INDIVIDUALIZED CURRICULUM

 from

ALPHA OMEGA PUBLICATIONS

 We believe Alpha Omega Publications represents the future direction of Christian education.  Personalized instruction means recognizing the uniqueness of each student. God has made every individual different, and each student brings to school a unique combination of abilities, background, and motivations that affect the way he learns.  Every teacher with conventional classroom experience knows the frustration of trying to keep some students caught up with the rest of the class, while simultaneously dealing with others who are bored because the pace is too slow.  The personalized approach tailors the curriculum to each learner, freeing the teacher to work with pupils one-on-one within the classroom. 

A.O.P. has its roots in the early movement toward personalized Christian curriculum.  Alpha Omega began in 1977 when a group of developers who were experienced in individualized learning came together to publish curriculum that placed an emphasis on critical thinking skills.  They called their new curriculum “LIFEPACs,” “Learning Individually for Excellence Promotes Academic Confidence”. A complete curriculum, grades 1-12, was published in five subject areas:  Bible, language arts, mathematics, history/geography, and science.  Various electives were also added.

A.O.P. emphasizes thinking skills.  This alone sets Alpha Omega apart from its predecessor.  Instead of relying solely on repetitive read-and-fill-in-the-blank activities and memorization of answers, the LIFEPACs and SOS require students to use reasoning skills.  One way is using teacher-graded questions for which there is no pat answer.  Responding with sentences or paragraphs requires students to manipulate facts and concepts mentally to generate sensible answers — in other words, to practice higher-order thinking skills.  Having  a qualified teacher thus becomes more important than with the other program. 

A.O.P. has a more up-to-date scope and sequence.  Without sacrificing Biblical truth, Alpha Omega has worked to align its curriculum with state and national standards so that Christian students will not be at a disadvantage in comparison with their public school peers. 

A.O.P. provides twelve full grade levels of Bible courses.  Stressing the authority of Scripture and historic Christian doctrine, without promoting a specific denomination, these courses bring students face-to-face with God’s claims upon their lives..