Lower School Curriculum
Prekindergarten
This half day program will provide a stimulating classroom environment that allows a child to reach his/her potential in the areas of cognitive, social-emotional, spiritual, and physical development. This program will provide an enriched curriculum that will be taught by a certified-degreed professional that will continually work to revise and provide age appropriate instruction and materials. More details
Kindergarten
The aim of the Kindergarten program is to instill a love of learning. The program consists of language and reading development activities, number recognition, an introduction to basic math concepts and operations, Bible, social studies and science. Students attend daily P.E. class, weekly library and computer lab classes; and are introduced to the fine arts and other languages through weekly classes in art, music and Spanish.
Grades 1-5
Curriculum in first through fifth grades includes daily language arts, Bible, mathematics, science and social stuedies classes. In addition to the core curriculum, weekly classes in art, Spanish, music, P.E., library and computer are offered.
Bible
Along with the intellectual and physical development we foster at FBA, it is important to equip children spiritually with the Word of God and His promises for their lives. We want to help start their day off right. Students begin each morning with devotion, prayer and pledges to the American and Christian flags. Chapel is held weekly. Bible is taught daily using a planned program that is coordinated throughout the lower school school to study various scriptures and lives from the Old and New Testaments. Developing age-appropriate emotional maturity is critical as well. Through our Bible classes, we teach character traits such as honesty, fairness, self-control and obedience.
Mathematics
The mathematics program begins with number readiness activities and continues with multiplication, long division, fractions, decimals and simple algebra and geometry in the upper grades of lower school. Computational skills are developed conceptually through using manipulatives, mental math games and word problems. A strong emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills and computation throughout the curriculum.
Language Arts
The language arts program includes reading, creative writing, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. The reading program combines a phonetic approach with reading for comprehension, focusing on the development of word recognition and comprehension skills, such as inference, categorizing, sequencing and drawing conclusions.
Social Studies
In Social Studies, children learn geography, history, sociology, economics and anthropology. Younger classes concentrate on the concepts of family, neighborhood, community helpers and simple map skills. Third grade students study the broader community of our nation and countries around the world. Fourth and fifth grade programs focus on the study of American history, Texas history, map skills and geography.
Science
In Science, students learn that God is the author of order and the Creator of all things. The Christian perspective of true science allows a natural integration with Biblical teaching. Units in physical and Earth science, life science and the study of the human body form the core of the science curriculum. A sense of curiosity, careful observation, accurate record keeping, making inference, and drawing conclusions become skills of the young scientist.
Physical Education
The P.E. curriculum has been organized to help each child build a solid foundation of motor skill and physical fitness. P.E. activities are chosen to promote gross motor skills, coordination, team spirit and good sportsmanship.
Computers
The goals of the computer program are to develop students in computer literacy, to enable them to perform various computer operations and to enhance the classroom curriculum. Students in first through fifth grades attend lab twice a week -once for language arts and once for math. Kindergarten students attend computer once a week to reinforce phonics instruction and math number sense and facts.
Spanish
The Spanish program is designed as a cultural enrichment program. Through singing, coloring, repetition and games, lower school students learn many fundamental basics of the Spanish language and culture. As students advance, the goal is to cultivate and maintain an optimistic attitude toward learning a foreign language through various oral and written activities. The Spanish curriculum incorporates components which revisit the vocabulary in different forms to help students apply and retain what is learned.
Fine Arts
Children receive instruction in art and music. The goal of the Fine Arts Program is to foster a love and appreciation of the arts. The curriculum includes appreciation and technique, as well as basic elements of theory.
