Grammar Stage
Grades K-6 make up the grammar stage (see the Lost Tools of Learning Chart). The goal of the grammar stage is to give students raw material to work with. Primary students will be equipped with the tools they need and a foundation on which to build.
Douglas Wilson has described the grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages of learning like this:
The grammar stage is stacking up the grain in the barn, the logic stage is grinding flour, and the rhetoric stage is baking bread.
Primary students are generally excited about learning, interested in facts, and easily memorize things. As classical educators, we will take advantage of this natural disposition and use songs, chants, catechesis (questions and answers), drills, games, and presentations, among other things, in order to give the students what is necessary to become life-long learners.
Click here for an overview of our Primary (K-6) Curriculum.
Words To Live By
Built into each class and period will be “words to live by” which are proverbial sayings that are performed as a “sound-off.” The leader starts the sound-off by stating the words printed in bold letters. The students enthusiastically finish the proverb. Think of a military sergeant drilling his troops—let’s hear it!
New proverbs will be regularly introduced and all previous ones will be regularly rehearsed. Proverbs will be performed at least daily, but should be performed as often as they apply. For example, “Obey…Right away! All the way! With a good attitude every day!”
Click here to download our list of Words To Live By.
- Obey … Right Away! All the way! With a good attitude every day!
- Leave it … better than you found it.
- When you blow it … go and make it right.
- Be a truth teller … even when it hurts.
- Hand … shake! Firm and cheerful, eyes on eyes.
- If you fall down … smile and keep on playing.
- Pro … tagonist. (clap, clap, clap…thumbs up).
An … tagonist. Boo, oo, oo (thumbs down) - Finish … strong!
- Hustle … to help out! Dishes! Dishes! Dishes!
- Never … panic!
Always…pray! - Did you find something? … give it back (x3), clap, clap.
- Etiquette is … love in trifles.
- Love … (boys) your brother; (girls) and your sister too!
- How are you? … Better than I deserve.
- We give gifts … because He gave them first.
- What are you going to build … with that gift?
- Good, Better, Best…Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best
- Test your words…Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?
- I’m much too big for a fairy and much to small for a man…But this is true, whatever I do, I do the best I can
- I will respect…Those whom God has placed in authority over me, others, myself
- Not … unto us, O Lord;
Not … unto us;
But … unto Thy name give glory.
Psalm … 115:1 - God is opposed to the proud … but gives grace to the humble.
- Greater love has no one than this … that he lay down his life for his friends.
- Those who are faithful with little … will be faithful with much.
- He who hates correction … (whispered) is stupid.
- The bigger they are … the harder they fall.
- Wisdom … is more precious than rubies.
- Go to the ant you sluggard … consider its ways and be wise
- The ant works hard … without a coach
- For unto you is born this day … in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
- Who needs a savior? … Those who are lost.
- What are you? … I am a crown.
Whose crown are you? … I am my grandparent’s crown - He who spares his rod … hates his son;
but he who loves him … disciplines him diligently. - To whom much is given … much is required.
- Out of the abundance of the heart … the mouth speaketh
- Rebuke a wise man and … he will love you.
- If anyone will not work … neither let him eat.
- You will reap … what you sow.
- The Lord be with you … The Lord Bless you, Mr. Boaz! (Ruth 2:1-4)
- He that covereth his sins … shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them … shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13 - Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers … you did it to me.
- The generous soul … will be made rich – MAGNANIMOUS! Bigger than the moment. (Proverbs 11:25)
- Esther said … “If I perish, I perish.”
- And of His kingdom … there will be no end.
- Poly … theism: many gods. There is ONE TRUE GOD!
- Run in such a way … that you attain it.
- You’re in poor shape, are you ready to strike your colors? … I have not yet begun to fight! (John Paul Jones)
- Two things I know:
That … I am a great sinner,
And that … Christ is a great Savior (John Newton) - Don’t … Whine!
Don’t … Complain!
Don’t … Make Excuses, Sir! (John Wooden) - Attentive is…Listening with ears, eyes, and heart
- Faith is…Trusting God to do what He says
- Diligence is…Working hard all the way to the end
- Patience is…Waiting with a happy spirit
- Contentment is…Happy with what I have
- Obedience is…Responding to authority with a happy heart
- Wisdom is…Living skillfully in the fear of God
- Tenderhearted is…Feeling the joys and hurts of others
- Thankfulness is…Being grateful and saying so
- Honesty is…Commitment to truthful ways and words
- Joyfulness is…Being happy in God
- Loyalty is…Supporting someone even when the going gets tough
- Responsibility is…Doing what I have been entrusted to do
- Self-Control is…Doing the right thing even when I don’t feel like it
- Order is…Keeping everything in its place
- Discernment is…Able to see things as they really are
- Forgiveness is…Releasing someone’s sin never to bring it up again
- Being fair is…Being big hearted to all
- Love is…Putting others ahead of myself
- Generosity is…Sharing what I have without expecting something back
- Christ…is Lord
Christ…is all. - Give thanks always…for all things.
- Ladies…first.
- Dig…deep.
- Cover it…in love.
- First done…is not always the best done.
- After class…thank your teacher.
- Do all things…without complaining or disputing. (Philippians 2:14)
- And whatever you do…do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. (Colossians 3:23)
- In honor…give preference to one another. (Romans 12:10)
- Fear God…and keep His commandments. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
- Win with…honor and grace!
Lose with… honor and grace! - To be bored in this world…is to be boring in this world!
- Bored people are…blind and ungrateful.
- Studying is… Devoting time and attention to learn and remember.
- How do we study? Review, review, review!Next? Write, write, write!Then? Repeat, repeat, repeat!How do we know we’ve studied enough? We remember, remember remember!Do you remember? Quiz me and see!
- What is the Bible? 66 infallible books breathed by God. Written by whom? Written by faithful men. And for what?For doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
- What is the whole story of the Bible about? …How God sent His son to kill the dragon and get the girl.
- Why do the saints gather to worship as the church on the Lord’s Day? …Because it is the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead, and the beginning of a new creation.
- Keep the standard…Love the standard!
- Rejoice…in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
- Keep…your tongue from evil…and your lips…from speaking deceit…Turn…away from evil and do good; seek …peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:13-14
- If we confess our sins…He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8b-9
- Whoever is slow to anger…is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit…than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32
- Students…gratitude, sacrifice, excellence; thankfully giving my best.
- I will stay in prison…till the moss grows on my eyelids rather than disobey God. John Bunyan
- Charm…is deceitful…and beauty…is vain, but a woman…who fears the Lord is to be praised.
- He who exalts himself…will be humbled, and he who humbles himself…will be exalted. Luke 14:11
- Courage is…strength in the face of danger or difficulty.
- What God loves…I love, What God hates…I hate.
- Mistakes?…laugh at your own, not your neighbor’s.