Essentials Program (ages 9 to 12)
]The Essentials Program is a bridge between the early Foundations years and the more advanced Challenge Program. Designed for students in upper elementary (ages 9–12), it provides parents with the tools and confidence to teach grammar, writing, and math skills at home, while still offering the joy and support of a weekly Community Day. Parents and children learn side by side, discovering that English grammar is not intimidating but logical, and that writing can be both structured and creative.
For many families, Essentials is a turning point—where parents see their children’s ability to think, write, and communicate grow in leaps and bounds. With experienced Program Tutors to guide, hands-on practice each week, and resources that equip you to teach at home, the program makes classical education accessible, even for those brand new to homeschooling. It’s not just an academic program—it’s a partnership, a support system, and an invitation to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
“The second step in learning anything is to sort, compare, and understand the words and basic parts.”
A few items that students in Essentials learn:
- Capitalization and punctuation
- Eight parts of speech
- 112 sentence patterns
- Sentence diagramming
- How to analyze sentences by purpose, structure, patterns, and speech parts
- Writing structure and style through Institute for Excellence in Writing
- How to write an outline, narrative, expository, and essay
- Greater speed and accuracy in multiplication facts
“Children will succeed if they are taught the essentials of language, writing, and arithmetic.”
The Partnership
The Essentials Difference