The Old Testament in grade three, Norse mythology in grade four, and the ancient cultures of India, Egypt, Persia, Mesopotamia and Greece in grade five all provide the background for the study of history and are presented through excerpts from original texts. By experiencing these cultures through their legends and literature, the children gain flexibility and an appreciation for the diversity of humankind. By the close of eighth grade, the students have journeyed from ancient Greece and Rome through Medieval history, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Exploration, and up to the present. Letters and the alphabet are learned in the same way they originated in the course of human history. Humans first perceived, then pictured, and out of the pictures, they abstracted signs and symbols.
First graders hear stories, draw pictures, and discover the letter in the gesture of the picture.
This process is accompanied by much phonetic work in songs, poems and games that help to establish a joyful and living experience of language. Through the grades, texts taken from the rich Humanities curriculum provide additional material for reading practice. The Main Lesson subject can be, for example, algebra, Greek history, botany or acoustics. This approach allows for freshness and enthusiasm, concentrated in-depth experience, and gives the children time to assimilate that which has been learned. All children learn handiwork, knitting, crocheting, sewing, wood and metal work and book binding.