EARLY FORMATION

From Kindergarten through Grade 2, students take a journey through ancient, medieval, and modern history, discovering how people, events, and ideas have shaped our world over time. Beginning with ancient civilizations, students learn about influential figures like Moses, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar, while exploring early cultures, beliefs, and inventions. In Grade 1, they move into the Medieval Age, meeting leaders and heroes such as Charlemagne and Joan of Arc, and learning about important events like the Magna Carta and the Battle of Hastings. By Grade 2, students explore the Modern Age, encountering figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther, and Napoleon Bonaparte, and studying major events such as the French Revolution and World War I. Throughout these early grades, students build foundational skills by exploring stories, maps, and timelines, helping them understand how geography, culture, and human choices connect the past to the present.

Students will listen and view attentively and critically, as well as speak purposefully and articulately in situations that serve different purposes and involve a variety of audiences. They will learn and effectively apply a variety of reading strategies for comprehending, interpreting, and evaluating a wide range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, classic, and contemporary works. Students use mechanical and grammatical conventions in written compositions and will demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of composition and the writing process.

We use Saxon Math to meet our curriculum standards. Our students are 1 year ahead in the curriculum. Students use mathematical knowledge and a variety of mathematical inquiry and reasoning skills to solve problems using various strategies and forms of mathematical communication. They will demonstrate a sense of numbers and apply an understanding of number systems and operations when counting, computing, estimating, and problem solving. The students understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of measurement to compare, convert, and solve problems involving linear measurement, weight, volume, temperature, time and money. They will understand and apply basic and advanced geometric concepts and methods to analyze, interpret, represent and solve problems involving points, lines, planes and space. The students will understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of algebra to explore, describe, and model patterns, relationships and functions involving numbers, shapes, data and graphs, as well as, understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of data collection and analysis, probability and statistics.

Religion is of central importance in the curriculum at Ave Maria Academy. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ animate all aspects of academic study, forming students in a deep and personal relationship with Him in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church. Students are encouraged in an intimate prayer life, a firm understanding of the moral order, and the cultivation of a well-formed conscience, supported by the primacy of the sacraments, including weekly Mass and confession. In Kindergarten through Grade 2, students build a strong foundation in the faith through the Word of Life curriculum, which introduces key truths of the Catholic faith in an age-appropriate and engaging way, while reinforcing daily prayer, Scripture, and the basic tenets of Catholic doctrine.

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 build a strong foundation in science through the Nancy Larson Science curriculum, which emphasizes hands-on learning, careful observation, and clear scientific thinking. Through engaging lessons and guided experiments, students learn to observe, describe, classify, and ask questions about the world around them. They explore life science topics such as living and nonliving things, plants and animals, habitats, life cycles, and an introduction to the human body, health, and nutrition, while also studying earth science concepts including weather, seasons, and Earth’s natural materials. In physical science, students investigate basic ideas such as matter, motion, magnets, and simple forces through concrete, age-appropriate experiences, fostering curiosity and wonder while building the foundational knowledge and skills needed for deeper scientific study in later grades.

Students will develop an understanding of the world in spatial terms, the characteristics of places and regions, earth’s physical systems, human culture and social systems and the interactions between physical and human environments.

In fourth grade the students will understand North America in spatial terms using maps and other geographic tools.  They will understand the physical characteristics of places and regions and the interaction of man with the environment.

The Grade 3 and 4 history standards guide students from understanding ancient civilizations to exploring the medieval world by focusing on people, events, beliefs, and daily life. In Grade 3, students study ancient cultures such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome, learning about key figures, important events, myths, religious practices, systems of government, and major contributions to Western civilization, while also developing skills in chronology, geography, and map reading. In Grade 4, this foundation expands into the Medieval Age, where students examine how identity, religion, leadership, and historical events shaped medieval society, including the roles of kings, the Church, and cultural movements. Across both grades, students build chronological thinking, analyze cause and effect, understand how geography influences culture, and develop map skills, all while learning to see history from the perspective of the people who lived it.

Students will listen and view attentively and critically, as well as speak purposefully and articulately in situations that serve different purposes and involve a variety of audiences. They will learn and effectively apply a variety of reading strategies for comprehending, interpreting, and evaluating a wide range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, classic, and contemporary works. Students use mechanical and grammatical conventions in written compositions and will demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of composition and the writing process.

We use Saxon Math to meet our curriculum standards. Our students are 1 year ahead in the curriculum. Students use mathematical knowledge and a variety of mathematical inquiry and reasoning skills to solve problems using various strategies and forms of mathematical communication. They will demonstrate a sense of numbers and apply an understanding of number systems and operations when counting, computing, estimating, and problem solving. The students understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of measurement to compare, convert, and solve problems involving linear measurement, weight, volume, temperature, time and money. They will understand and apply basic and advanced geometric concepts and methods to analyze, interpret, represent and solve problems involving points, lines, planes and space. The students will understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of algebra to explore, describe, and model patterns, relationships and functions involving numbers, shapes, data and graphs, as well as, understand and apply basic and advanced concepts of data collection and analysis, probability and statistics.

The role of religion is central to the curriculum at Ave Maria Academy. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ animate every aspect of academic study, forming students in a deep and personal relationship with Him in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church. Students are encouraged in an intimate prayer life, a firm understanding of the moral order, and the cultivation of a well-formed conscience, supported by the primacy of the sacraments, including weekly Mass and regular confession, as well as the study of Divine Revelation, Sacred Tradition, and doctrine. In Grades 3 and 4, students follow the Word of Life religion curriculum, which provides a clear scope and sequence for catechesis: Grade 3 focuses on the Blessed Trinity, creation, salvation history, and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, while Grade 4 deepens understanding of the sacraments, the life of the Church, and the moral life, forming students to live as faithful disciples of Christ in the world today.

Students in Grades 3 and 4 build upon the foundational skills developed in earlier grades through a more structured study of science grounded in scientific inquiry, reasoning, and the interconnectedness of the natural world. In alignment with the Nancy Larson Science curriculum, students deepen their understanding of life science as they study living organisms and their interactions, including ecosystems and the relationships between plants, animals, and their environments, as well as the structure and function of the human body. In earth science, students explore Earth’s composition, its place in the universe, and key processes such as weather patterns and the water cycle. In physical science, they investigate the properties of matter, forms of energy, and the basics of forces and motion through hands-on, inquiry-based learning designed to strengthen scientific thinking and observation skills.