Kindergarten through 5th grade, built on the time-tested Trivium and a hybrid rhythm that partners with families.
Li’l Scholars serves our youngest scholars, beginning at 2 years and 8 months, and meets Tuesday through Thursday.
Three days in the classroom, two days of FCS-guided learning at home.
Scholars learn together in the classroom, guided by our teachers, with the rhythm and community of a traditional school day.
Parents lead instruction at home using the practice and assignments FCS provides, reinforcing what was taught in the classroom and preparing for the week ahead.
Parents are the primary educators of their children, and we view our program as a ministry that comes alongside families—not apart from them.
At Fincastle Classical Scholars, we believe that education is far more than the accumulation of facts. Our purpose is to partner with Christian families to cultivate students who love God, pursue truth, think wisely, and serve others with humility and excellence. We believe every child is created in the image of God with unique gifts and abilities, and that all truth is God's truth.
Our educational philosophy is grounded in a biblical worldview and the time-tested principles of classical education. Rather than simply preparing students for the next grade level, we seek to equip them with the lifelong tools of learning so they are prepared to faithfully serve Christ in every area of life.
A framework that has shaped education for centuries, teaching students not just what to learn, but how to learn.
Kindergarten–5th grade. Children build a strong foundation through repetition, memorization, and joyful discovery—the stage FCS focuses on today.
Looking ahead: students learn to think critically, recognize relationships, analyze ideas, and reason carefully.
Looking ahead: students develop wisdom and effective communication, learning to articulate truth with confidence, grace, and conviction.
As an elementary hybrid educational program, Fincastle Classical Scholars focuses on the Grammar Stage, the foundational years of classical education. Children in these years naturally enjoy learning facts, patterns, songs, and stories. Instruction includes:
Memory work is not viewed as an end in itself but as the foundation upon which understanding and wisdom are built.
The specific tools and resources we use to bring a classical, Christ-centered education to life in every grade.
A snapshot of the specific curriculum a third-grade scholar at FCS would use in a year when our four-year history rotation lands on Ancient History.
Daily Scripture memorization and classical poetry—in third grade, selections include Romans 12:2, Psalm 1:1–3, and Proverbs 4:23, alongside poems such as “Paul Revere’s Ride” and “The Road Not Taken.”
That’s just one year. Our curriculum is designed to move students from learning facts, to understanding ideas, to expressing and defending what they know and believe—across every grade, from phonics and arithmetic to poetry, Scripture memorization, and a four-year chronological study of history.
| Subject | K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | AAR 1 | AAR 2 | AAR 3 | AAR 4 | Memoria Press | Memoria Press |
| Math | Saxon K | Saxon 1 | Saxon 2 | Saxon 3 | Saxon 4 | Saxon 5 |
| Handwriting | HWT K | HWT 1 | Cursive | Cursive | Cursive | Cursive |
| Spelling | – | AAS 1 | AAS 2 | AAS 3 | AAS 4 | AAS 5 |
| Grammar | – | Shurley | Shurley | Shurley | Shurley | Shurley |
| Writing | – | Beginning | Beginning | IEW | IEW | IEW |
| Literature | Beginning | Beginning | Beginning | Reading | MP Literature | MP Literature |
| Memory Work | Bible / ABC | Bible + Poetry | Bible + Poetry | Bible + Poetry | Bible + Poetry | Bible + Poetry |
| Science | Science in the Beginning | Science in the Ancient World | Science in the Scientific Revolution | Science in the Age of Reason | Science in the Industrial Age | Science Through History review + projects |
| History | 4-Year Cycle | 4-Year Cycle | 4-Year Cycle | 4-Year Cycle | 4-Year Cycle | 4-Year Cycle |
Every grade studies the same period in history together each year, on a four-year rotation: Ancient History, Middle Ages–Early Modern, Modern History, and American & Virginia History—with reading, projects, and expectations adjusted for each grade level.
Every subject at FCS is taught with the understanding that all truth is God’s truth.