Because we believe the arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric are communicated through ordered and beautiful language, the School of Wonder begins formal training in English grammar and composition, develops tastes for poetic language through poetry appreciation, and solidifies mastery of multiplication facts for 4th-6th grade student through the Understanding Fundamentals afternoon program.
We include parents because they are the teachers who will continue the instruction throughout the week at home. In all components, the Understanding Fundamentals class provides an introduction to the material for both students and parents to further explore at home.
We linger with four poets a year to develop a taste for beautiful language and the poetic arts. Students observe, narrate, and recite poetry to develop a familiarity and love for it. Technical analysis and formal training in poetry is explored in the School of Wisdom.
We synthesize the English grammar memory work and begin to investigate ideas with the art of logic through formal training in English grammar with sentence analysis and diagramming. Students learn to ask questions about an idea in order to understand how all of its parts work together to communicate something. Including application of the English grammar memory work from The School of Wonder morning program, students first identify a simple idea expressed through a sentence. They then learn how the idea grows with modifying words, phrases, and clauses. Students are trained to identify subjects (who or what is being discussed) and predicates (what is being said about the subject). Understanding a complete subject and predicate is a strong foundation to grow critical thinking skills to help them navigate ideas in the following years. The Fundamentals grammar program is taught interactively and is repeated each year in order to facilitate deeper understanding and mastery of the skills taught.
We begin formal training in composition using the Institute for Excellence in Writing History-Based Writing curriculum. The History-Based lessons continue the student’s exploration of history from the School of Wonder memory work program. Students learn to write basic reports, narrative and creative papers, and essays. Mentors employ recitation, narration, and interactive practice of the skills that are taught through the IEW curriculum.
We value the shared order of both word based and number based languages and pursue mastery of the multiplication facts through five-minute drills and fun games. Mental math encourages students to listen carefully, determine the subject and predicate of a number based sentence, and gives students the opportunity to show the truth in math.
In all components, we seek to equip parents and students to understand the fundamentals of linguistic and mathematical ideas that they may find success as they continue pursuits of truth, goodness, and beauty in the School of Wisdom.