Junior Scholar (transition): A Closer Look
The Junior Scholar Learning Guides are available FREE. This program is administered in the home by parents as the primary mentor. The Junior Scholar is an Aspiring Scholar making a transition from family-centered learning, to discovery learning, laying the foundation for later scholar learning. The Junior Scholar needs a varied educational experience, where the love of learning is developed through primarily, but not limited to, discovery and project learning. We still consider Junior Scholars to be aspiring and therefore they still participate with the younger youth in family-centered learning activities.
Junior Scholar Tools (record keeping)
The Junior Scholar Notebook is different from the Personal Scholar Portfolio. It is designed to help the Junior Scholar make the transition to Young Scholar. This book helps the youth keep track of weekly parent interviews. Here is also a place to keep transcription (copy work), narrations, maps of countries studied, art prints studied, a weather log, and more.
A Book of Centuries is a time line in a binder, spanning Centuries and Continents. The Junior Scholar can compile this book, over a period of years. The Book of Centuries becomes like an encyclopedia created by the Junior Scholar.
The Book of Nations is a binder prepared by the Junior Scholar to accompany his study of physical and political geography, a place for drawings of flags, maps and other knowledge the Junior Scholar might want to remember from studies.
Weekly Interviews (Personal Time Management, Goal Setting, and Accountability)
Weekly interviews are for building a closer relationship between youth, parent, and God. Goal-getters are prayerfully decided and progress prayerfully evaluated together. A special targeting and tracking page, called a Personal Victory List is included in the Junior Scholar Notebook for this purpose. This is important preparation for becoming a young scholar and learning to make and keep commitments.
Stepping Into Character / News Reporter (History, Presentation, Speech, Drama)
The Junior Scholar can select a person from a list of individuals, compiled by the academy, from the historical period being studied this year, and research that person from history. Then the Junior Scholar can: dress up as that person, or be a news reporter and give a dramatic presentation to their family, invite another family to join them, or to present this to a local Aspiring Scholar group. The Junior Scholar can Step into Character or be a News Reporter, of that person and perform his presentation at Family Night or another family designated time. Where a few families with young aspiring scholars decide to get together, the junior scholar may want to do it for the families in the group. Stepping into Character makes it so the Junior Scholar can role-play being great people from history. News Reporting makes it so the Junior Scholar does not have to pretend to be the evil people from history that they will study, but can still share what they have learned about these people and their impact on the world.
Language of My Fathers (Spelling and Grammar)
The written word was given from God to Adam. Adam taught his children how to read and write. God has commanded through our prophets that we teach our children to read the scriptures and record their spiritual, as well as temporal journey upon this earth. The Junior Scholar, when ready, studies a phonetic spelling rule or grammar rule each week (or faster if they desire to), and uses the scriptures in this process.
Math Matters (Arithmetic)
God expects us to learn math, or else, how could we keep His commandments and figure our tithes and offerings, or provide for our own? Math really does matter; we use math everyday. Math is a language that needs perpetual use and refinement. Junior Scholars will be studying the lives and contributions of great mathematicians. Junior Scholars, when ready, study an arithmetic rule a week (or faster if they desire to), to understand and apply.
Workmanship of My Hands (Handwork)
We are children of God. He has endowed us with the Divine attribute of creativity. God referred to the things that He had created, as the workmanship of His hands. He did not call them craft or art. Both craft and art have origins that associate them with deception. When we create, we are expressing our Divine Nature and inner drive to organize matter in a different way. This is an opportunity to develop skills through the workmanship of their hands, working on projects.
Writing – A Sacred Gift (Writing, Penmanship, and Research Skills)
God has commanded man, since the time of Adam to keep records. The writing program follows a natural progression and is based on counsel to keep good records, prepare personal and family histories, and develop extended family organizations. Each year a new type of record keeping is added, while the habits established are continued.
The writing program:
* Cycle I: Journals and Correspondence
* Cycle II: Personal Histories
* Cycle III: Family History Research and Compilation
* Cycle IV: Family Newspaper or Newsletter
Simply Science (Natural Science)
Junior Scholars can do science projects, and/or experiments. Experiments and observation assist Junior Scholars in discovering, understanding, and appreciating the majesty of God’s natural laws and His Creations. We start with natural science, as a foundation of all scientific studies. “Simply Science,” is just that–SIMPLE. Junior Scholars will also be studying the lives and contributions of great scientists.
God’s Handwriting on the Earth (Physical Geography)
The Heavens and the earth were the first classic God prepared for us in mortality. God created them for our benefit, learning, and blessing. All things testify of Him who created them. Therefore we study His creations. Junior Scholars study the geography of the earth. To study geography, Junior Scholars study the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere through:
* Take nature walks once a week and observe nature, with their families
* Keep and use nature notebooks
* Build a weather station and keep a weather log.
* Include map-work in their Book Of Centuries and/or Book of Nations
Colloquia (Listening, Thinking, and Speaking)
Junior scholars have colloquia with their parents and siblings. Where possible two or more families may want to gather, once a month to have a colloquia on a book that they are reading to their families.
Young Scriptorian (Memorization)
This is designed to write the Words of God on the Junior Scholar’s heart. Junior scholars work on understanding and committing to memory, the scripture mastery scriptures, the Articles of Faith, The Living Christ, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, other inspired words and scriptures.
Hands To Serve, Hearts To God (Service)
Learning to serve God plays an essential role in rearing a generation of Godly leaders. We learn from King Benjamin, that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are serving God. The junior scholar looks for ways to serve others each day. The Junior Scholar keeps a record of service and, when inspired, records insights and experiences associated with that service.
Nations, Tongues and People (Political Geography)
Junior Scholars get a basic introduction to a language and culture each year:
* Introduction to Hebrew
* Introduction to Greek and Greek Roots
* Introduction to Latin and Latin Roots
* The Melting Pot Approach to learning a modern foreign language.
Junior Scholars also record findings, important to them about other nations, in their Book of Nations.
Click here to visit the Aspiring Scholar Programs: A Closer Look page.