*post last updated 02/22

Have you assumed that Gentle + Classical curriculum is only for families with preschoolers or Kindergarteners?
After loving Primer, have you thought, “What’s next for my first grader since Gentle + Classical doesn’t have a first grade program?”
You’re considering homeschool, but you’re overwhelmed by all the selections and just need help!

If you have thought or assumed any of those things, you are not alone! That second question is one of our TOP questions, and we are here to answer that and so much more!

We want you to thoroughly understand EXACTLY what we offer for all students- preschool through 6th grade - so that you can make an informed plan for your children! And if you already love G+C, we don’t want you to feel like you must go find something else once you’re done with Primer!

If you prefer to listen to watch a discussion about curriculum, you’ll probably find this video chat really, really helpful! It’s lengthy but thorough, and take note of the time stamps posted below it. If you prefer to read, keep scrolling.

Video Time Stamp Info

0-1:15 Intro
1:15-3:00 What you need to know up front. What G+C is even about.
3:00 Preschool vs Primer (It’s not about abc’s and 123s; *Don’t choose between these programs based on reading or math abilities because we do not design our programs around those skills.)
4:45 More about when to choose Primer
Here’s our Facebook Group I mention.
8:00 Referencing comparison chart (below)
8:55 Quick summary of when to do Preschool vs Primer
10:26 First-4th Grade Info (Morning Virtues* I say 4th in the video but Morning Virtues goes beyond 4th grade.)
16:15 Science (Gentle + Classical Nature; 1st-4th)
21:30 On Mission (Geography, Missions, Culture; 1st-6th)
25:00 1st-6th Recap
26:00 History: In Grace & Truth (1st-6th; releases Summer 2022)
38:00 Final Recap including a note on memory statements (Memory Statement blog post)
40:00 Customization for 1st-6th grades
42:00 FREE Curriculum Advisor (email curriculumhelp@lifeabundantlyblog.com)
44:00 Release Plan for History: In Grace & Truth (Will link a landing page of info once available)

So let’s break this down, grade by grade. (You’ll also find that you can “shop by age” from the Gentle + Classical Home Page now!).

Here is the quick version, but if you keep going, you’ll see a thorough explanation of each program along with which “subjects” it covers:

***Please note that history: in grace & Truth, on mission, and Morning virtues all go through the 6th grade! I ran out of space ;)

(PPPSTTT: There’s a chart down below too, if you want a side-by-side comparison of programs by subject.

Preschool (Ages 2-4 Years)

Beauty, Literature, Phonics, Math, & Bible:

The Gentle + Classical Preschool is our hallmark program for children 2-4 years. It’s genuinely a preschool experience and covers the following subjects (which you can treat as a buffet if it feels like too much):

Science (anatomy)
Math introduction
Phonics introduction
Literature
Nursery Rhymes
Poetry
Catechism & Scripture Memory
Character Development
Manners & Hygiene
Motor Skills
Artist + Composer Study

It also includes guided handicrafts and activities, additional book lists, and hands-on ideas for each subject area. Best yet, you can download the ENTIRE TEACHER’S GUIDE 100% FOR FREE!

Kindergarten or First Grade (Ages 5-7 Years)

Beauty, Literature, & Bible:

Gentle + Classical Primer is a robust Kindergarten OR first grade program (for those who didn’t do it for Kinder), and it is guided by Charlotte Mason’s Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of 6. In it, we cover the following subjects:

Literature (called Wonder Tales)
Nursery Rhymes
Poetry
Hymn
Basic Theology
Bible Readings
Catechism & Scripture Memory
Character Development
Manners, Hygiene, & Safety
Artist Study + Art Education
Composer Study + Music Education

Also included are: Math Memory Statements and Review (We recommend a complete, formal math program once your child is ready. Kindergarten Math with Confidence is our preferred program.)

Phonics Practice + Review (We recommend a complete, formal phonics program once your child is ready. All About Reading is our preferred program.)

Grab the Primer’s Teacher’s Guide 100% FREE HERE!

Science/Nature Study:

Gentle + Classical Nature is our science component for Primer (through 4th grade) and works with it beautifully. It also completes Charlotte Mason’s Formidable Attainments and takes both a broad and local nature study approach by focusing on specific natural resources local to YOU while introducing basic biology and zoology for animals or plants that may not be local to you. In Nature, we tackle the following topics over 18 units (for 36 weeks of study):

Nature Memory Statements at 3 Levels (This allows for repeat use, use with multiple children through 4th grade and provides the opportunity for expanding into more challenging content as ready.)
Nature-focused Poetry
Nature Lore Books
Fiction & Non-fiction Living Book Lists
French & Spanish Nature Terms
Exposure/Memorization of 6 Wildflowers, 6 Birds, & 6 Trees
Robust activity lists for field trips, explorations, and hands-on experiences
Multiple Volumes (Volume 1: Inland Waterways & Forests; Volume 2: Shorelines & Oceans - releasing summer 2022)
It ALSO has a 100% FREE Teacher’s Guide!

First-4th Grade (Ages 6-9 Years)

Beauty, Literature, & Bible:

Morning Virtues is our answer to “what’s next” after a Gentle + Classical Kinder year! Don’t let the 2-month format fool you - this engaging and beauty-filled publication includes all the treasures that you loved in Primer & Preschool plus more. The real value is that you can genuinely use Morning Virtues for children first grade through high school (we do!). As a matter of fact, the additional book menu offers pictures books that you can use to include your preschoolers as well! Here is what Morning Virtues includes:

28-Day Schedule (This means you have 7-8 weeks of beauty prepped and ready!)
Artist Study (including a custom-written biography)
Composer Study (same as above)
2 Primary Read-Alouds (These are typically literature and the other either historical fiction or biographical.)
Book Menu (This menu offers more reading that presents some of the same virtuous themes as our primary readings. It offers picture books for younger students and some chapter books for your older students.)
4 High-Quality Art Prints (We print these beautifully to stand up to a lot of love and attention. They include a detailed synopsis of each piece on the back).
YouTube Link for Composer Study
Handicrafts created by Rooted Childhood
Custom Meaningful Menu to include Bible Memory, Affirmation, Hymn, Poetry, Folk Song, and Catechism
Manners & Hygiene
Memory Statement Cards (These cards are for families who use Memory Statement Boards, as detailed in Primer, Preschool, and Nature, and want to memorize shorter portions of scripture than what’s included in the Meaningful Menu.)

In order to create a full year out of Morning Virtues, simply select the 4 virtues (8 months) that your family would like to focus on for the year. Once all Morning Virtues issues are complete, you’ll have 12 to choose from, which gives you THREE YEARS of content!

Let’s see how Primer, Preschool, and Morning Virtues compare:

Science/Nature:

Our resource, Gentle + Classical Nature which is detailed above, has been created for multiple ages, and with the help of our Level 2 Student Notebooks is perfect for students through 4th grade.

Geography, Christian Missions, & Culture:

On Mission is a quarterly magazine that engages children through upper elementary with a cultural feast for their minds and hearts. Through beautiful images, living books, engaging activities, simple handicrafts, hands-on projects, stimulating challenges, interesting stories, and wise discipleship, our children are introduced to countries and cultures in a gentle and classical way. Like Morning Virtues, this program is divided into individual issues (or units) so that you can select which you do and in what order. Each On Mission issue features:

Living Book List
Guidance on scheduling and planning
Challenges Missionaries Face
Co-Op Planning Schedules
Current Missions
Various activities and math challenges
Historical Missionary
6-8 Location-specific geographic terms
Creature Feature
History of the Featured Country
Traditional Music and Art
Feature on Exports or Agriculture
Foreign Language Terms
Daily Life features such as housing, schools, clothing, and games
Foods and Recipe
One additional “Special Feature” on the country
Handicraft

Current issues that are available and can be utilized in any order are: India, Ireland, Nigeria, Guatemala, China, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. In 2022, we will release: Vietnam, Australia, & Russia.

History:

The newest project at The Gentle + Classical Press is History: In Grace & Truth. This balance, Christ-centered history curriculum seeks to represent all people groups and their places in history without shying away from hard truths while avoiding a “cancel-culture” mentality. This curriculum is composed of 6 units each year, to be used in order, and is for children 1st-6th grade. Two leveled notebooks (lower grammar: 1st-3rd and upper grammar: 4th-6th) will help you get all of your students on the same historical page in a way that utilizes amazing resources and offers consistent hands-on learning. History will release Summer 2022, so keep an eye out for more details!

5th-6th Grade (Ages 10-12 Years)

These recommendations are easy enough, since they’re the same as 1st-4th, just skip Nature because we currently do not have a Level 3 student notebook for children over 4th grade! If you can’t imagine that your child can benefit from the same content as a first or second grader, we challenge you to try them out!

I hope that you found this thorough video, descriptions, and charts helpful in wrapping your mind around what Gentle + Classical has to offer. Don’t forget that Primer, Preschool, and Nature all offer FREE Teacher’s Guides! You can also find other freebies as samples to what you can expect from Gentle + Classical HERE.

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