Learning to read, listen, and attend
Children learn letter-sound relationships, practice handwriting and arithmetic, listen to stories, and recite short poems.
Curriculum
What children will learn
Children will read, write, and study mathematics, history, science, and the arts, with teachers guiding each stage of learning.
Teacher-led classrooms
Foundations first
Knowledge-rich study
Oxford Classical Charter School is a Hillsdale College-supported founding effort. Learn about Hillsdale’s support.
The aim
Learning that lasts
Children need both knowledge and practice: books worth reading, problems worth solving, and teachers who help them understand.
“Non multa sed multum.”
Pliny the Younger
An American classical education
Built around what children need to know
Oxford Classical will offer a content-rich American classical course of study. Students will encounter the wisdom of the classics alongside the study of mathematics, the natural world, history, and the arts.
We want children to read with understanding, express an idea clearly, examine evidence, and take pleasure in learning. Lessons will build from the early foundations toward more demanding study.
CoherentEach grade prepares students for the next.
CumulativeKnowledge builds on knowledge over time.
Teacher-ledTeachers explain new ideas and guide students as they practice.
FormativeHabits of attention, order, and responsibility matter.
Foundations first
The grammar school years
In the early grades, students need strong foundations. Oxford Classical’s K-6 program will emphasize reading, phonics, spelling, grammar, handwriting, writing, mathematics, history, science, literature, art, music, physical education, and habits of attention.
Building knowledge and fluency
Children read increasingly demanding books, write organized paragraphs, explain arithmetic, and discuss what they have learned in history and science.
Preparing for deeper study
Students develop longer compositions, solve multi-step problems, examine causes and consequences in history, and record scientific observations.
What students study
A full and ordered course of study
Students will study the liberal arts and sciences together, building knowledge and skills across subjects.
Reading, Writing, and Language
Strong foundations in phonics, spelling, grammar, handwriting, literature, composition, vocabulary, and oral expression.
Mathematics and the Sciences
Accuracy, reasoning, number sense, scientific knowledge, disciplined observation, and careful problem solving.
History, Civics, and Geography
The story of America and the wider world, taught with chronology, memory, place, cause, consequence, and civic responsibility.
Literature and the Great Books
Stories, poems, speeches, and serious texts that cultivate imagination, moral judgment, language, and love of learning.
Art, Music, and Physical Education
Beauty, skill, discipline, movement, teamwork, and appreciation for the artistic and musical inheritance students receive.
Character and Conduct
Telling the truth, keeping commitments, listening respectfully, and persevering when work is difficult.
Academic expectations
Homework and language study
Students will complete daily work at home and follow a language sequence that grows with them.
Homework by grade
Students will have daily, age-appropriate homework to reinforce classroom learning. Early assignments may include reading and practice with foundational skills; later grades may include longer readings and essays. The workload will vary by grade.
Spanish, roots, and Latin
Students will study Spanish in kindergarten through grade 5, Greek and Latin roots in grades 4 and 5, and Latin Ia in grade 6. As we add later grades, students will continue with Latin Ib, Latin II, and Latin III in grades 7, 8, and 9.
A day in the classroom
Third grade at Oxford
A poem recited together. A problem worked out on paper. Time outdoors with friends. Our third-grade program will bring learning, practice, and play into each day.
Reading and mathematics
Children will recite poems and practice reading and phonics with a teacher. In mathematics, they will work from concrete examples toward written problems, explaining how they found an answer.
Books, conversation, and play
A classic read aloud will give children a story to discuss and sentences to study. Outdoor recess and lunch will make room for play, conversation, and friendship.
Discovery and practice
History and science will bring stories from the past and close observation of the natural world. Spanish, art, music, and physical education will vary by day, with time for recitation and cursive handwriting.
Illustrative school day. The Headmaster will set the daily sequence and bell times.
Uniforms and device-free classrooms
Students will wear uniforms. Classroom learning will center on teachers, books, discussion, and written work rather than personal devices. Required assistive technology and accommodations will remain available.
How students learn
Teacher-led instruction
- Clear teachingStudents receive direct instruction, careful explanation, and guided practice.
- Ordered discussionStudents learn to listen, answer, ask questions, and speak with respect.
- Memory and masteryImportant facts, poems, passages, and skills are practiced until they become secure.
- Written workStudents develop handwriting, grammar, composition, mathematical precision, and careful habits on paper.
Long-term academic vision
A complete K-12 course of study
We will grow from K–6 toward a complete K–12 course of study. Each grade will prepare students for the next stage of learning, so that knowledge, skills, and character grow together over time.
