The Angelicum Academy Homeschool Program

Angelicum Academy

Angelicum Academy offers complete, classical, Catholic education programs for nursery through high school. Relying primarily on recommendations from Mortimer Adler and John Senior, this is "Great Books"-based education, that expands using other resources for covering the full range of academics. This is an advanced, very-challenging program. For example math is advanced a full year from the very beginning--second graders are using either Saxon Math 3 or Developmental Math levels 5 and 6. The program is broad as well as being advanced; it includes art, map skills, geography, history, language arts, literature (and Great Books), math, philosophy, logic, music, science, religion, foreign language, and Socratic discussion groups (beginning with third grade). However, parents may enroll their children in complete programs or any parts they might select.

They use an interesting mix of resources such as Sing, Spell, Read, and Write; A Beka handwriting books; Shurley Garmmar; Greenleaf Guides for history; Christ and the Americas; the Baltimore Catechism; National Geographic CD’s; Latin’s Not So Tough!; Power-glide; and Harcourt Brace science texts. These resources are in addition to 12-15 "real books". Books selected for the younger grade levels (k-6) include such titles as Winnie the Pooh, The Red Fairy Book, Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Huckleberry Finn, Otto of the Silver Hand, The Last of the Mohicans, For the Temple, and Tanglewood Tales.

Enrollment fees (per student) are $25 for nursery and preschool, $45 for kindergarten, and $295 for grades 1-12. This does not include books. Enrollment entitles the student/parent to daily lesson plans, participation in Socratic discussion groups (grades 3-12), educational consultation, quarterly tests in each course, test grading service, semester report cards, comprehensive testing about every 2 years, transcript, and 10% discount on book purchases other than the Great Books reading material. Great Books for younger levels (called "Good Books") run $99 per year for grades N-4, $145 for grade 5, and $195 for grade 6. You can select materials from different grade levels when appropriate. Some resources are used for a number of levels (e.g., National Geographic CD’s). While you can purchase "whole grade kits," you can also order all items individually. Cost will vary depending upon your choices, but, for illustration, the "whole grade kits" for K and grade 6 (with Saxon Math) are $411.30 and $569.35 respectively. These prices do not include foreign language and a few other items that are used for more than one grade level.

This is an ambitious program, but it does seem to offer plenty of parent support and flexibility.