Ad Fontes Lower School Program
The Lower School years are full of energy and excitement as strong foundations are laid for life-long learning. Children are developing the necessary skills, both social and academic, to become confident and engaged learners. Our goal is to instill the joy of learning in our students by providing a nurturing environment that supports and challenges a child?s development.
Curriculum
AFA has an engaging curriculum in academic areas of literacy, science, history,
mathematics and Latin blend with co-curricular areas of music, art and physical
education to create a rich experience filled with opportunities for all Lower School
students to explore new ideas. The content of our curriculum produces mastery
of core knowledge in each academic area . Our Lower School curriculum is built
upon proven educational research, and we are consistently amazed by what our
students can accomplish.
Instructional Methods
Our highly qualified and talented teachers use instructional strategies based on
current brain research to maximize student learning in the classroom. They walk
from desk to desk and remediate any error before they become permanent ones.
How to retain information, memorize, and organize their thinking is also taught by
the teacher using songs, chants, visual displays, student designed portfolios, drama and
time-lines. Our students take part in many field trips to complement their learning
in school and the rich historical ,cultural, and educational setting of Northern
Virginia is visited regularly thus becomes a familiar resource to continually explore.
Spiritual Development
Spiritual development, resulting in lives that honor God and reflect His love, is a
primary goal of the education we offer. Loving Christian teachers help students to
learn and apply Biblical truths in ways that show respect and honor for God and
others. These are all key ingredients for a successful school, but all of this depends
on the relationship we enjoy with parents. Parents are in a partnership with the
school for the purpose of growing our children to be the people that God intends.
Parental involvement is one of the key factors in student success. Since parents are
the primary educators of their children, school and home must work in partnership
to maximize the child's learning.
Middle School
Students are taught using the Socratic method, in which teachers use a series of
questions and answers by which the logical soundness of a definition or point of
view is tested, or the interpretation of a concept is determined. The Socratic method
is based upon logical analysis, and consequently develops superb reasoning skills
within students and a program that permits each child to learn the process of
learning while wrestling with different ideas.