Words, numbers, and sentences — the essentials that prepare leaders.
Essentials is a power-packed course for students ages 10–12 alongside their parents. It bridges the grammar and dialectic stages — guiding learners through foundational language principles, writing structure, and mathematical proficiency.
The program follows the one-room schoolhouse model: every student engages in the same activities regardless of age or level. Parents are the lead learners; tutors model exercises that families continue at home.
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Capitalisation, punctuation, the eight parts of speech, 112 sentence patterns, sentence diagramming, and analysis by purpose and structure.
Structured writing through the Institute for Excellence in Writing — clear, confident, and beautiful prose at every age.
Drills and games to build speed and fluency with multiplication facts and core arithmetic operations.
Classes meet weekly for two hours, immediately following the Foundations program. At-home practice is gentle but consistent:
"Children will succeed if they are taught the essentials of language, writing, and arithmetic."
How Essentials bridges the grammar and dialectic stages — building mastery for ages 10 to 12.
Foundations focuses on memory work across all subjects in the grammar stage. Essentials goes deeper on language arts and writing — diagramming sentences, the eight parts of speech, and structured writing through IEW. Most students do both at the same time.
Roughly 30 minutes a day on grammar, 30–45 minutes a day on writing practice, plus math review woven through the week. Gentle but consistent.
The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). It is a structured, step-by-step approach that teaches even reluctant writers to produce clear, confident, beautiful prose.
Essentials uses repetition and the one-room schoolhouse model — every student does the same activities regardless of level. Parents are the lead learners, so a child struggling with a concept will see it modelled by you and the tutor week after week until it clicks.
Get in touch and we'll help you join an Essentials community near you.
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