THE FOUR AREAS OF STUDY OFFERED BY 1ST STEP

Our Elementary Curriculum offers courses in four areas of study.

CREATIVE WRITING - Students ages 7 and 8 are usually exploding with ideas. But this is an age during which, very often, the student encounters great resistance for his own perception and ideas, and even disapproval when he expresses them. Often, the resistance encountered is well-meaning, an attempt to educationally help "shape" the student. But such "help", no matter how well intended, is nearly always destructive of the student's own ability to perceive and create and express himself. These critical skills must be protected and enhanced in anyone, but particularly in a young student.

This is the actual task of your Elementary 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, ways and means of expressing himself and his own viewpoints in words. These exercises are fun. At this age, we expect the student to handwrite, or type his stories. (In Starter , they are generally dictated.)

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 understand and expand their control over the world around them. As an example, in the first semester, the student learns about how to handle money, how to use phones and the Internet safely, how to organize time to get good results, and similar skills. These courses are fun for the student, 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.

Some other areas covered include maintaining one's own health, dealing with others who are ill or injured, safety in and around cars, the development of study skills, planning and execution of plans, and other essential understandings and skills.

HISTORY - Our Elementary History courses focus on the key accomplishments and ideas found in history. Each central idea is explained in writing, giving the student some serious reading practice, 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. Important words are defined for the student as he studies. Focused on ideas and creations rather than dates and names, this remains conceptual history for the young, as is Starter. But the information offered at Elementary Level is more complex and detailed. The student learns what is important about our history, 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.

Each semester of Elementary History is focused on a specific idea.

Semester One is focused on important concepts in history, such as politics, finance, or technology.

Semester Two covers great and terrible leaders throughout history.

Semester Three deals with twelve of the most important civilizations in history.

Semester Four covers the history of the arts, and of great artists.

This design allows teachers and students to fill specific needs they feel are lacking in a student's curricula for the age group.  That said, the reading requirements increase for each sequential semester, so it is best if these semesters be delivered in their given order.

SCIENCE - Basic scientific ideas are presented and explored by the student. The methods used in Science and History courses to teach are identical. Science should be done two times a week, and each semester will consist of multiple courses to be done in sequence. In 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, and more. 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.

Later semesters cover specific areas of science such as Earth Sciences, Biology, and simple Physics and Astronomy.