THE FOUR AREAS OF STUDY

Our Starter Curriculum offers courses in four areas of study.

CREATIVE WRITING -  A student is never too young to begin to understand the power of words.

A student who can speak is old enough to begin to effectively use language to express himself and shape his world. This is the actual task of our Starter Creative Writing Courses. The student does NOT work on syntax, sentence construction, or any technical elements of language or writing (including spelling). Instead, at this young age, he explores through carefully constructed exercises and lesson plans, the way words shape and effect our actions and understandings. These exercises are fun, and the "stories" or descriptions created by the student are dictated by the student, and written or typed by the teacher. (If your student is already able to write, they can certainly write down their exercises for themselves.)

To find out more about our Starter Creative Writing Program, please use the link on this page, or the menu bar that runs across the top of this page and go to Starter.  Pull down that menu and you'll find Creative Writing.  That will take you to a page with a video that explains in more detail this program, as well as providing descriptions and samples of each course that we offer for this program.

Each course at this level consists of a semester worth of lesson plans at three per week, for about 18-19 weeks. Semester I, as an example, has 57 lesson plans, which are intended to be done one per day, three times per week.

LIVING YOUR LIFE - This is a series of courses which help the student really understand and work with ideas which will keep him or her safe and well. As an example, in the first semester, the student learns about how not to get lost, what to do if he does become lost, how to be safe in and around cars, how to use objects found in and around a classroom or study area safely, and similar skills. These courses are fun for the student and tutor, and are indispensable in helping orient the student, and placing him at cause over life. There are several courses per semester, each one targeting specific areas of concern. These should be done twice weekly.

To find out more about our Starter Living Your Life (LYL) Program, please use the link on this page, or the menu bar that runs across the top of this page and go to Starter.  Pull down that menu and you'll find Living Your Life.  That will take you to a page with a video that explains in more detail this program, as well as providing descriptions and samples of each course that we offer for this program.

HISTORY - How does one teach history to a five year old? By making it fun, creative, and as tangible and real as possible. Our Starter History courses focus on the key accomplishments and ideas found in history. Each central idea is explained, and then explored through activities carefully crafted to be done, and to help provide the young student with a hands-on idea of what each culture created and added to the human experience. Focused on ideas and creations rather than dates and names, this is conceptual history for the young. The student learns what is important about our history and how it impacts our current world, particularly the student's own unique life. Each semester consists of several courses, to be done three times weekly. The first semester, as an example, uses four courses. These should be done in their established order, as they present history in the sequence in which it occurred.

To find out more about our Starter History Program, please use the link on this page, or the menu bar that runs across the top of this page and go to Starter.  Pull down that menu and you'll find History.  That will take you to a page with a video that explains in more detail this program, as well as providing descriptions and samples of each course that we offer for this program.

SCIENCE - Like history, science is presented in an experiential manner. The most basic of basic scientific ideas are presented and explored by the student. The methods used in Science and History are identical. Science should be done two times a week, and each semester will consist of multiple courses to be done in sequence. For example, the first semester consists of three courses, dealing with the ability to observe, to determine the difference between fact and opinion, and the nature of cause and effect. These are bottom-line understandings one must have to start to learn modern science. The exercises are fun and creative, and keep the student active.  Please note that all of Connect The Thoughts science courses are secular in nature, but they do not "attack" religion or religious beliefs.  They do not reference religion as these are straight science courses.

To find out more about our Starter Science Program, please use the link on this page, or the menu bar that runs across the top of this page and go to Starter.  Pull down that menu and you'll find Science.  That will take you to a page with a video that explains in more detail this program, as well as providing descriptions and samples of each course that we offer for this program.