How Our Program Works

The science behind our model of teaching kids how to learn is based on natural human development and how the brain learns best. Our academic program is based on proven best practices in education, melding brain science, character education, and effective instruction. Meeting each child's basic human, growth, and development needs will increase achievement and prepare the child for adult life.

We use two primary underpinnings:

• Choice Theory: The school culture is defined by positive relationships and placing the needs of the children before the school curriculum. In other words, we teach children, not a subject matter.
• Character Education: It does us no good to produce highly educated, gifted learners if they have no moral compass. We teach our students to "do the right thing because it is the right thing."

Brain Science

The human brain's frontal lobe is the last and most complex area to mature. As this region matures, children acquire motor, sensory, attention, and thinking skills. Physical, emotional, and cognitive behavior reflect the state of brain maturation. Our developmental teaching model is aligned with the natural maturation of a child's brain.

Our model of teaching is built on a comprehensive understanding of child development. We recognize that development starts with movement, progresses to auditory/verbal, and finally matures with visual/oculomotor, the most complex motor system in the body. By understanding and supporting this progression, we ensure that our students' learning experiences are fully aligned with their developmental needs.

Creating Character

Proper behavior leads to good choices, which lead to academic and artistic excellence. Our curriculum emphasizes the following traditional positive character traits: responsibility, respect, service, compassion, friendship, integrity, perseverance, courage, honesty, and self-discipline. These traits are woven throughout our school protocols, lessons, and culture.

Effective Instruction

Traditional education experiences teach part-to-whole and in a linear fashion. "Here are the facts, and they happened in this order." Research has proven that the brain does not naturally think this way. At BCA, we give our students the whole picture so that when they get the detailed facts, they understand why they are essential, beginning with concrete understanding and moving to abstract thinking. We also explore connections naturally made during learning to understand relationships better.