LOWER SCHOOL

At FBA, Bridge Kindergarten is offered as an optional “gift of time” after PreK 4 and before entering Kindergarten. The Bridge Kindergarten student/teacher ratio is much smaller than the Kindergarten ratio. The smaller class size enables Bridge Kindergarten students to receive specific individualized instruction and support from the teacher.

The Bridge Kindergarten curriculum is not a repeat of PreK 4 curriculum, nor is it the same as the Kindergarten curriculum. The Zaner Bloser Super Kids curriculum meets and challenges students where they are as they learn phonics and other reading readiness skills. Students also enjoy exploring math and science concepts with the Bob Jones Math curriculum and STEMScopes curriculum, respectively.

Bridge Kindergarten students continue using the Handwriting without Tears curriculum, building on fine motor and handwriting skills they have learned since PreK 3. The Biblical Choices curriculum encourages students to find ways to integrate Biblical truths in their everyday lives. Our dedicated teachers also integrate these truths into daily lessons and conversations.

Through balanced literacy components such as read-alouds, shared reading, guided reading groups, and writer’s workshop the Kindergarten Into Reading curriculum, establishes a strong foundation in early reading skills for our youngest learners. This curriculum also incorporates a balance of high frequency word recognition and explicit phonics instruction.

Problem solving skills and the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning progression are at the heart of Math in Focus, a Singapore Math based curriculum. Students learn about the importance of observing and exploring the world around them with their five senses through the STEM-Scopes science curriculum. They also use high interest, engaging thematic units to study additional science and social studies concepts.

Kindergarten students continue using the Handwriting without Tears curriculum, building on fine motor and handwriting skills they have learned since PreK 3. The Biblical Choices curriculum encourages students to find ways to integrate Biblical truths in their everyday lives. Our dedicated teachers also integrate these truths into daily lessons and conversations.

First Grade gives students an academic experience steeped exploring, creating, and learning more about the world around them. First grade students expand upon their foundational reading and writing skills through the Into Reading curriculum, which includes a balanced literacy approach to learning to read, as well as explicit phonics instruction.

Problem solving skills and the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning progression are at the heart of Math in Focus, a Singapore Math based curriculum, and students are encouraged to master their addition math facts by the end of first grade. The STEMScopes science curriculum builds on concepts taught in Kindergarten to encourage first grade students to explore the why and how of the scientific concepts they are learning about.

First Grade students continue using the Handwriting without Tears curriculum, building on print handwriting skills they have learned since PreK 3. The Biblical Choices curriculum encourages students to find ways to integrate Biblical truths in their everyday lives. Our dedicated teachers also integrate these truths into daily lessons and conversations.

Second Grade classrooms offer authentic learning through exploration and collaboration throughout the day. The Into Reading curriculum continues to help students develop a strong foundation in reading and writing, but also starts to introduce students to the concept of reading to learn through developing deeper comprehension skills.

Problem solving skills and the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning progression continue to be at the heart of Math in Focus, a Singapore Math based curriculum, and students are encouraged to work towards mastery of subtraction facts by the end of second grade. The STEMScopes curriculum encourage students to experience hands-on science and exploration.

Second Grade students continue using the Handwriting without Tears curriculum, building on the print handwriting skills they have learned since PreK 3 and beginning to learn cursive. The Biblical Choices curriculum encourages students to find ways to integrate Biblical truths in their everyday lives. Our dedicated teachers also integrate these truths into daily lessons and conversations.

Third Grade curriculum is characterized by inquiry-based investigative learning. Problem solving skills are developed in Science study and with Math In Focus, an authentic Singapore Math program. 3rd Grade students have fully transitioned from learning to reading to learn, but emphasis is still placed on language arts instruction. Through on-campus activities and off-campus field trips, students are given opportunity to discover how their knowledge has real-world application. Biblical truth is integrated into daily lessons.

Fourth Grade leads FBA's Lower School and student academics and activities reflect the challenge needed for successful transition into Middle School. Classrooms and teachers are warm and supportive, but students are assuming more ownership of their academic progress. Novel Studies and Vocabulary development are important elements of Language Arts study. Experiments in the STEMscopes science curriculum enhance learning. Math In Focus develops students' ability to problem solve and to monitor their own thinking. Biblical truth is enthusiastically shared and consistently integrated into instruction.