Academics - Middle School

We seek to nurture young people who have a genuine love of learning, who are equipped to live as vibrant Christians in their various callings, and who can articulate and defend the Christian message with clarity, creativity, and conviction.

Preparation

Our middle school curriculum prepares students to enter, and to excel in, highly selective independent secondary schools or excellent public schools.  A typical Wilberforce graduate would enter high school having already completed the equivalent of a year of high school Latin and at least a year of math (Algebra).  Literature, History, and Logic classes place heavy emphasis on reading, writing, speaking, and research and reach beyond these skills toward clear thinking, discernment, and life wisdom.  Our science curriculum lays the groundwork for advanced science courses in high school by cultivating both a knowledge of scientific methods and a love for discovery and research.

Logic

The Classical approach recognizes grammar, logic, and rhetoric as three developmental stages of children. The middle school years are the logic years, during which students are naturally testing ideas and catching inconsistencies, asking, “how do you know?” and “who says?” We take advantage of this stage by introducing the formal study of logic, which gives form and rigor to the argumentation and questioning that come naturally to this age. In addition, our teaching in every subject area is oriented to the logic of the subject rather than merely to its grammar. For our students, the grammar stage was a time to master basic facts and frameworks. Now the logic years offer them a chance to make connections, ask critical questions, and analyze arguments.

Integration

The logic years open up new pathways for integrating a biblical worldview with academic excellence. Questions arise in every course of study that yield fruitful discussion regarding human nature, the problem of evil, the direction of history, and the nature of God and his dealings with man. Students begin to examine our society’s shifting views on these issues and to grapple with a biblical approach to these questions. In doing so, our middle school students develop their speaking, writing, and critical thinking skills as they start to determine what and why they believe.