Lower School
Supported Learners
Educating children is more like a shoe than a scarf: one size does not fit all. Students entering the same grade vary in age, temperament, learning style, prior academic experience, strengths and weaknesses, and interests. As your child’s teachers get to know him, they are actively planning how to engage and inspire him, and his peers, too. For example, to differentiate instruction during story time, she will purposefully plan questions that will meet the needs of her varied learners.
Literal, fact-based questions such as “What can you tell me about the setting of this story?” help children understand basic story elements. For learners who are ready for deeper thinking, she might also ask, “Why do you think the main character in the story made the choices he did?”
Learning is a developmental process, but not necessarily a linear one. At any point, a child may be soaring in one area and struggling in another. She may take two steps forward, then one step back. Patterns like this are completely expectable. Our Lower School Student Support Team comprised of the learning and reading specialists, instructional coaches, and Lower School counselor stand ready to observe, coach, and assist students, teachers, and parents alike. Our Learning Specialist works with third and fourth graders in “Homework Club” to strengthen organizational and executive functioning skills. Accommodations are available for students with diagnosed learning differences. We work with private Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists, and Certified Academic Language Therapists. Our goal is simple. We are here to partner with you every step of the way to support your child’s academic, social, and emotional wellbeing.
