ABOUT FHAI

Marcus Kline, Director, FHAI

In an Afrikan centered context, our purpose is building Afrikan children to be exceptional, academically intense, driven and disciplined human beings. Its organic approach concentrates on Reading, Mathematics, Focus, Geography, Health, and Cultural Enrichment. We are a private home school institution with specific measurable goals.

OUR CURRICULUM

AIS Intelligence

The program we use, AIS Intelligence, has bold moves, with major shifts and reversals from traditional American education. This program is built on a lifestyle of Afrikan centered consciousness, movement towards a self determined existence, political education, and homeschooling. We recognize that in order for our Afrikan youth to be global critical-free thinkers, that many “normal” Western practices and tendencies have to be thrown away to truly embrace this revolutionary vehicle of education. This program is tightly regimented and disciplined environment is its key to success. We develop these thinkers’ potential at their own pace through frequency, duration, and techniques of FLOW [© AIS Intelligence].

Our environment is strict and behaviorally structured. The instructors give intense energy into the success of each student’s academic performance in a 52 week school year. The self learning concept fosters habits of reading and the ability to think beyond school level. This also helps foster the ability to solve problems never faced before. Based on the structured environment, behavioral disruptions are not tolerated as it disrupts the flow of the program.

Our Curriculum

Our Afrikan Centered Schools are founded with principles of academic excellence, Afrikan consciousness and pride, integrity, and political awareness. We offer Math, Science, English, French, Afrikan Ourstory and Urban Agriculture and Sustainability along with Chess, Jiu-Jitsu and Tai-Chi. The goal is to educate, nurture and prepare our children to be global competitors. Meet our staff and learn how our students consistently exceed traditional standards.

Principles

We developed The Principles of Positive and Critical Thinking which includes one of these principles as being the principle of identity which asserts instruction of the major subjects are rooted in identity--instruction from an African center. Assertive with brevity along with logical thought, we analyze what is there. With creative thought, we contemplate what ISN'T there and vision is the art of seeing the invisible. Our children have the potential of creative thinking. Stay Clarity is always the preeminent concern when writing, and the most important factors that determine a clear sentence are word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation. People often associate clarity with sentence length, but a 55-word sentence can be immediately clear, and a 12-word sentence can leave you puzzled. It depends on whether the words are easy to grasp, the sentence is easy to follow, and the punctuation conveys a clear meaning. So our 4 and 5 year olds are instructed and guided through sentence structure, coupled with vocabulary building, while mastering parts of speech.

A Distinct Approach to Education

Our method – regimented and demanding – focuses on teaching students to analyze and critically solve problems. Our students pursue a rigorous curriculum in reading, writing, mathematics, and science; and they begin in the early grades to study foreign languages, music, and the arts. In the process, they learn to be responsible and independent in their studies, and to work on their own and with others.

Our curriculum provides a continuum of skills in each of the core subject areas in order to allow for earlier mastery and greater depth of understanding than would be anticipated in a more typical curriculum. It places heavy emphasis on critical and creative thinking, inquiry and discovery strategies, problem solving, and rapid pacing.

The quality of students’ products is determined by appropriate levels of achievement and demonstrated proficiency. In the Iwa through Panther grade level, work is evaluated according to defined benchmarks. Assessments are a combination of narrative and rubric.

CORE CURRICULUM

CODE OF CONDUCT

TEACHING METHODS

Instruction can be divided into two broad categories-proactive and reactive. These two styles of instruction stem from very different psychological bases. The proactive style is learner-centered and views learning as an individualized process of discovery and growth. In this mode, learners take the initiative and assume the primary responsibility for their education; the teacher acts as the facilitator or catalyst, taking cues from the learners’ interests. Planning is fluid and somewhat open.

Reactive instruction places the learner in the position of responder. The teacher is the initiator and carries the major responsibility for whatever learning takes place. The assumption is that learners must, to some extent, be force-fed. The teacher is the planner, decision maker, and court of appeal. The learner reacts to the teacher’s initiatives, plans and decisions, and relies on the teacher’s assessment of his or her progress.

We utilize both methods based on the students learning style. We use manipulatives, repetition, and memory as well. We also encourage thought and comprehension through association. We utilize audio, Chalkboard, Debates, Displays, Field trips/research, Flip chart, Illustrated lecture, Large & small group, Real objects, Simulation, Supervised study, Verbal illustrations, Writing, Brainstorming, Demonstration, Dramatizations, Films-video, Games, Independent study, Library research, Oral recitation, Projects, Resource persons, Slides, Team teaching, Bulletin boarding, Community study, Discovery, Drill & practice, Information sheets, Listening, Question & Answer, Review, Speaking, Visual illustrations, Homework, Lab work, List/Diagram, Problem solving, Read out loud, Role-playing, Step-by-step.

TEACHING METHODS

Instruction can be divided into two broad categories-proactive and reactive. These two styles of instruction stem from very different psychological bases. The proactive style is learner-centered and views learning as an individualized process of discovery and growth. In this mode, learners take the initiative and assume the primary responsibility for their education; the teacher acts as the facilitator or catalyst, taking cues from the learners’ interests. Planning is fluid and somewhat open.

Reactive instruction places the learner in the position of responder. The teacher is the initiator and carries the major responsibility for whatever learning takes place. The assumption is that learners must, to some extent, be force-fed. The teacher is the planner, decision maker, and court of appeal. The learner reacts to the teacher’s initiatives, plans and decisions, and relies on the teacher’s assessment of his or her progress.

We utilize both methods based on the students learning style. We use manipulatives, repetition, and memory as well. We also encourage thought and comprehension through association. We utilize audio, Chalkboard, Debates, Displays, Field trips/research, Flip chart, Illustrated lecture, Large & small group, Real objects, Simulation, Supervised study, Verbal illustrations, Writing, Brainstorming, Demonstration, Dramatizations, Films-video, Games, Independent study, Library research, Oral recitation, Projects, Resource persons, Slides, Team teaching, Bulletin boarding, Community study, Discovery, Drill & practice, Information sheets, Listening, Question & Answer, Review, Speaking, Visual illustrations, Homework, Lab work, List/Diagram, Problem solving, Read out loud, Role-playing, Step-by-step.