Academics

Because every child is different, and because this is homeschool, we have the ability to personalize your child's education! One curriculum might not work best for every student. Sometimes a student will excel with a spiraled curriculum, while others may be more successful with a mastery approach. At RAC, we are different than any other co-op in that we are not committed to one curriculum for every student in our 2 core subjects- Reading and Math. Many of our families have a curriculum that they know works well for their students. We are happy to continue on with that curriculum. If families haven't found a curriculum that they love and works well for their students, we are here to help in that decision making. 

Some of the curriculums we've used include The Good and The Beautiful, All About Reading, IEW, Masterbooks, Abeka, Singapore Math, Math-U-See, Apologia, and BJU Press. If one of these curriculums doesn't meet a child's needs, we backup, regroup, and find what does! Students do not have to be working in the same curriculums. We are flexible and can teach through small group instruction for this reason!

Our Science and History is taught in whole group because these are less skill based and more hands on subjects. Our teachers choose their curriculum from The Good and The Beautiful, NotGrass History, Abeka, and Apologia. We also enjoy teaching history through high quality read-alouds. 

Every class has the opportunity to participate in a resource class each day. Some days they may even have 2! These may include messy science experiments, STEM activities, gardening, or physical education in our outdoor classroom. In our multipurpose space and kitchen, resources can include cooking, art, music, storybook STEM, and performing arts. These activities can change weekly or quarterly depending on the focus of the curriculum. 

We strive to plan special programs and visitors to come to RAC and provide enrichment activities for our students. Just a few of the program we've had this year include a sign language instructor, JEA Power Pals, a Beekeeper, a Baker, and a virtual field trip to the Ford Theater in Washington DC. 

At River Academy we believe in play, especially free play outdoors in nature! One of our students most favorite times of the day is recess. Each class has about 45 minutes of free play outside everyday. We have a playground, large field, and plenty of nature for them to explore. Some of their favorite things to do this year were orchestrating football games, kickball games, and building forts. 

In order to meet students where they are academically, we have small class sizes of 8-10 students per class. We also differentiate instruction based on the student's need. 

Depending on the needs of our students each year, we may offer the following special services in consultation with parents:

• An experienced tutor who can work one on one with students who have learning challenges such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, or Dyscalculia.  This year we have been blessed to have Mandarin Reading Clinic come to RAC and provide services for several of our students. Mandarin Reading uses the Lindamood-Bell program for instruction. We have seen it work wonders for our students! *additional fees will apply and may be billed by independent providers. Mandarin Reading is a Step Up for Students direct provider.

• A Speech and Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist who can serve students at the school. These therapists accept several insurances as well as the Step Up Scholarships.  *additional fees will apply and may be billed by independent providers