Shine partners with parents to inspire students to embrace the wonders of the world around them. Our aim is to equip our students with knowledge, critical thinking skills, effective communication abilities, a love of learning, and a deep sense of compassion, understanding, and Christian character.
Navigating the Learning Stages: The Classical Approach
The classical model of education follows a carefully curated path known as the Trivium, which caters to your child’s evolving stages of development.
Grammar Stage (Elementary School)
This stage is the foundation-building phase. We introduce your child to a wide array of facts, stories, and information across various subjects. It's all about sparking curiosity and building a vocabulary for discussing diverse topics.
Logic Stage (Middle School)
As your child matures, they delve deeper into understanding connections and asking "why" and "how." We guide them in developing logical thinking skills and exploring the relationships between ideas.
Rhetoric Stage (High School)
This is where your child's knowledge truly shines. Equipped with a solid foundation, they now learn to articulate their thoughts confidently through speech and writing, expressing their ideas effectively.
What Students Learn
Over the course of their schooling, Shine students experience four three-year cycles of history, science, art/literature, and Christian Studies. Progressing at various levels, history courses delve into ancient, medieval, modern, and Oklahoma history. Science courses cover astronomy, botany, geology, meteorology, physics, and chemistry. Bible studies span Christian Character, Old and New Testament, worldview, logic, dialogue, debate, philosophy, and ethics. Art and literature classes nurture appreciation for beauty through art, music, poetry, and literature. Thoughtfully designed, Shine's classes foster critical thinking, effective communication, and character through hands-on activities and lively discussions at each stage of learning.
Shine Graduates
Completion of Shine’s course of study allows students to fulfill transcript requirements for graduation in Oklahoma (with the exception of math and language arts, which each family completes independently). Graduating seniors receive an official high school transcript and graduation ceremony. It's important to remember, however, that Shine is not a school, but a tool to enrich your homeschooling experience. Our teachers guide learning and hands-on experiences, but each family is ultimately responsible for their own education. Shine complements your homeschool program, it does not replace it.
First Things First
While Shine does aid students in achieving their graduation goals, our ultimate aim isn't about completing a transcript or a ensuring test score; rather, it's to cultivate a passion for learning, nurture virtuous character, and equip students with tangible tools for enduring success. We believe that by prioritizing these things, academic achievement will naturally follow.
