At New Heights School we use a balanced literacy approach to achieve state reading and language arts standards. This approach is a “balance” of phonics, word study, quality literature, leveled readers, and writing. Balanced literacy incorporates Interactive Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Independent Reading, and Writer’s Workshop. The teacher models reading and writing

strategies. Then students practice strategies in small groups and independently. Reading instruction considers research based strategies that help children think about how to read, such as what to do when you come to a word you don’t know. Comprehension strategies such as questioning and predicting help students think about what they are reading. We have over 9,000 leveled books in our school library from the Reading A-Z program. Teachers use these leveled readers for challenging students in guided reading with support from the teacher. Leveled books are also used for independent reading, providing students with books that they can read “independently” to develop fluency and comprehension skills. For read aloud, we carefully select quality literature that promotes the values we wish to encourage and foster in our students and is congruent with our Christian worldview.  Grammar is taught with an integrated approach using  meaningful reading and writing activities. Mini-lessons utilizing quality literature help students to incorporate correct grammar in their own writing. Research shows that grammar instruction in isolation has little effect on a student’s oral and written language.This is supplemented with Daily Oral Language activities and Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault.

Math

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Biblical integration is an emphasis throughout our studies at New Heights School. Our students learn that God created the world with precision and purpose. We use math to learn about the function of the world and gain insight into His character and glory as the Creator. We use national math standards suggested by the National Council on Mathematics to guide our scope and sequence. In kindergarten, we use a variety of resources and hand-on activities to make abstract mathematical concepts concrete. Math is taught in small groups. We have adopted Harcourt Houghton Mifflin’s HSP math for grades one through six. Teachers incorporate a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate individual learning styles.

Science

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As in math, Biblical integration is a key component of our science curriculum. Students are encouraged to explore, hypothesize, predict, experiment, and investigate. We use South Carolina’s state standards as a guide for our scope and sequence. A variety of resources are incorporated to enhance instruction and provide hands-on activities and experiments.

Social Studies

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Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade study the world around them from a Christian worldview. Students in 3rd grade study South Carolina History. Fourth graders begin with Native Americans and explorers and progress through US history to the Civil War. Fifth graders pick up with the Civil War and continue to present day. Sixth graders study ancient civilizations beginning with creation. We use a variety of resources to supplement our course of study, using the framework of state standards to guide our curriculum. Social Studies Weekly periodicals help to supplement first through sixth grade. Publishers such as Scott Foresman and Answers in Genesis are also used.

Enrichment Areas

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Throughout each week, students participate in art, music, Orchestra (grades 3-6), Spanish, computer lab, and physical education. Physical education classes include 9 weeks segments including: Aikido, soccer, the Presidential Fitness Program, and other developmental physical education skills. Our students also visit the church library.  We have a large selection of fiction and nonfiction books for students to check out and share at home.