Homeschool Curriculum Infant Classes
Our Irish Homeschool Curriculum: Infant Classes are specifically designed to inspire our youngest students with Wonder and Awe for their Creator & for the world around them. As your smallest children take the first steps in their education, we want to introduce them to the Good, the True, and the Beautiful through a look at our Catholic Faith, Irish History & Language, Science and the Fine Arts. In Senior Infants, we build upon the basic education of Junior Infants, and also begin teaching Reading and Maths.
Our Homeschool Curriculum for the Infant Classes provides a gentle introduction to the Good, the True & the Beautiful.
Our main objective at The Hedge School is to make sure all of our students are well grounded in the Catholic Faith, and we accomplish this at this early stage by providing daily lessons in the Bible, the Catechism and the Lives of the Saints. We encourage our enrolled families to pray with their children regularly, and to help them to understand the Mass–to encourage them to grow in the virtues infused into their souls in Baptism.
As an Irish curriculum, we have a special focus on our beloved homeland. We study Irish History and Gaeilge as subjects, but our culture and heritage also pervade each of the other subject areas. In the Infant classes, we learn about our Saintly forbears in the Faith, our mythology in the Literature course and our native flora and fauna in the Science course.
At this early stage, we want to ensure the child has ample time to explore the world around him, as this is the best way to gain knowledge for the young child. Our lessons should only take about 1-2 hours per day, for 4 days per week and are scheduled at relaxed and engaging pace.
As an affordable Irish homeschool curriculum, we promise that there is never a need to import books or Lesson Plans from abroad–we are an Irish curriculum for Ireland. The majority of our books are available for FREE in the Irish Library System or online. The cost to purchase the required remaining books is only about €100-€125 per year for the Infant years. (But you’re of course welcome to purchase all the books if desired!)
Socialisation can be a concern for some parents–to show our support for our families and for wholesome Catholic community, we organise 3 to 4 (Hedge)School Tours throughout Ireland every school year. Please click here for more information about this: (Hedge)School Tours.
Junior Infants
We’ll read Bible Stories & the Lives of the Saints, as well as a beautiful meditation on the Life of Our Lord for children.
In Irish, we will study Bróga Nua 2 and learn some basic vocabulary.
We’ll read famous poetry, the works of E.B. White & A.A. Milne, and the Fairy Tales of Grimm & Andersen.
In History & Geography, we will read about our Irish legends and Saints, and then enjoy a delightful picture book about Ireland.
We’ll explore nature and learn about our Irish wildlife.
Finally, we will enjoy famous paintings and listen to Peter & the Wolf and The Carnival of the Animals.
Senior Infants
We’ll read more Bible Stories & Saints’ Lives and begin to learn the Catechism with a child-friendly religion text.
In Irish, we will continue to study Bróga Nua 2, learn more vocabulary, and practise our comprehension with Cairde Nua.
We’ll learn to read and then have your child read classic tales in The Treadwell Primer. We’ll also learn to write!
In History & Geography, we will read about our Island’s story and then study 20 Irish Saints.
We’ll enjoy literature from ancient Ireland and a selection of children’s classic chapter books.
Next, we will take an introductory look at Maths and a broad overview of the Sciences.
We’ll enjoy famous paintings and The Nutcracker, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1.
