Do you have a statement of faith?
We believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Lord and Savior. We believe in the inspiration and authority of the Bible. We have no denominational bias or agenda that lies behind what we present. We strive in all we do simply to be Christians.We do not have a formal statement of faith, nor do we promote one particular creed or confession. We encourage families to study the Bible together. You can read more about our perspective and approach.
Where can I look at your curriculum in person?
We attend curriculum fairs in several states. Please look at our events page to see if we or one of our distributors plan to be in your area. We also have a list of other vendors who carry selected Notgrass Company resources.
What are the differences between various editions of your curriculum?
See this page for a summary of changes we have made to our curriculum.
Do you have a list of updates and corrections?
See this page.
Do you have any suggestions for a writing curriculum?
The Institute for Excellence in Writing has a curriculum that helps you as the parent learn to teach writing, and they have registered instructors who can provide help with writing analysis. We have found The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White to be concise and helpful. Other resources that have been recommended to us include The Elegant Essay by Lesha Myers, Format Writing by Frode Jensen, Writing Skills by Diana Hanbury King, and Teaching the Essay and Teaching the Research Paper by Robin Finley. Reconciliation Press offers writing instruction services.
Are your courses suitable for use in a co-op?
We designed our courses for use by individual families. However, we have had several co-ops use our courses for group study. Here are a few suggestions for group study:
- Survey. You might present a quick survey of the key points from each unit. This could help students who haven't known quite how to fit it all together. You could ask a thought question or two from each lesson in the unit to prompt group discussion. Look at the quizzes to get ideas about the major points.
- Student Discussion. You can give the students time each week to ask questions or share new insights they have gained from the previous week's lessons and reading. It would be a shame to have a student struggling with a question that you could answer or bursting with excitement over a new idea, only to miss the opportunity for a teachable moment because of your pre-planned agenda. This will help to keep students from getting frustrated or falling behind, and it will allow them to see the relevance to their lives of what they are studying. Let them know how excited you are about the subject. Your excitement may be contagious!
- Public Speaking. You might have a student read an excerpt aloud from the document book and then discuss it, or you might schedule a debate on some topic. Your students could also read their essays to the group.
- Research. You might assign students to do additional research on a topic mentioned in a unit as a way to make the lessons more personal.
- Field Trips. By all means, if you are in a position to do so, schedule a field trip (ideally, with the parents coming also). This will help the material come alive more than just about anything else you could do.
Do you offer discounts for groups or co-ops?
We have chosen not to offer a discount on our curriculum for groups. However, we offer free shipping on orders over $250 sent to one address. If your group orders together, each family can save the normal shipping fee.
