Re-telling
- Listening and Speaking: Following Directions
- Writing: Formation of letters and numbers; Use of punctuation and capitalization
- Number Sense: Number sequence to 100; Place Value
- Operations: Addition and Subtraction
- Skip Counting: 2’s, 5’s and 10’s
- Measurement: Time to hour and ½ hour; Money; Standard and Non-Standard units of measurement
- Geometry: Plane and solid figures
- Estimation and Probability
- Algebraic Reasoning: Patterns
- Problem Solving Strategies
- Life Science: Living/Non-Living; Plants; Insects; Mammals; Reptiles; Birds; Health
- Earth Science: Land, Water, Weather
- Physical Science: Light; Matter; Movement
- Civics: Families; Community Helpers
- Economics/Government: Community Services; Urban/Suburban/Rural; City/State
- Geography: Maps; Globes; Continents/Countries
- History: American Holidays
- One class per week
- Literature appreciation and story elements
Technology
- One class per week
- Introduction to keyboard, computer graphics, and PowerPoint
- Two classes per week
- Movement, fitness, group games
- One class per week
- Lines, angles, color, shapes, size
- One class per week
- Vocal music, listening, rhythm and movement
First Grade
Bible
- Enjoying God’s Gifts
- Weekly Scripture Memory
- Theme: the many gifts of love provided for us by God
- Integration of Biblical Worldview in all subjects
- Phonemic Awareness identify and isolate initial, final, and medial sounds in words
- Phonics: consonant blend and digraphs, short and long vowels, special vowel sounds, word families, diphthongs, contractions, compound words, suffixes, and prefixes
- Reading fluency including 150 sight words
- Reading Comprehension identifying characters, setting, main idea, plot, theme, realism, fantasy, author’s purpose, cause and effect, sequence of events and draw conclusions.
- Vocabulary: high-frequency words, amazing words, compound words, contractions, synonyms, antonyms, homophones
- Listen and Speaking: Participate in conversations about first-grade topics.
- Spelling: use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and some irregular words
- Writing and Grammar: write sentences, write opinion, informative, and narrative pieces, identify nouns, verbs, adjectives, proper nouns, pronouns, capitalize dates and names
- Number and Operations in Base Ten: count, identify, numbers up to 120, place value, comparing numbers, addition and subtraction using multiples of 10, count, identify, and write numbers up to 120.
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking: use addition and subtraction to find unknown, solve problems using three addends, subtract and add with fluency within 20.
- Measurement: compare and measure length using centimeters, time, and graphing and interpreting data.
- Geometry: identify, build and compose two and three-dimensional shapes such as rectangles, cubes, cylinders, fractional parts – halves and fourths
- Communities and community workers
- Laws and Leaders, Democracy
- Life Science – animal characteristics and needs, insect characteristics, needs, and life cycle
- Physical Science: movement of objects, simple machines
- Life Science
- Earth and Space Science: Plant, seasons, weather, and solar system
- One class per week
- Introduction to keyboard, computer graphics, and PowerPoint
- Two classes per week
- Movement, fitness, group games
- One class per week
- Elements of visual art, media techniques, critical response
- One class per week
- Vocal music, listening, rhythm and movement
Second Grade
Bible
- Weekly scripture memory
- Integrating of Biblical world view in all subjects
- Finding God’s Promise
- Vocabulary: homophones, synonyms, antonyms, new vocabulary in context
- Reading fluency and comprehension in guided and silent reading, main idea, cause and effect, sequence, plot, theme, characterization, inference
- Listening and speaking: listen to a variety of genres, present information orally
- Writing and grammar: capitalization and punctuation, basic parts of speech, journals, poetry, letters, short narrative, expository writing, introduction to cursive writing
- Numbers and operation including mastery of addition and subtraction facts to 20, regrouping, introduction to multiplication and division, fractions
- Measurement: Time, money, customary management for length, temperature, capacity, weight
- Graphs: Creation and interpretation of bar graphs, pictographs, circle graphs
- Geometry: Plane and solid figures, congruence, symmetry, terms
- Estimation of number, length, weight, rounding
- Probability: Terms and outcomes, predictions, experiments
- Algebraic reasoning: Creation and extension of patterns, concept of equality, commutative property of addition
- Problem-solving strategies
- Earth science: weather and ocean study
- Physical science: matter and magnets
- Life science: plants, animals, and habitats
- Landforms
- Local history & cultural contributions
- Map skills: continents, compass rose, cardinal directions, oceans and states
- Beginning Government
- One class per week
- Story elements and appreciation of literature
- Locating and organizing information
- Microsoft Word and Excel basic functions
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Introduction to computer programming
- Twice a week
- Personal fitness, competitive games, weekly mile run, rules and techniques, sportsmanship
- One class per week
- Elements of visual art, media techniques, and processes, art in relation to history and culture
- Two classes per week
- Exploration of rhythm, melody, harmony, music theory, music appreciation
Third Grade
Bible
- Old and New Testament themes: study of the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Daniel
- Integration of Biblical worldview in all subjects.
- Weekly Memory Verse
- Listening and speaking, including oral presentation
- Phonics instruction and spelling of phonetic and non-phonetic words
- Vocabulary, including Latin root words and derivatives
- Reading fluency and comprehension of fiction and nonfiction selections
- Literary elements, including story structure and figurative language
- Writing: Paragraph development; forms including reflections, narratives, poems, letters, reports, essays, stories
- Grammar, including sentence structure, parts of speech, and conventions
- Reference skills: Location, selection, organization of information
- Numbers and operations, including mastery of multiplication and division facts, regrouping
- Fractions and decimals
- Measurement: Time, money, length, weight, temperature, capacity, area, perimeter, metrics
- Graphs and data interpretation
- Geometry: Plane and solid figures, angles, congruence, symmetry
- Estimation: Rounding, estimation of products, quotients, sums, differences
- Probability: Terms, outcomes, prediction, experiments
- Algebraic reasoning: Analysis and extension of patterns; equality; unknowns; commutative property of addition and multiplication
- Problem-solving strategies
- Life science: Life processes, plant functions, structure and function of organs, body systems, the study of ecosystems and the results of changing conditions within the environment.
- Earth science: Rocks and minerals, renewable resources, understanding the Earth’s composition and the changes that occur to the features of Earth’s surface
- Physical science: Motion and sound, physical and chemical change, heat and changes in matter
- Civics: federal, state, and local government
- Economics: goods, property, pricing, ownership
- Government: local. state, and national
- Communities: change in communities over time, diversity in a community
- South Carolina History: historical events, landforms, famous people, traditions
- One class per week
- Story elements and appreciation of literature
- One time per week
- Elements of visual arts, principles of design, media techniques and processes, recognizing art in historical and cultural context
- Twice per week
- Exploration of rhythm, melody, harmony, pitch, music theory, music appreciation
- Instrumental instruction on the recorder; individual and ensemble recorder performance
- One class per week
- Intermediate functions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, computer programming
- Research: Location, selection, and evaluation of information
- Three classes per week
- Personal fitness, team games, positions, rules, weekly mile run, sportsmanship
Fourth Grade
Bible
- The Life and Impact of Jesus Christ
- Weekly Scripture Memory
- Integration of biblical worldview in all subjects
- Listening and speaking: Recall, summarize, inform, persuade, entertain, question
- Spelling and vocabulary: Phonetic strategies, syllabication, Latin root words and prefixes
- Reading fluency and comprehension strategies in guided and silent reading
- Literature appreciation: literary devices including story structure and figurative language
- Writing: multi-paragraph selections including reflections, narratives, poems, letters, essays, expository writing, imaginative stories; focus on organization and style
- Grammar, including sentence structure, parts of speech, conventions
- Reference skills including introduction to the research process
- Numbers and operations including mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division facts, long division, operations with whole and decimal numbers
- Fractions and decimal numbers, including addition and subtraction
- Measurement: Time, money, schedules, customary and metric measurement of length, weight, temperature, capacity, volume, area, and perimeter
- Geometry: Properties of plane and solid figures, congruence, symmetry, lines, points, rays, measurement of circles, terminology for angles
- Graphs and statistics: Construction and interpretation of charts, tables, graphs; use of ordered pairs on a first quadrant graph, mean, median, mode, and range
- Probability: Terms and outcomes, experimentation, prediction
- Ratio, proportion, percent
- Estimation: Estimation of products, quotients, sums, differences by rounding
- Algebraic reasoning: commutative, associative, distributive, property identification, concept of equality, unknowns, order of operations
- Problem-solving: Multi-step problems, strategies
- Lab classes twice per week
- Life science: Characteristics of organisms, ecosystems, photosynthesis, respiration, pollination, fertilization, life cycles, structure and function of organs, dissection lab
- Earth science: Structure of the earth, rocks, sources and uses of freshwater, climate zones, weather maps and charts, seasons related to position of earth, moon phases, scientific study of space
- Physical science: Metric measurement - length, area, volume, mass, weight, density; light and sound, including spectrum, movement, reflection and refraction, light technology, sound waves, pitch, volume, intensity, amplification, transmission, static electricity - sources, transmission, magnesium, safety
- Economics: Supply and demand, resources
- Geography: States and capitals, map skills
- American history: Exploration, colonization, major US historical events up to Civil War; introduction to WWI to WWII
- One class per week
- Story elements and appreciation of literature
- Once per week
- Elements of visual arts, principles of design, media techniques and processes, recognizing art in historical and cultural context
- Twice per week
- Exploration of rhythm, melody, harmony, pitch, music theory, music appreciation
- Once per week
- Students learn the basics of instrumentation and musical scales with the opportunity to play as an ensemble in the Christmas and spring concerts
- One class per week
- Advanced functions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Research: Location, selection, evaluation of information
- Two times per week
- Personal fitness
- Competitive and non-competitive team games
- Positions and rules of sports
- Weekly mile run, technique, and form for track and field events
- Sportsmanship
Fifth Grade
Bible
- Old Testament stories beginning in Genesis
- Weekly Scripture memory
- Service Projects with Deep Well and Bluffton Self-Help
- Integration of Biblical worldview in all subjects
- Spelling and vocabulary: phonetic strategies, syllabication, Greek and Latin roots and prefixes, inferring word meaning through root definitions and context clues
- Reading: fluency and comprehension strategies via guided and independent reading, with analysis using textual evidence and shared discussion
- Literature appreciation: read across genres and study literary devices, including plot structure, story elements, and figurative language analysis
- Writing: development of three to five-paragraph selections, including imaginative stories, narratives, poems, letters, essays, reflections, expository and persuasive pieces, and research reports; focus on writing process, organization, and style
- Grammar: structured sentence classification process to teach and reinforce parts of speech, sentence structure, conventions, and precise language usage
- Reference skills, including the research process
- Listening and speaking: recall, summarize, inform, persuade, entertain, question, and deliver prepared reports, recitations, and presentations
- Numbers and operations: Operations with whole and decimal numbers, mastery of all math facts, long division, multiples, factors, fractions and decimals in all operations
- Measurement: Time, money, schedules, customary and metric measurement of length, weight, temperature, capacity, volume, area, perimeter, metric conversion, formulas
- Geometry: Area, perimeter/circumference of plane figures; lines and angles; geometric terms
- Graphs and statistics: Read, interpret, and create graphs, charts and schedules; mean, median, mode, range
- Probability: Terms and outcomes, experimentation and prediction
- Ratio, proportion, and percent: Ration and equivalent ratios; ratio as percent and decimal; use of percent in problem-solving
- Estimation: Estimation of products, quotients, sums, differences by rounding
- Algebraic reasoning: commutative, associative, distributive, identity, multiplicative properties, concept of equality, unknowns, order of operations, formulas with variables, negative integers
- Problem-solving: Multi-step problems, strategies, use of calculators
- Life science: Biotic and abiotic systems, populations and survival, life cycles, classification and life processes of plants, identification of vertebrates and invertebrates, animal kingdoms, adaptations, hybridization, cross-breeding, ocean ecosystems, health, respiratory and circulatory systems, dissection
- Earth science: oceanography, sources of energy, atmosphere, and weather, meteorology, measurement, and data
- Physical science: Energy, motion, gravity, matter, acids and bases, physical measurement, physical and chemical change
- Use project-based and problem-based learning for students to understand and appreciate the foundations of America, including the documents, people, and events that have made the United States what it is today.
- Civics: Branches of federal government, powers of the citizens
- Economics: Free enterprise system, economic interdependence (production, consumption, exchange, investment, specialization)
- Geography: Geography of the western hemisphere, US regions, map skills
- American History: From European exploration to the present
- One class per week
- Story elements and appreciation of literature
- One class per week
- Elements of visual arts
- Principles of design
- Media techniques and processes
- Identifying art in historical and cultural context
- Recognizing the impact of visual arts on culture and environment
- Twice per week
- Exploration of rhythm, melody, harmony, pitch, music theory, music appreciation
- Once per week
- Students in the fifth-grade ensemble will continue to learn the fundamentals of playing an instrument through scale work, etudes, and soloist methods. The ensemble will perform in school concerts.
- One class per week
- Advanced functions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, creation of basic video games
- Research: location, selection, and evaluation of information
- Three classes per week
- Personal fitness
- Competitive and non-competitive team games
- Positions, rules, skill development
- Weekly mile run
- Technique and form for track and field events
- Sportsmanship
INTELLECTUALLY GIFTED PROGRAM (IGP)
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HHCA's Intellectually Gifted Program (IGP) provides an enhanced experience for students who demonstrate advanced academic ability. Differentiation, inter-disciplinary enrichment, and emphasis on critical thinking create a solid framework for accelerated instruction.
In addition to regular classroom requirements, IGP students are expected to complete independent and group study projects, increasing their depth of learning. The IG program is open to qualified 2nd-5th grade students.
IGP students are identified, assessed and selected based on their anticipated ability to function and thrive within an accelerated academic environment.
A multifaceted selection process is utilized, based on the following components:
- Objective, third-party assessment of intellectual ability
- Cognitive capability as demonstrated from Cogat/ITBS and MAP scores
- Academic achievement
- Teacher recommendation and rating
- Parent observations and feedback
Program Highlights
- Integration and expansion of primary subject areas
- Attention to higher-level thinking skills, problem-solving and logic
- Emphasis on research and facts-based communication
- Promotion of life skills, leadership, and self-awareness
- Concentration on the value of creativity
- Development of life-long learning
HHCA's IG Program is directed by Laura Smith. Mrs. Smith holds a BA in Elementary Education from Clemson University and a Master’s of Education in Divergent Learning from Columbia College. She has 12 years of teaching experience in South Carolina, California and Florida. She has been leading HHCA's Intellectually Gifted Program for the last six years.
Mrs. Laura Smith, IG Mentor
lsmith@hhca.org
ACADEMIC LEARNING SUITES
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Our lower school earning suites allow for flexible instruction and opportunities for collaboration and communication between mentors and students. In addition to benefitting from the flexibility of learning suites, students also benefit from one-on-one and small-group experiences that allow mentors to better serve a student's academic, spiritual, and emotional needs.
MAKER MEDIA
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Authentic learning opportunities abound in HHCA's maker space, and collaboration, creativity, and communication among students are the natural result.
The maker space is one of the most exciting areas in the lower school from day to day, and while it serves as a gathering place for students to design, create, read, collaborate, and problem-solve, it is not uncommon for inquiry, investigation, and exploration to take students outside the space to solve real-world challenges.
In addition to being a space for hands-on projects, the lower school maker space is also the place where students are encouraged to read for fun and often where they discover the pleasure of a good book. In the maker space, students learn to check out books and search for them by author, subject and title. They regularly enjoy read-aloud opportunities with their class to discuss complex story designs such as plot, character, and theme.
The 2019-2020 fifth-grade class's garden project required time in the garden as well as the makers pace. They gathered inside the space to design and build wind chimes to deter unwanted garden visitors and to devise plans to repair holes in the garden fence with materials they have on hand. Outside, they learned to prepare beds for planting, and to measure and record the growth and yield of their crops.
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HHCA Lower School Mentors:
