Private Elementary School in Knoxville

Grades 1-5

Lower School

Establishing a foundation for lifelong learning

The Lower School provides a sturdy academic grounding in reading, language arts, and mathematics as well as a solid foundation in history and science, all taught from the perspective of a biblical worldview.

Art, music, physical education, athletics, and more are also a part of the curricular process, during and after regular school hours. Various classroom activities, weekly chapels, and other in- and out-of-school events provide our students with opportunities for creativity, service, and leadership development.

Students in grades 1 through 5 must be fully engaged to reach their full potential whether it be academically, socially, or emotionally. This is a critical time when they form deep friendships, learn to support each other, and work in cooperation with others. Yet our teachers work hard at providing differentiated instruction because children are unique individuals.

Lower school academic program

Bible - Emphasizes the attributes of God, the concept of the Trinity, the Bible as the only sure guide, and the good news of the Gospel. Days of creation, dinosaurs, the age of the earth and the seven C’s of history are discussed. Reading from Genesis will include effects of the fall of man, the flood, the ark and Noah, the Tower of Babel and the promises God made to Job, Abraham and Isaac.

Health - Teaches the importance of healthy habits and to give God glory for the way He designed them. Nutrition, exercise, proper rest, good posture, safety habits, and good manners at home, church, and school are emphasized.

History/Geography - Introduces how our nation was founded and identifies our basic freedoms. Students "meet" famous American patriots and "take a trip" across America. Responsibilities of good citizenship are emphasized and reading skills are developed.

Math - Emphasizing math as a problem solving endeavor. Problem solving skills will be learned through a variety of methods including manipulatives, as well as hands-on and group activities. Reasoning and computational mastery will be stressed along with critical thinking skills. Use of real life concepts will make math learning meaningful.

Language - Introduces beginning language concepts in phonics, language, and spelling. Creative writing and silent reading comprehension activities are emphasized. Students will be learn to write in complete sentences, use proper capitalization rules, place a period at the end of a sentence, and alphabetize words.

Phonics - Emphasizes learning to read using by phonetically learning vowel and consonant sounds, blends, one- and two- vowel words, unusual letter combination sounds, and sentence comprehension as well as the six easy steps to reading. Early introduction of vowels provides for faster access to whole words.

Reading - Begins with reading simple one-vowel word stories and progresses through nine colorful readers that coordinate reading material with phonetic concepts as they are introduced. Material includes interesting character-building stories, poems, fables, and plays that reinforce phonics, word-study skills, and reading comprehension.

Science - Explores God as the Master Designer of the world around us. The studies of plants, animals, insects, energy, health, the seasons, and the five senses provide an excellent introduction to the study of science.

Spelling - Emphasizes an integrated approach to language arts. Weekly spelling lists are arranged phonetically so students can identify the sounds they hear with the patterns they see. Students see the words in context, practice dictionary and syllabication skills, and use the words in compositions.

Writing - Teaches proper formation, slant, and spacing of cursive letters. Daily practice in writing reviews what is being learned in phonics. Creative writing is introduced in the second semester.

Bible -Begins with the lives of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25 and continues through the reign of Saul in 1 Samuel 24. Emphasis is placed on and application made from the attributes of God such as omnipotence, omnipresence, justice, and mercy.

Health - Teaches the importance of good nutrition, cleanliness, proper mental health, courtesy to others, and safety.

History/Geography - Explores what life was like in the early days of our nation. The students learn the history of our flag, patriotic songs, and holidays. They will study the lives of those that made valuable contributions to our American heritage: the Pilgrims, American Indians, early colonists, pioneers, cowboys, and immigrants.

Language - Reinforces concepts already learned. Students learn to recognize and punctuate three kinds of sentences; work with compound rhyming words, antonyms, synonyms, contractions, and singular possessive words. Language concepts are put into practice through creative writing exercises.

Math - Begins with review of addition and subtraction tables. Teaches place value to 4 digits, time and calendars, graphing, measurement, monetary values and counting money, addition and subtraction to 4 digits, multiplication, fractions, basic geometry, and basic division. Students will be given real-world situations to which they must apply math principles.

Phonics - Begins with review daily review of sounds which reinforce the phonics concepts previously learned. The application of phonics rules is stressed through ample practice and thorough review.

Reading - Progresses through ten readers - beginning with stories with single-vowel words through reading their first novel. Students will develop skill in identifying characters, following an unfolding plot, and recognizing a story's climax and the events leading to it. Comprehension and vocabulary development are stressed as well.

Science - Explores and enjoys God’s world as through the leans of the plan of creation. The students’ knowledge of scientific concepts is increased as they learn about the human body, animals, plants, matter, energy, and conservation from God’s perspective.

Spelling - Employs weekly spelling words listed phonetically so students can connect the sounds they hear with the patterns they see. Words are seen in context, practice dictionary and syllabication skills, and use the words in composition as they complete weekly exercises and assignments.

Writing - Includes a thorough review of letter formation for three-space and one-space cursive writing. Students learn to reduce letters to ¾-space cursive writing and begin daily journal writing. Numerous creative stories are written and compiled in a notebook.

Bible - Explores God's choice of and dealings with the nation of Israel through its prophets and kings, beginning in 1 Samuel and continuing its history, judgment, and prophecies of future glory to climax in the book of Daniel. Emphasis is placed on the promised Messiah and the divine preservation of the Davidic line.

Health – Teaches the importance of good posture, personal hygiene, exercise, nutrition, courtesy, first aid, and safety.

History/Geography – Presented in a biographical/chronological format. They will be introduced to individuals from our American heritage who are true heroes and patriots, as well as models of good moral character.

Language – Develops students’ ability to think and express their thoughts correctly. Capitalization, punctuation, word usage, and recognition of nouns and verbs are emphasized.

Math – Builds competency in working with place values, multiplication, division, and fractions is the focus of this level of mathematics. Students will participate in daily review, practice basic facts, and be introduced to a new concept.

Reading – Emphasizes developing independent word recognition through phonetic and structural analysis, building dictionary skills, and increasing comprehension ability while promoting the enjoyment of reading.

Science – Introduces man as the most unique part of God’s creation. They will learn about the human body, with an emphasis on the sensory organs and how they function. They will then explore the world of plants and animals, becoming familiar with invertebrates and vertebrates and learning how to classify them. The varied environments of ocean, desert, pond, forest, and field are also studied.

Spelling – Employs weekly spelling words listed phonetically so students can connect the sounds they hear with the patterns they see. They will build dictionary and syllabication skills, and work with rhyming words, synonyms, and homonyms.

Writing – Builds penmanship skills by means of continued instruction and daily practice. A thorough review of letter formation with emphasis on correct slant, spacing, and proportion is included.

Bible - Explores the life of Christ through from the perspectives of God’s fulfilled promises regarding Him, the events of His earthly ministry, and the power and authority and His teachings. Students will also commit to memory pertinent passages from both the Old and New Testament.

Health – Begins with an emphasis on the skeletal, muscular, and respiratory systems. Practical instruction is given regarding personal hygiene, including a study of the teeth and skin. Students will learn the importance of personal relationships, the necessity of maintaining close family relationships and the importance of choosing the right friends will be included.

History/Geography – Approaches American history through famous people, major events, scientific advances, changes in modes of travel, communication. They will learn the principles that made America great, and why they should love and defend their nation.

Language - Develops communication skills through writing book reports, letters, and factual reports. Students will learn to recognize all eight parts of speech, to identify simple and compound subjects and verbs; to diagram sentences; as well as learn simple rules for correct word usage.

Math - Builds a deeper understanding of concepts such as place value, money, addition, subtraction, whole numbers, and fractions. Students will also learn to analyze and solve story problems, use and convert metric and imperial units of measurement, and be introduced to basic geometry and algebraic concepts.

Reading – Utilizes both modern and classic stories with great character themes, which will expand their interests, increase their ability to productively skim, and develop their speed and comprehension of reading material. Students will also learn to recall information, notice implications, and use reasoning skills.

Science - Teaches recognition of the plants and insects seen every day, to attract birds to their own backyards, to use field guides, to interpret cloud formations, and to identify rocks. Students learn to appreciate the miracle of plant germination, the causes of weather, how God has provided for life on earth, the design of the heavens, the ecology of the ocean depths, and other aspects of God’s creative genius. Students will apply concepts learned through various STEM activities.

Spelling - Employs the teach/practice/test approach to spelling and vocabulary, students learn to spell from weekly word lists that feature a phonics key.

Writing – Utilizes daily practice for penmanship excellence, with emphasis on correct formation, spacing, letter size, and overall neatness. Students are able to apply penmanship skills to various writing activities that help them learn composition skil

Bible - Explores the attributes of God’s love, wisdom, glory, power, protection, provision, judgement, promises, blessings, and sovereignty through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the missionary journeys of Paul and the first century church.

History - Exposes students to world events, spanning creation to modern times, from a Christian perspective. They will tour the eastern hemisphere, encountering the geography, governments, economies, and people of various nations.

Science – Emphasizes comparison of God’s omnipotence with man’s limited understanding by means of the things they can see, observe, and understand in the world around them. Some of the topics covered include airplanes, thermal energy, atomic theory, weather, plant and animal reproduction, the oceans, and that forces that cause wind currents.

Spelling - Emphasizes the correct spelling and meaning of more advanced words and learn to use these words correctly in spoken and written means. Students also study the prefixes, suffixes, and roots of many words to help strengthen their understanding.

Reading – Employs stories designed to advance Christian character and development, enabling them to comprehend family relationships, the principles of salvation, and standards for Christian living. Silent reading comprehension evidenced by higher level questions are emphasized.

Math - Applies previously learned basic math skills to work with more complex fractions, as well as concepts of perimeter, surface area and volume. Both imperial and metric measurements will be reviewed, along with ratios, proportions, percents, positive and negative integers. Students will learn to interpret data and graphs.

Language - Explores the structure of languages as a reminder of God’s sovereign order for the world and their lives. Students are introduced to the four main types of complements and learn to diagram prepositional phrases and complements, as well as review capitalization, punctuation, and the parts of speech. They will learn to write effective topic sentences and paragraphs, to outline, and to take notes.

Art – Approaches artistic creativity as a reflection of God, the ultimate Creator. Through weekly, biblically integrated lessons, students explore drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media while learning art history, techniques, and terminology. The course emphasizes stewardship of talents, artistic expression, and honoring God through creative work.

Music – Emphasizes the joy of singing. Students are introduced to a variety of songs and learn how to sing in choral productions. Students are involved in musical presentations during the school year.

Physical Education – Develops a attitude of proper stewardship of the body through building motor skills, physical fitness, and healthy habits. Through age-appropriate games, activities, and challenges students will develop coordination, strength, and teamwork skills while learning and understanding the rules and terminology for individual and team sports.

Wisdom

With your words, you set the nails...With your life, you drive them deep.

Old Puritan proverb

A faith-filled foundation

Your child’s education will powerfully impact how they view God, themselves, and others. We work to immerse every part of the learning process into a biblical worldview.

What does that look like? Our students understanding the life sciences (humans, plants, and animals) as expressions of God’s creation. They work to developing gifts and skills (art, music, academics) as a way to honor God. Our teachers work to immerse every subject area (reading, writing, math, social studies, and more) in the Scriptures.

Christ-honoring, meaningful relationships

It's essential that your child have friends and teachers who care for them and value who they are. At Temple Academy you’ll find an atmosphere where God’s love is known and felt through intentional relationships

Our class sizes help our teachers know your student personally — their unique learning styles, thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Whether teaching them to be considerate of others on the playground or to acknowledge their classmate’s thoughts, we apply biblical values in and out of the classroom.

Emphasis on character building

Strong character doesn't grow in a moment or as a result of a single event; instead, it’s an end result of your child’s daily experiences. Traits like empathy, perseverance, discipline, and integrity are engraved in the heart as at home, school, church, and daily life (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

Character development is woven into the fabric of our academic program and reinforced through our school culture. We strive to instill these Christ-centered values even in our youngest students. Every lesson, interaction, and activity is designed to plant the seed of God’s Word in each child that will yield fruit for a lifetime

Lower School Principal

Melody Yates

"I love building relationships with parents and teachers so that together we can encourage children to learn and grow both academically and spiritually."

Contact Mrs. Yates

Experience Temple Academy