PRE-ORDER NOTE: DIGITAL FILES WILL BE PLACED INTO THE DROPBOX AS COMPLETED, TO BE FINALIZED BY APRIL 30TH. PRINTED KITS BEGIN SHIPPING ON/AROUND JULY 1ST.  THE CURRENT PRE-ORDER SALE WILL END ON 3/31 (ALONG WITH THE FREE MENU COVER WITH PRINTED PRIMER BUNDLES). AFTER THAT, A NEW SALE WILL BEGIN, HOWEVER, THE PRICING WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE UNTIL THE PRINT KITS ARE IN STOCK IN JULY.

Gentle + Classical Primer has been designed for students in Kindergarten through 1st grade to explore literature, Creation science, scripture, catechism, math, poetry, art, music, and classic nursery rhymes in a gentle, classical way - combining the best that Classical Education and the Charlotte Mason philosophy have to offer.

The 2nd Edition of Primer has been redesigned to be more comprehensive while also simpler to implement. See a side-by-side comparison of the 2nd and 1st editions in the image gallery.

Who is it for?

This robust program fulfills requirements for literature, music, art, Bible, science, habits, and math memorization for early elementary students. Many families use it with children under 8, adding formal phonics and math curricula tailored to each child's level, and they continue to use it through multiple students since it's a non-consumable product. 

What's Included?

This BUNDLE includes:

• Teacher's Guide – The heart and soul of the program. This guide is part educational tool and part encouragement, filled with insight and inspiration.
  (Digital: 90 pages; Physical: full-color, perfect bound)
• Primer Art + Activity Guide – Offers detailed instruction for implementing all 30 units, including handicrafts, science activities, schedules, and connection prompts.
  (Digital: 200 pages; Physical: full-color, wire-o bound)
• Primer Companion Reader – Includes poetry, hymns, wonder tales, science readings, biographies, and more—correlated to the Primer units. Contains sensitive-reader versions of tales. Only four core books are required in addition.
  (Digital: 280 pages; Physical: full-color, perfect bound)
• Kindergarten Morning Binder – Available in print and cursive (digital only). Keeps foundational skills easy and engaging: sight words, letter sounds, calendar, emotions, weather, and more.
  (Digital: Print and Cursive – 134 pages each; Physical: Print font only, unbound)
• Memory Statement Cards – Build a Memory Statement Board in your home using cards covering: Math, Character + Catechism, Scripture, Art + Music, Wonder Tales, Creation Science, and Nursery Rhymes.
  (Digital: 118 pages; Physical: printed on 100lb satin cover stock, cut and ready to use; Header cards are included in both bundles)
• Watercolor ABC Flashcards – Beautiful watercolor flashcards featuring letter sounds, blends, and digraphs. Coordinates with All About Reading Levels 1 and 2.
  (Digital: Print + Cursive – 44 pages each; Physical: Print font only, printed on 120lb satin cover stock, cut and ready)
• Primer Art Supplement & Montessori 3-Part Music Cards – Receive beautiful prints of works by Monet, Vermeer, and Kandinsky (8.5x11"), Montessori 3-Part Cards, and Seven Elements of Art posters to bring visual arts and music alive.
  (Digital: 25 Art prints and posters plus 26 Cards; Physical: art posters on 100lb cover stock, Montessori cards on 120lb satin cover stock)
• DIGITAL ONLY: Storyboard Set – Printable manipulatives for acting out and narrating wonder tales like The Three Little Pigs, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Hansel and Gretel, and more. (Digital: 83 pages)
• DIGITAL ONLY: Primer Clickable Links – A 32-page organized, clickable document of all songs, videos, stories, and templates from the Art & Activity Guide. (Digital: 32 pages)
• Getting Started Checklist – A convenient step-by-step checklist for printing, organizing, and using your bundle.

Teacher's Guide + Book List + Sample

The Teacher’s Guide to Gentle + Classical Primer is available as a FREE PDF download. We highly recommend downloading and reviewing it before making any purchases. The full book list needed for the year is included in the guide. You can also find a two-unit sample available on that page as well. 

First Edition vs Second Edition FAQ & Chart

We have received many questions about potentially upgrading from the first edition or confusion over the difference between the old and new editions. We want you to have ALL the information, so let's walk through it. 

Let's first compare what is the SAME (though the sequencing is different in some categories): 

• Wonder Tale Selections (with a couple of minor tweaks)
• Nursery Rhymes Selections (with a couple of minor tweaks)
• Manners & Hygiene (some poems changed)
• Catechisms (some wording was tweaked)
• Artists and Composers and their works
• Seven Elements of Art (and most of their activities)
• Scripture Memory
• Core Resources: The Ology, The Complete Brambly Hedge, Songs for Saplings
• Three Virtues: Kindness, Self-Control, Faithfulness
• Art Prints
• Storyboards (though they've been slightly re-organized)

What is DIFFERENT or NEW:

• Sequence of the wonder tales
• Updated or New Core Resources: A Child's Introduction to the Orchestra (new edition), The Kingdom of God (Bible), The Things God Made (science, optional)
• Updated and simplified Teacher's Guide that gives more context and educational philosophy background on each subject covered in Primer
• New: Primer Companion Reader - Includes ALL wonder tales, manners and hygiene poems, hymns, nursery rhymes, and science stories and poems to either replace many previously required picture books or compliment them (depending on your preferences)
• New: Days of Creation Science - Replaces the need for an additional curriculum for science only and works as a perfect "primer" for many strands of science like botany, zoology, marine biology, astronomy, geology, physics, and anatomy
• New: Art & Activity Guide- This guide combines 4-day, weekly planning grids and the art-learning activities with suggested science activities, crafts/handicrafts, and scripted art instruction guidance. It also includes "connect" questions which prompt narration and socratic discussion (yes, even in Kindergarten!)
• New: Clickable Links PDF: This simple digital-use PDF provides a one-page reference for each unit and links to: read alouds of pictures books of wonder tales, science teaching videos, scripture memory songs, hymns, and any additional resources or read-alouds important for the unit. 
• Updated Memory Statement Cards with refreshed layouts, fonts to match our other curriculum, and more beautiful visuals to enjoy and engage your children during recitations

For your convenience, below is an image that gives a side-by-side comparison which might be helpful as well. 

The original Primer is a beautiful, robust, and virtue-enriching year of study for any young child. While we would be happy for your to join us in the 2nd Edition of Primer, please be encouraged that if you already own and have used and are comfortable with the first edition, you are not "missing out" to stick with what you know! 

FAQ:

• Is there a special coupon for those who upgrade from the first edition?
  A: Sorry, but there is not. Our steeply reduced rates at initial launch were designed to make the jump from the first edition to the second as painless as possible for those who want to make the change.
• Can I buy the components of the new bundle individually? 
  A: You will be able to purchase them individually in digital format beginning in May or June 2025 at their normal full price. They will not be available individually in print format.
• Can I combine the new and old editions?
  A: Friend, you can try but we don't see any real benefit to that. The goal of the new edition is simplicity, reduced planning, and easier implementation. By taking the two editions and trying to "synch" them up, you're making much unnecessary work for yourself. We highly encourage sticking with the old or upgrading to the new but not working to piecemeal them together. If you do chose to combine them, please know that we cannot offer support for this.

I hope that these answers and resources will make choosing easier for you! Please remember to look through the new Teacher's Guide thoroughly and be sure to check out the TWO UNIT sample of the primary "pieces" to see how this new format works. Enter your email on THIS WEBSITE to download the Teacher's Guide and the two-unit sample.

Complementary Products

• Empty Menu Cover – One per student is recommended for use with the Kindergarten Morning Binder to protect and reuse weekly pages.
• Storybook Soirée – While the Art & Activity Guide includes hands-on crafts, Storybook Soirée adds even more books, poetry, recipes, and crafts for 12 of the year’s stories.
• Reading & Math Curriculum – Primer does not include formal phonics or math instruction. We recommend pairing with All About Reading and Kindergarten Math with Confidence.