Academics

Our curriculum is chosen carefully for what works in a classroom setting as well as what can produce strong, effective students. Curriculum for HATS is chosen by Mrs. Dantzler from her extensive years of homeschooling her own children and by what works in the classroom environment. HATS is taught from an overall biblical worldview.

  • Science and History—are broken into two levels, lower elementary (1st-3rd-grade) and upper (4th-6th grade).

  • Writing—is taught to 4th-6th grades only.

  • Phonics—solid instruction in Phonics is taught 1st-2nd grade, using 3rd if needed to complete instruction. Starting in 3rd grade, children will either finish Phonics instruction or transition to Spelling and Grammar.

  • Cursive—begins in 1st grade and is expected of all students. Any older student who has not yet mastered cursive will be taught it in class.

  • Spelling, grammar, and mathematics—Depending upon the child’s proficiency in reading, Spelling and Grammar will start in 3rd or 4th grade. These three subjects (spelling, grammar, and mathematics) are at each child’s proficient level, regardless of age or grade. This means that if a child comes to HATS struggling in math but excelling in spelling, then he will begin spelling at his proficient level but could start math half year or more below grade year. It also correlates that as the child increases in knowledge and shows success, he can pace through these subjects at his own speed as long as mastery is demonstrated. This is the power of our model of education; we simply meet the child where he is with his specific strengths and weaknesses and gently move him forward at his pace.

This organization of group and individual learning benefits each student specifically—each one is encouraged to offer input into the group and be challenged to think differently by others but still is able to work at his or her own pace through specific subjects.

“Every child is gifted,
they just unwrap their packages at different times.”
— Unknown

Curriculum:

  • HISTORY—from Veritas Press, based on their five year journey through history.

    • Old Testament and Ancient Egypt

    • New Testament and Greece and Rome

    • Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation

    • Explorers to 1815

    • 1815 to Present

  • LANGUAGE ARTS—half of the LA curriculum (spelling and writing) comes from Institute for Excellence in Writing. Grammar is Easy Grammar. Phonics uses the I Can Read It series developed by Sonlight Curriculum and the Explode the Code workbooks.

  • MATHEMATICS—Singapore Math is the chosen elementary level math.

  • SCIENCE—Apologia’s Young Explorers Series:

    • Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day

    • Flying Creatures of the 5th Day

    • Land Animals of the 6th Day

    • Human Anatomy and Physiology

    • Chemistry and Physics

    • Botany