TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
THE MASTER’S STUDY
Readiness Guidelines - Kindergarten
Readiness – Kindergarten
The Master’s Study asks that all applicant families carefully and prayerfully consider the placement
of their new student into any kindergarten program. While there is no perfect formula to determine
when your child is truly ready, the following list will give you an idea of the necessary skills a child
should have mastered in order to receive the greatest benefit from kindergarten in The Master’s
Study.
The Master’s Study recommends the student be age 5 by the 1st of July. Remember, age is only one
factor to consider. There are additional elements that need to be considered, including emotional
development, personality, energy and stamina, and each child’s personality. Keep in mind that
young children change so fast. If they can't do something this week, they may be able to do it a few
weeks later! Even if a check box is not completed today, carefully evaluate the forward motion of
your student. If you see progress in that direction, then you are on the right track.
Social & Emotional Development
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
Listen to stories without interrupting
Follow 2-step directions
Pay attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
Dress themselves (button, zip, and snap with minimal help)
Approach learning enthusiastically/eager to explore and discover
Uses words instead of being physical when angry
Initiate and sustain appropriate play with other children
Begin to share with others and understand taking turns
Separate from parents for extended period of time without being upset
Can work independently on a given task
Concentrate quietly on an assigned task for at least 10 min. (e.g. cleaning up room)
Take care of toilet needs independently (including washing hands)
Get Coat on and off and hang it up
Comply with rules, limits, and routines/ Able to recognize authority
Motor Skill (Fine and Gross)
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hold scissors correctly
Hold a pencil, crayon, or marker properly
Put together a 10-12 piece puzzle independently
Ride a tricycle
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Run, jump, and skip
Walk backward
Walks up and down stairs
Bounce and Catch a ball
Using a pencil, can trace and draw a straight line, with control
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Speak in complete sentences of 5-8 words
Sing and/or recite nursery rhymes
Enjoy having books read to him/her
Ask questions about things around him/her
Verbally and appropriately respond to a topic
Express her/his ideas so others can understand her/him
Can tell a story about a past event
Recognize rhyming sounds
Hold a book and turn pages one at a time
Retell a story after listening to it and/or answer simple questions about the story
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Identify most alphabet letters
Knows some of the letter sounds
Count to 10
Correctly count at least 5 objects
Attempt to print own first name
Recognize and identify 5 colors
Understand concepts such as on/off; front/back; in/out; under/on etc.
Know his/her body parts (head, shoulders, knees, etc.)
Participate in art/music activities
Identify own first name in writing
Recognize shape ()
a.
b.
c.
d.
Knows his/her full name
Knows how old he/she is
Knows his/her address and telephone #
Knows his/her mother’s and father’s first names
Language
Academic
Personal
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
THE MASTER’S STUDY
Readiness Guidelines – Upper Grammar School
Upper Grammar 4
As parents begin to prepare their Lower Grammar School student for Upper Grammar, the following
guidelines should be considered. While there is no perfect formula to determine your student’s
potential for success in the Upper Grammar School, the following list will give you an idea of the
necessary skills a child should have or be in the process of mastering in order to receive the greatest
benefit at The Master’s Study. This list is not intended to be a checklist to determine eligibility, but
rather a preparedness yardstick for the parent/teacher at home to use within in the home school
setting.
Reading

Reading literature aimed at 9-12 year olds
a. TMS suggests having students read aloud periodically to assess a student’s reading
level & comprehension
b. Examples
i. “Ramona” and “Henry Huggins” books by Beverly Cleary
ii. The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Warner
iii. “Stuart Little”, “Charlotte’s Web” & other like titles by E. B. White
iv. “The Cricket in Times Square” & other like titles by George Selden
v. Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
c. should be able to read uninterrupted 30 minutes per day.
d. Is accustomed to reading from varying sources
i. books (fiction and non-fiction) & text books
ii. Magazines & newspapers
iii. on-line sources (when directed by parent/teacher)
e. Can use self-induced strategies to determine the meaning of a word when unknown
yet presented in context in a reading text. This includes recognition of words with
multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, and root words
f. Can read and make predictions.
g. Can recognize main idea and corresponding supporting ideas in a paragraph,
chapter, and work in it’s entirety
h. Can, with some prompting, identify plot, setting, characters, and type of genre
i. Can read and organize information for a variety of purposes including, but not
limited to:
i. orally retell or recount what has been read
ii. gathering information
iii. preparing for examination (written test, oral review)
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
iv. performing a task
Can identify and sequence events in a work after reading
i. In doing so, student can recognize cause and effect
k. Is beginning to recognize and understand fact versus opinion and comparison &
contrast.
l. Can read for content and comprehension then answer a question in a complete
sentence.
j.
Writing




Can write a solid paragraph with lead sentence, supporting sentences and conclusion in
standard paragraph form
Should recognize and correctly use basic parts of speech
a. subject & verb with agreement
b. noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, objects, prepositions.
Presents writing using appropriate conventions of…
a. capitalization (capitalization within composition, in quotations, and titles)
b. punctuation (use of periods, commas, apostrophes in contractions & as notation of
possession)
Is familiar (but may not have yet mastered) graphic organizers, story webs or maps,
brainstorming and other techniques which are part of a pre-writing process
Speaking & Listening




Can speak fluently and audibly with appropriate volume, gestures and eye contact
Uses age appropriate vocabulary
Can organize ideas for oral presentation
Participates willingly and appropriately in guided group discussion
Study Skills





Student has the ability to copy information down from another source: a chalkboard, a
book, an overhead, etc.
Student can organize words alphabetically.
Student understands the use of a Table of Contents and Index
Student can use the dictionary and/or encyclopedia well.
Student knows how to organize his/her folder or notebook as directed (i.e. homework in
one pocket/ completed work in another pocket)
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
Upper Grammar 5
As parents prepare their students for Upper Grammar 6, the following guidelines should be
considered.
The following list will give you an idea of the necessary skills a child should have or be in the process
of mastering in order to receive the greatest benefit at The Master’s Study. This list is not intended
to be a checklist to determine eligibility, but rather a preparedness yardstick for the parent/teacher
at home to use within in the home school setting.
Reading






Reading literature aimed at 10-12 year olds
a. TMS suggests having students read aloud periodically to assess a student’s reading
level & comprehension. Examples
i. “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and “The Black Pearl”, books by Scott
O’Dell
ii. The Chronicles of Narnia (any title) by C.S. Lewis
iii. “Brighty of the Grand Canyon”, “Misty of Chincoteague” & other like
titles by Marguerite Henry
iv. The Classic Starts series by varying authors (introduces literary classics)
v. Consider any of the titles on the assigned TMS booklist for the upcoming
year
Students should be able to read uninterrupted 30-45 minutes per day.
Students should be able to read and comprehend a book that is more informative/academic
in nature, in addition to leisure reading.
Students should be able and willing to read a book that is a bit beyond his comfortable
reading level.
Can use self-induced strategies to determine the meaning of a word when unknown yet
presented in context in a reading text.
a. This includes recognition of words with multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms,
homonyms, and root words.
b. Can read and make predictions.
c. Can recognize main idea and corresponding supporting ideas in a paragraph,
chapter, and work in its entirety
d. Can, with some prompting, identify plot, setting, characters, conflict, climax and
type of genre.
e. Is beginning to recognize and understand fact versus opinion
Can read for content and comprehension then answer questions in complete sentences.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
Writing






Can independently write a solid paragraph with topic sentence, supporting sentences and
conclusion.
Without prompting, the student should be able to write the paragraph in standard format
(indenting, correct punctuation, etc)
Evidence of this skill should be visible in basic forms of written communication, such as
letter or note writing, journal writing, or paragraphs spawned from a “story starter”
Should recognize and correctly use basic parts of speech
a. subject & verb with agreement
b. noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, objects, prepositions.
c. Evidence of this skill should be visible in basic forms of written communication, such
as letter or note write, journal writing, or paragraphs spawned from a “story starter”
Should be able to use a dictionary (print or online) to look up words that he/she cannot spell
correctly.
a. Student should have basic proofreading skills to correct a first draft of his/her
Progym or other writing. (While not expected to catch all mistakes, he/she should
recognize and correct some of them.)
b. Presents writing using appropriate conventions of capitalization and punctuation.
Speaking & Listening, Classroom Skills




Can speak fluently and audibly with appropriate volume, gestures and eye contact
Uses age appropriate vocabulary
Participates willingly and appropriately in guided group discussion
Be able to discern what comments are on topic during a class discussion and be able to hold
off-topic comments until an appropriate time.
Study Skills








Student has the ability to work independently for 20 minutes at a time
Student has the ability to copy information down from another source: a chalkboard, a
book, an overhead, etc.
Student can organize words alphabetically.
Student understands the use of a Table of Contents and Index.
Student can use the dictionary and thesaurus well.
Student knows how to organize his/her folder or notebook as directed (i.e. homework in
one pocket/ completed work in another pocket).
Student is beginning to take responsibility for his or her own school supplies and
assignments on a school day
Students should be working toward basic keyboard skills.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
Upper Grammar 6
As parents prepare their students for Upper Grammar 6, the following guidelines should be
considered. While there is no perfect formula to determine your student’s potential for success in
the Upper Grammar School, the following list will give you an idea of the of the necessary skills a
child should have or be in the process of mastering in order to receive the greatest benefit at The
Master’s Study. This list is not intended to be a checklist to determine eligibility, but rather a
preparedness yardstick for the parent/teacher at home to use within in the home school setting.
Reading






Reading literature aimed at 11-13 year olds
a. TMS suggests having students read aloud periodically to assess a student’s reading
level & comprehension. Examples
i. “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and “The Black Pearl”, books by Scott O’Dell
ii. “Treasure Island”, (any title) by Robert Lewis Stevenson
iii. “Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann Wyss
iv. “Call of the Wild” by Jack London
v. The Classic Starts series by varying authors (introduces literary classics)
vi. Consider any of the titles on the assigned TMS booklist for the upcoming
year
Students should be able to read uninterrupted 40-50 minutes per day.
Students should be able to read and comprehend a book that is more informative/academic
in nature, in addition to leisure reading. This includes works such as biographies, journals,
some primary-source documents, and non-fiction articles.
Students should be able and willing to read a book that is a bit beyond his comfortable
reading level.
Student can use self-induced strategies to determine the meaning of a word when unknown
yet presented in context in a reading text.
a. This includes recognition of words with multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms,
homonyms, and root words.
b. Can read and make predictions, recognize main idea and corresponding supporting
ideas in a paragraph, chapter, and work in its entirety
c. Can, with some prompting, identify plot, setting, characters, conflict, climax and
type of genre.
d. Is progressing in the ability to recognize and understand fact versus opinion
Student can read for content and comprehension then answer questions in complete
sentences.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
Writing






The student should be able to independently write a solid paragraph with topic sentence,
supporting sentences and conclusion in standard format (indenting, correct punctuation,
etc.)
The student should, with prompting, be able to organize a multi--paragraph work.
a. It is assumed that students who are familiar with the Progymnasmata will have, at
this point, mastered the Fable-Narrative stage.
The student should recognize and correctly use basic parts of speech
a. subject & verb with agreement
b. noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, objects, prepositions.
c. Evidence of this skill should be visible in basic forms of written communication, such
as letter or note write, journal writing, or paragraphs spawned from a “story starter”
The student should be able to use a dictionary (print or online) to look up words that he/she
cannot spell correctly.
a. Student should have basic proofreading skills to correct a first draft of his/her
Progym or other writing. (While not expected to catch all mistakes, he/she should
recognize and correct some of them.)
b. Presents writing using appropriate conventions of capitalization and punctuation.
The student should be using other reference materials appropriately, including a thesaurus
and Latin-English dictionary.
The student is familiar with and is beginning to assemble Resources Pages / Bibliographies
as it relates to written work.
a. The student should be citing works in homework in some fashion.
Speaking & Listening, Classroom Skills




Can speak fluently and audibly with appropriate volume, gestures and eye contact
Uses age appropriate vocabulary
Participates willingly and appropriately in guided group discussion
Be able to discern what comments are on topic during a class discussion and be able to hold
off-topic comments until an appropriate time.
Study Skills





Student has the ability to work independently for 30 minutes at a time
Student has the ability to copy information down from another source: a chalkboard, a
book, an overhead, etc.
Student can organize words alphabetically.
Student understands the use of a Table of Contents and Index.
Student can use the dictionary and thesaurus well.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014



Student is growing in his or her ability to use on-line search engines appropriately, selecting
appropriate and relevant key words.
Student knows how to organize his/her study materials directed.
a. Student is beginning to take responsibility for his or her own school supplies and
assignments on a school day
Students should be working toward basic keyboard skills.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014
THE MASTER’S STUDY
Readiness Guidelines – Dialectic School
As parents prepare their students for the Dialectic School, a few guidelines should be considered.
The following list will give you an idea of the necessary skills a child should have or be in the process
of mastering in order to receive the greatest benefit at The Master’s Study. This list is not intended
to be a checklist to determine eligibility, but rather a preparedness yardstick for the parent at home
to use within the home school setting.
Reading





Reading literature aimed at 13-15 year olds
a. TMS suggests having students read aloud periodically to assess a student’s reading
level & comprehension
i. The Hobbit by Tolkein
ii. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
iii. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
iv. Consider any of the titles on the assigned TMS booklist for the upcoming
year
Students should be able to read uninterrupted for at least an hour each day.
Students should be able to read and comprehend a book that is more informative/academic
in nature, in addition to leisure reading.
a. Students should be able and willing to read a book that is a bit beyond his or her
comfortable reading level.
b. Students can use self-induced strategies to determine the meaning of a word when
unknown yet presented in context in a reading text. This includes recognition of
words with multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, and root words.
c. Students can read and make predictions.
d. Students can recognize main idea and corresponding supporting ideas in a
paragraph, chapter, and work in its entirety.
e. Students can identify plot, setting, characters, conflict, climax and type of genre.
Students should be familiar with terms such as: symbolism, theme and characterization,
and with some prompting, should be able to find examples of such within a text.
Students can read for content and comprehension, as well as identify, with some prompting,
the author's intent and messages which may be present in the literature.
Writing

Can write a narrative/fable(1) independently
a. Of course, this assumes that the parent edits and offers feedback.
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014








b. Student can incorporate a teacher's/parent's comments as he/she rewrites her
work.
Can complete a Chreia(2) with some assistance
a. Student may need help with converse, analogy, and testimony (finding the right
quote).
Can independently write a solid five paragraph essay
a. Without prompting, the student should be able to write the essay in standard
format (indenting, correct punctuation, etc)
b. Students should be able to identify parts within a story that will help them
specifically answer an essay question.
Should recognize and correctly use basic parts of speech
a. Subject & verb with agreement/ verb tense agreement within a paragraph
b. Noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, objects, prepositions
i. Should be able to utilize prepositional phrases and adverbs as transitional
elements within a paper
ii. Evidence of this skill should be visible in writing
Should be able to use a dictionary (print or on-line) to look up words that he/she cannot
spell correctly
Should be able to use a thesaurus (print or on-line) to look up words to vary his/her
vocabulary within a written assignment
Should have basic proofreading skills to correct a first draft of his/her Progym or other
writing
a. While not expected to catch all mistakes, he/she should recognize and correct some
of them.
Presents writing using appropriate conventions of capitalization and punctuation.
The Master’s Study uses the progymnasmata approach to writing. When evaluating a
student’s ability and readiness for Progym elements, please consider visiting the following:
www.classicalcomposition.com
Speaking and Listening/Classroom Behavior


Can speak fluently and audibly with appropriate volume, gestures and eye contact
a. Uses age appropriate vocabulary
As he/she will be participating in a Socratic circle discussion, student will
a. Present his/her opinions willingly within the circle
b. Take notes when participating in outer circle
c. Encourage others to give their thoughts about a given topic
d. Listen to others well and carefully and be able to respond
e. Participates willingly and appropriately in guided group discussion
f. Be able to discern what comments are on-topic during a class discussion and be able
to hold off-topic comments until an appropriate time.
Basic Study Skills
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TMS Policy and Procedure
Academic Policy – Lower School – Excerpts: Readiness
Document updated 12/27/2014








Student has the ability to work independently for an hour at a time.
Student has the ability to copy information down from another source: a chalkboard, a
book, an overhead, etc.
Student understands the use of a Table of Contents and Index.
Student can use the dictionary and thesaurus well.
Student knows how to organize his/her folder or notebook as directed (i.e. tabs for each
subject and assignments/notes placed under appropriate tabs.)
Student takes responsibility for writing down his/her assignments, preparing his/her work
for class and organizing it in order to be prepared for Monday's classes.
Student should become familiarized with Bravelo.
a. Be able to look up and print out assignments.
b. Be able to check and respond on message boards.
Students should have mastered basic keyboarding skills.
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