Kaizen Academy’s academic focus is on inspiring young students. Primary education builds the foundation for all future educational experiences. With that in mind, Kaizen is proud to boast our enriching curriculum and extension activities that provide a high-quality education with a focus on instilling a love for learning in students. To that end, our teachers are enthusiastic and passionate, and deliver the curriculum in an engaging way for young students. Kaizen’s core curriculum is the Accelerated Christian Education program which has been around for over 60 years and is used around the world.
Conventional educational programs take the student through a spiral of material while introducing him to new skills in sequence. Since students are grouped chronologically, their learning is lockstepped and so they receive the same material at the same time. This method has had it’s challenges over the past few years as we are finding more and more that students maturity level and their learning rates vary, even when compared to others of their chronological age. The above-average student may master the skill the first time he is exposed to it, the average student may pick up part of it, and the below-average student will often grasp only a minimum amount or fail to understand it entirely. As the spiral continues, some students stay out in front while others are left behind for a season (or for good).
The A.C.E. program is designed around a new format: that of building skill upon skill. The scope and sequence ignores the concept of grade levels and moves with continuous progress beginning with the first skill to be mastered. Depending on their ability and motivation levels, students may move ahead rapidly or take as long as necessary, but each student masters the material.
As the student moves upward, level after level, and moves into new concepts, he is far better prepared to learn because he has mastered the skill on the previous level. He does not advance until he has mastered each concept. He is not lockstepped with his classmates but is learning individually and completely before advancing. A.C.E. implements a unique and effective system.
The A.C.E. program provides students with a complete academic curriculum that includes skill building, goal setting, reading practice, character building, and Biblical integration. This complete package begins with reading development and progresses from there, giving students a solid foundation for the remainder of their educational journey beyond the primary years, and for pursuing their life goals.
The unique structure of the A.C.E. program allows students who are more skilled to progress at a faster rate or accelerate in the areas of their academic strengths because learning is not lock-stepped. By extension, students who experience challenges in select academic areas are encouraged to do their best but are able to work at their levels of proficiency and proceed as they are capable.
Each core subject consists of 12 PACE’s per level. Typically, students work daily on one PACE in each subject and may be performing at varying levels. The results from the diagnostic test given upon entry into Kaizen Academy’s A.C.E. program, is used to help identify academic weaknesses and prescribe a path to help students master gap areas. Most students complete at least 70 PACEs per year and achieve academic balance by completing about the same number of PACEs in each assigned subject.
What is A PACE?
In the A.C.E. Program, the conventional style textbook has been divided into bite-sized, achievable worktexts called PACEs. Each PACE is similar to a unit in a textbook. Each level consists of 12 PACEs in each subject. Each PACE integrates Godly character-building lessons into the academic content, and self-instructional activities are carefully designed to develop thinking skills and create mastery learning.
The A.C.E. program stands out from other curriculum providers with its individualized, self-instructional, mastery-based approach. With minimal assistance, PACEs allow students to absorb subject material according to their own learning ability rather than being pushed forward or held back by their age. For instance, a student placed in the fifth grade by a conventional school may be taking PACEs in Level 4 math, Level 5 science, and Level 5 english in the A.C.E. program. Students may move ahead in some subject areas and proceed at a slower pace in others.
Students engage in impromptu-passion project & hands-on activities designed to explore their personal interests and passions.
Students will have opportunities to engage in afterschool activities in arts, sciences, humanities & technology.
Older students can embark on a short-term mission trip with other students from different countries to assist schools in need.
Students engage in field trips to knit classroom learning to the world around them.
Students physical development and health are encouraged through movement activities at least once per week.
Students have access to computers to enhance learning experiences and promote growth.
