Academics

Sundial Classical Microschool offers academically rigorous instruction in core subjects (English, Literature, Math, Science, History, and Geography) as well as skills and content that are integral to a rich liberal arts education (Art Study, Music Appreciation, Poetry Memorization, Penmanship, Rhetoric, Logic, and Latin). The Fine Arts (i.e. painting, dance, handicrafts) are incorporated throughout the curriculum via meaningful projects designed to enrich the student’s understanding of core content taught in Math, Science, or History classes. The Common Arts (i.e. carpentry, agriculture, textiles) are primarily taught during the Friday program.

While our academic program is only four days a week - Monday through Thursday - our students master as much content as students in modern school settings who attend five days a week. We accomplish this by guiding students to hone their habits of attention so that they use every instructional minute wisely. We create a hushed, focused environment and maintain high expectations for deep mastery of content the first time it is presented. This leads to a more efficient learning cycle because we do not lose time endlessly reviewing previously taught material.

Students are also more successful, and progress more quickly, in our model specifically because we create ability-based (not age-based) instructional groups. Students are placed at just the right level so that they are challenged but not overwhelmed. Instructors assess informally on a daily basis so that the material moves with the child instead of the child having to conform to the pace of the curriculum. This means that when a child has a growth spurt and makes an intellectual leap we can move him or her forward to keep them at their challenge level. Whereas students in large, age-based classes often spend some days bored and waiting on classmates, our students are free to move as rapidly as they’re able and willing to.

Standardized assessments show that students in their first year with us frequently make from 1.5 to 2.0 years worth of growth in one school year. After that our students consistently score at or above grade level on nationally normed assessments of reading and math.