ACADEMICS
At Gulf Coast Classical Academy, we believe the study of Latin in the Grammar school years sharpens the mind, develops critical thinking, and enhances problem solving. We implement classical, Latin-centered Christian K-8 curriculum from Memoria Press.
Primary School (K-2)
In our primary school, students focus on mastering the skills and content which provide the basis for all future learning. The goal of this stage of classical education is to create students who can read, write, and think quickly and confidently. Our primary students focus on mastering penmanship (in both print and cursive), reading through a phonics-based curriculum, and essential math facts and skills. Students are exposed to classic children’s literature through regular read aloud time and focused literature study. We follow Memoria Press’s primary enrichment program which incorporates history and geography, classical music and art appreciation, and science through nature study and beautiful books. In these vital years of learning, students memorize Bible verses, poems, and core knowledge facts through Memoria’s recitation curriculum. Students begin their study of Latin in the third grade.
Grammar School (3rd-6th)
In our grammar school, students continue building a foundation for higher learning. The method of learning is still focused on the mastery of essential facts and content which provide students with the knowledge base necessary for not only higher-level thinking in the upper grades, but also for developing an appreciation for all of the gifts of Western Civilization. Our students continue their study of mastery-focused math, nature-based science curriculum, classic literature and composition, English grammar, and Latin. Greek is taught in grades 6th through 8th. Students who begin in 3rd grade with our school follow a 4 year sequence of history, geography, and Bible which gives them a rich understanding of our world today and our classical, Christian past.
Dialectic School (7th-8th)
In our dialectic school, students are focused on the transition from the grammar stage towards more independent thinking and learning. Students in these grades study both advanced Latin and Greek, classic literature and poetry, classical composition and English grammar, ancient history, the epics of Homer and Virgil, logic, and advanced mathematics. Science transitions from nature study toward the hard sciences with an introduction to biology and physical science. The goal of this stage of classical education is to cultivate the reading and thinking skills necessary for students to participate in the debates, speeches, and Socratic Seminars which characterize the last stage of learning—the Rhetoric Stage—in 9th through 12th grade.
Reading Focus
“Why are we reading, if not in hope of beauty laid bare, life heightened and its deepest mystery probed? Why are we reading if not in hope that the writer will magnify and dramatize our days, will illuminate and inspire us with wisdom, courage, and the possibility of meaningfulness, and will press upon our minds the deepest mysteries, so that we may feel again their majesty and power?”
Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts. The right defense against false sentiments is to inculcate just sentiments. By starving the sensibility of our pupils we only make them easier prey to the propagandist when he comes. For famished nature will be avenged and a hard heart is no infallible protection against a soft head.”
