We recommend starting out with just math and English instruction for academics until the child is about age ten. Fill the rest of your day with lessons in practical life skills and spiritual and character development. With strong foundations in these areas your child will be ready to tackle any other curriculum later on, not to speak of facing life with Biblical wisdom and Godly character.

Our recommended resources help you to educate your child spiritually (at the heart level), academically, and, in some cases, physically. They complement each other and are easy to use and effective. All available from JOY Center of Learning. Each curriculum is thoroughly explained on our website or in our catalogue.

Plan to spend about 20 to 30 minutes in total per day in laid-back academic math and reading instruction.

The Basics:

• Christ-Centered Curriculum Phonics Teaching Aids Kit
  
• Christ-Centered Curriculum Teaching 3's Character, Phonics, and Math Book
  
• Christ-Centered Curriculum Math Flash Cards
  
• Christ-Centered Curriculum 1-100 Number Chart
  
• Alphabet Felt Set (Precut or Uncut) and a Felt Board
  
• Beginning Counting Felt Set (Precut or Uncut)
  

Additional Options:

• Alphabet and Numbers Tracing Masters
  
• A Guide to Teaching Printing with Character
  
• 1st Steps to Building Thinking Skills
  
• Rod and Staff Preschool A-B-C Series
  

Additional Non-Curriculum Resources for Children Up to Age 6:

• Animal Stories CD
  
• Songs of Virtue CD
  
• Verses and Hymns for the Very Young Cassette and Flashcards
  
• Your Story Hour
  
• Any of the other cassettes and CD's we sell for Children
  
• Charts by Doorpost Publishing
  
• Indispensable Recipes for Crafts and Projects

  Teaching WHY and HOW to READ:
  Christ-Centered Curriculum - (about 15 - 20 minutes per day, 3-5 days per week)
  You need the Teacher Phonics Kit #010. (Purchase kit once for years of use.) Use this material for oral and visual teaching at this point. This curriculum focusses on Biblical principles and character development while developing reading, spelling, and grammar skills. Many ideas are included for working with three-year-old children. When the child is four, you will need the Student A Kit which includes workbooks.

  PRINTING:
  A Guide to Teaching Printing With Character presents a simpler method of printing than the traditional "stick and ball" approach used in the CCC. You may also find the rubber pencil grips to be helpful for some children. Most 3's are not ready for actual printing on paper but the instruction manual gives creative ideas for teaching letter formation before taking pencil in hand.

  MATH:
  Christ-Centered Curriculum Math: (about 15 to 20 minutes a day)
  Purchase Mathematics Kit #011.
  Optional math kit: Place Value Kit (#015) – has many of the materials recommended in the curriculum.
  Recommendation: teach orally and visually just the Biblical principles included in the lesson guide, along with the ten character qualities illustrated in nature through animals, and the basic counting and adding concepts. You would use the workbooks included in the kit when the child is four years of age. Use the kit's manipulatives to teach grouping, colour, similarities, differences and so on. The cube-a-links snap cubes and the felt Beginners Counting Set are excellent resources for teaching numerous concepts!
  

  
  

  JOY Center of Learning Box 788, Shelburne, Ontario, Canada, L0N 1S0 (519) 925-9721 - Phone/Fax: 519-925-0560 TOLL FREE ORDERING: (800) 653-4231 Email: mail@joycenter.on.ca