English Curriculum

Palmetto Christian Academy’s motto is “A love for God, a passion for learning.” We seek to challenge our students to think and learn using tools which have been proven effective. We want our students to develop a passion for learning and to become life-long learners. Our principal, Joan Gore, and a committee of parents and teachers have been researching curriculums which are effective, motivating, and creative.

Shurley English is such a curriculum. The committee has selected Shurley English for K-5 through 8th grades. Shurley stands out among other curriculums according to a wide variety of research done in the past thirty years. Shurley English contains all of the key elements necessary to promote language development for effective communication and successful participation in society. The Shurley method merges a strong foundation of basic skills with writing. It also engages students in the learning process in a “brain-friendly” manner.

The program has been effective with students who have different learning capacities and styles. Teachers and students have expressed an enthusiasm for learning English through the Shurley method. The curriculum is creative, fun, and motivating. First graders are introduced to grammar through musical jingles used to teach the definitions and the functions of the parts of speech. The curriculum uses steps to relate a definition to a concept, a concept to a skill practice, and a skill practice to writing and editing. Multi-sensory group work is also a feature of Shurley English. It encourages teacher-student interaction and provides immediate feedback and ongoing review of learned concepts. Perhaps the best result of all is that students apply what they learn to writing. Please visit the Shurley English website at http://www.shurley.com/new/index.jsp to preview the curriculum.

Shurley English is one example of the kind of curriculum to be used at Palmetto Christian Academy. We want to enable and encourage our students to love God and develop a passion for learning. To that end, our curriculum committee will continue to seek the best available tools to be used in our classrooms.