Within every child is an innate desire to learn. God created each of us to wonder, discover, reason, and know.
Valor’s Grammar School encourages this innate curiosity about God’s world with great ideas presented in works of literature, art, music, nature science, history, and mathematics. Our teachers aren’t here to fill students’ heads with information, but to intimately partner with parents to guide their love of learning and the formation of moral habits that will help them become compassionate builders of God’s Kingdom on earth.
Valor’s Grammar School values the establishment and reinforcement of foundational skills as well as the nourishment of ideas. Mastering the phonograms of the English language, the logical rules of spelling and grammar, math facts, the map of the world, and key scientific concepts are essential to an education in the Liberal Arts. The key to the internalization of learning is the method of narration. When students are able to retell what they have learned, they can truly grow as human persons and virtuous citizens of God’s world.
“In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God.” John 1:1.
Language is one aspect of ourselves that uniquely bears the image of a story-telling, communicative God to the world. Valor’s Grammar School recognizes this important truth by placing narration at the center of learning. Throughout the day, students retell in their own expressive words whole stories from history, the Bible, nature, and living books. In earlier years, Valor emphasizes mastering the 49 multi-letter English phonograms to build a strong foundation in reading and writing. In older grades, students learn to write these narrations with the help of the award-winning Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) program combined with Shurley Grammar.
In Charlotte Mason’s 20 Principles, she recommends that “we allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and ‘spiritual’ life of children, but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life.”
At the heart of a Valor Grammar School Education is the pursuit of the knowledge of God as well as an understanding of the complexities of the human person. Each day begins with worship through hymn singing, reading and retelling The Child’s Story Bible, and prayer. These living ideas are often woven throughout the day as the students encounter stories from living books from around the world (Kindergarten), Early American History (1st grade), and Story of the World (2nd-5th grades). Paired with rich literature and weekly geography, artist, and composer studies, Bible and Humanities in the Grammar School help students to recognize what is good, true, and beautiful in God’s world.
2,000 years ago, Plato said, “The highest form of pure thought is in mathematics.”
Whether discovering the countless patterns of nature, solving complex problems through bar-models, playing math games, or learning basic facts through building blocks and songs, Valor is committed to both mastering foundational skills and nurturing wonder at the infinite relationships that can be made with numbers. In the younger years, Math-U-See provides a strong foundation for students to visualize these relationships. Beginning in second grade, students transition to Dimensions Math, a new Singapore Math Curriculum with optional video instruction to assist families on homedays.
“Earth’s crammed with heaven, / And every common bush afire with God; / But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.” Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Children marvel at the flitter of a butterfly. They contemplate the leisurely crawl of a caterpillar and inspect the mysterious form and shape of a mushroom. This natural and wonderful curiosity is particularly vibrant in the mind of a child. Victorian educator Charlotte Mason understood this, writing, “An observant child should be put in the way of things worth observing.” For this reason, Valor’s science curriculum integrates nature studies with the classical Elemental Science curriculum in the Grammar School (PreK-5th grade). Our holistic program encourages keen observation and reflection upon God’s natural world.
Charlotte Mason wrote “No other part of the world’s work is of such supreme difficulty, delicacy and importance, as that of parents in the right bringing up of their children.” Valor believes that parents are the primary disciplers of their children, and we consider it a privilege to steward the desire for their children to know God, obey His commands, and enjoy His Creation. Classroom teachers are committed to honest and frequent communication, and parents are invited to share openly about homeday joys and struggles. It is not uncommon to see staff, faculty, and parents praying together in the hallways or sharing a cup of coffee in the parking lot.
Kindergarten
Fall – Third Day Farm
Spring – Waco Wetlands
First Grade
Fall – Wetlands
Spring – Homestead Heritage
Second Grade
Fall – Ft Worth Zoo
Spring – Dallas Arboretum
Third Grade
Fall – Inner Space Caverns
Spring – Medieval Times
Fourth Grade
Fall – Birome Cotton Gin/Homestead Heritage
Spring – Wycliffe Bible Translators
Fifth Grade
Fall – Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Spring – Urban Reap/Mission Waco
