Program Elements
Reading and Language
Reading is a pleasure, and a skill to be mastered. A student who reads well can study anything with confidence. Praised by students and parents alike, our school's reading program is second to none.
Each new student is assessed and placed accordingly in the program. At every level, students are introduced to a wide variety of classic and modern literature carefully selected to entertain and educate, while gradually building vocabulary and an understanding of the world around them. The completion of each "reading level" is a celebrated achievement, while the beginning of a new one offers hundreds of exciting new books to choose from. Veterans of this program typically love to read, and often do so at a high school or college level by Grade 6.
Other language skills go hand in hand with the reading program. As a student's reading material matures, so does his speech and writing. By the fourth grade, our students produce essays, reports and short stories on a weekly basis.
Mathematics
Many of our students name Math as their favorite subject. Class placement is based on ability rather than age, so students are challenged without being overwhelmed. Games, projects and art are routinely incorporated to demonstrate mathematical concepts. Consequently, the subject is embraced because the activities are fun and students understand how to apply what they learn in real-life situations.
Our 100% comprehension philosophy is particularly effective here, because learning new processes is so often dependent upon previous lessons. For example, a student who knows counting-by's will grasp multiplication. If she can multiply, she can divide. If she can divide, she will understand fractions, and so on.
Science, Geography & History
Students complete projects and study units in science, geography, history and social studies, with plenty of hands-on activities. Field trips and other time spent outside of the classroom is an essential part of the school program, allowing students to explore their environment and experience what they are studying.
Ethics
Ethics are the rules or standards that govern the conduct of a group or society. Ethical behavior and responsibility for one's own actions are at the heart of Applied Scholastics Academy of Janesville's program. Our students have fun exploring a variety of common-sense guidelines for better living by using The Way to Happiness®. The Way to Happiness® book is a simple, straightforward, non-religous guide to making good choices in life. It is the ideal tool for a multi-denominational student body to learn and practice good behavior together.
Group discussion, skits and comic strips are favorite ways to examine values such as Do Not Steal, Honor and Help Your Parents, and Do Not Tell Harmful Lies. Others, like Help Take Care of the Planet and Try to Treat Others as You Would Want Them to Treat You, are often demonstrated by involving the children in community service. Food drives, graffiti removal, planting trees for Earth Day, and keeping our local park free of litter are just a few past projects. Set a Good Example and Love and Help Children, which encourage older students to mentor younger ones, are practiced here everyday.
Physical Education
Physical fitness is important at our school. All students participate in daily activities designed to entertain, increase agility, build coordination, and promote fitness.
Environmental Education
As Richard Louv describes in his book “Last Child in the Woods – Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” it is vital that children spend time learning, exploring, and playing outdoors. Our program is full of opportunities for this exposure to the outdoors. For example, our outdoor play area is a nature explore classroom with a garden, many of our field trips are to nature areas and farms, and we incorporate nature in our arts, crafts, and music classes.
