The Essentials program is a bridge between the grammar and dialectic arts and prepares students for the Challenge program. This power-packed course guides students ages 9-12 and their parents through the foundational principles of language structure and analysis, the structure and style of writing and arithmetic speed and accuracy. Our essentials classes follow the Foundation program on community days and is comparable to the one-room schoolhouse, with all children doing the same thing regardless of age. This encouraging environment allows students to be servants to each other without focusing on age, grade, or ability levels. Students emerge prepared to tackle foreign languages, essays, and pre-algebra confidently when these simple – yet often neglected – skills are mastered.