The A Beka Curriculum

Hampton Cove Christian Academy utilizes a proven Christian-based curriculum package called A Beka, founded by Mrs. Beka Horton and her husband Dr. Arlin Horton, who are also founders of the Pensacola Christian College in Florida.

Academic Excellence in a Caring Christian Environment. A challenging early learning approach, A Beka has a comprehensive prospectus, centered on the fundamental principles of Christianity that HCCA believes is essential to establishing a strong foundation for future learning experiences in children.

Inspired by Mrs. Horton's call for higher quality textbooks, which are the cornerstone of the A Beka learning system, the method also includes teacher's guides, teaching aids, testing templates, and recommended lesson plans, shown to boost a child's learning at least one grade level ahead of the average public school. The idea that the same public school first-grader learns through the A Beka method at a second-grade level, is key to HCCA achieving its objective to provide academic excellence.

And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Learning to Think. Most Alabama public schools use the state-mandated Whole Language (Transformational Grammar) method to teach grammar and reading. The difference between WLTG and A BEKA is its intensive ’phonetic approach’. A Beka uses a proven, step-by-step reading plan, based on the sounds of each letter. This proven successful program for beginning readers is in dire contrast to the current ‘public school’ methodology of rote-memorization and site-based recognition techniques garnished with phonics. Furthermore, this systematic reading method requires that each student be trained in critical and analytical thinking.

For example, rather than being told c-a-t spells cat, they are taught why c-a-t spells cat. Students learn time-tested tools or ‘phonetic rules’ that when applied, teaches them how to figure out words for themselves - in other words - they learn how to think!

The action-oriented, progressive public school methodology doesn't encourage the discipline necessary for ‘independent critical thinking’. 'Learning to think’ is not a by-product of ‘learning the subject matter’ and a child cannot learn to think in a vacuum (concepts without content). 

In addition, HCCA's A Beka-trained teachers make learning fun, interesting, and memorable using learning materials that reflect sensible theory, firmly anchored to practicality.