Science at Faith Christian Academy

Science at FCA is filled with wonder! Rich in nature, we capitalize on a child's built-in curiosity about the world around them and give them opportunities to explore and investigate the things they are being taught. Our students learn the steps of scientific inquiry from the first grade on, and our curriculum is rich in vocabulary building, giving multiple opportunities for hands on experiments.

As the student ages, our science curriculum gives intentional opportunities to develop critical thinking skills with a continued emphasis on developing scientifically accurate lab reports, as well as a broader development and usage of science vocabulary and concepts.

As the graph at above shows, our students are well prepared for High School science courses and oftentimes enter the Honors and A.P. science tracks. From high school, we have had our graduates go into both the medical and engineering fields for their chosen vocations.

Math at Faith Christian Academy

Math at Faith builds from the simple to the complex. The curriculum we utilize builds solid skills in memorizing and recalling basic math facts so that as a child's analytical ability develops with age, he is able to move into the higher-level math skills without having to put great effort in recalling the basic facts.  In sixth grade, students who show strong math aptitude are placed in a tandem math track that allows them to move forward at a greater level of speed. This allows them to enter a second year math course when they enter their freshman year of high school.

Language Arts at Faith Christian Academy

Our language arts program builds from the simple to the complex. Students start with learning their letters, then move into the sounds of the letters, to the sounds of the blends and then into words. Words become sentences, sentences become paragraphs, paragraphs become reports and reports build into research papers.

We incorporate Latin into the language arts program to aid in vocabulary building and sentence structure. We utilize spelling, grammar and books with rich vocabulary to develop students' communication skills. Penmanship and cursive continues throughout all of the elementary school years. Creative writing and journaling are also a part of our curricular requirements.

Reading comprehension and developing critical thinking skills are woven into the reading program. Story books, poetry, non-fiction, biographies, science journals, historical fiction, the classics and other forms of literature have a place in developing a students' ability to know and understand the world around them.  We also give opportunities for students to develop their oral skills, utilizing reports and giving speeches to develop their comfort level and abilities in front of an audience.

FCA graduates are well prepared for high school English courses and oftentimes move into the Honors and A.P. tracks beginning their freshman year of High School.

History at Faith Christian Academy

History is about God's efforts to draw "all men" to Him. Studying history is vital to understanding the various ideas that exist in philosophy, religion, and governm ent. Our desire is that our graduates will grow into adults that live and govern in ways that align themselves with God's intentions for the world He created.

History teaches us to ask why. Students of history understand that ideas have consequences and are careful in the ideas they embrace and promote. They are not e asily swayed by ideas as they have learned to interpret an idea's consequence using the lens of thousands of years of history.

History at Faith starts out with highlighting various key players in our country's history. From there it highlights key events in the world. In the middle elementary years, we build from our local history to Illinois state history to U.S. history to world history. Map skills are developed as each area is studied, and a current events newsletter is read and discussed each week to help students see the relationship between what happened in the past and how it played a role in why things are currently happening.

FCA's students at every grade level do consistently well on the SAT tests, demonstrating their preparedness to advance to the next grade level.  The 2010 SAT scores for grades 2 through 8. area as follows:

Grade 2:     4.4

Grade 3:     5.7

Grade 4:     6.8

Grade 5:     9.8

Grade 6:     10.4

Grade 7:     PHS

Grade 8:     PHS

Grade 8 total SAT scores:

Science:                11.2

Math:                    12.6

History:                 12.6

Language Arts:       12.3