Curtis Blake Day School Viewbook (v1)

READ WRITE LAUGH PLAY LEARN TO SUCCEED Research based foundations for a lifetime of success.

Our Mission The Curtis Blake Day School of American

The Day School is just one of several programs

International College provides high quality services

offered by the Curtis Blake Center of American

to language learning disabled and nonverbal

International College to serve the needs of learning

learning disabled children.

disabled individuals. Because of the unique link between the Day School and the college, our

We operate as a private special education resource, approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education to provide a full-day program for children ages 6-14 who are of average or above average

programs continue to benefit from scientifically based research in the areas of reading, oral and written language, cognitive growth and socialemotional development.

intelligence, but experience specific difficulties in written language skills, mathematics or non-verbal

Our strategies help students manage the vast

aspects of language.

quantities of data facing children every day in this digital age. Understanding and being able to

Our professional, experienced staff continually engages in professional development opportunities offered through our school and its parent institution, American International College. And our student/ teacher ratio is 3:1 with the full-time equivalent of three speech/language pathologists.

effectively communicate are the goals, rather than rote memorization of facts. Using this strategic approach, we teach our students how to effectively learn. Which, in turn, enables them to learn to succeed.

Our son, for the first time, willingly reads and writes to us with pleasure and pride…for the first time I have hope that he will make it and has a bright future ahead of him… you have given me restful nights I have not experienced in 3 years…thank you is too small to measure our gratitude.”

LO R E M I P S U M D O LO R F R A N K L I N , M ASSAC H U S E T TS

Our Perspective We describe our curriculum as being “driven” by

Over the years, this expertise, combined with

the speech/language staff. Much of the National

the Curtis Blake Day School and Massachusetts

Institutes of Health research has provided powerful

Curriculum Frameworks belief that “language is

empirical results on “interventions that work”, and

power”, has led us to develop a unique curriculum,

because of the integral role that language plays

combining multiple strategies that have proven

in the development of reading, the expertise of

highly successful.

the speech/language pathologist is sought both as consultant and teacher.

THIS IS A SIDE BAR.

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All of the school’s 8th grade students passed the English/Language Arts portion of last year’s MCAS.” P R O G R A M R E V I E W, M A S S A C H U S E T T S D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N

Our Strategies Most of our students find the development of initial

Visualizing and Verbalizing Program

decoding skills difficult. Our basic decoding strategy is, at its core, a strong program of phonological

Our Visualizing and Verbalizing Program supports the

awareness achieved through a unique combination

development of mental images for helping students

of the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program

understand both concrete and abstract information.

(LiPS) and Benchmark approaches.

The students are taught specific structure words

The LiPS program is designed to develop kinesthetic awareness of speech sounds and their association with individual letters in order to facilitate decoding and spelling. At the Day School, children are taught to feel and see the differences between speech sounds in addition to hearing them.

The Benchmark program, which deals primarily with the orthographic sequence, provides the two metacognitive strategies of compare/contrast and context. Benchmark syllabication rules (“chunking”) are used for decoding and spelling, and symbol imagery instruction is utilized to enhance rapid reading, spelling, and self-correction.

(mood, color, perspective, movement, etc.) to develop comprehension and vocabulary skills. This process fosters story comprehension and vocabulary since the students actively engage in visualizing and verbalizing a description of oral and/or written language. This concept of visualizing and verbalizing is woven throughout our curriculum.

A growing body of research indicates that the internalization of these strategies better enables all aspects of language processing – decoding/spelling, working memory, comprehension, retrieval, organization and expression.

These strategies are utilized and reinforced throughout the day, ingraining them into our students’ learning habits and helping enable them to become independent learners.

The Story Grammar Marker ® and ThemeMaker™ & Research Writer One of our senior staff members, Professor

The ThemeMaker & Research Writer tool and

Maryellen Moreau, has developed a unique

maps emphasize basic on-fiction (expository) text

educational approach for the explicit teaching of

structures: sequence, description, cause/effect,

comprehension and oral/written expression. Her

list, problem/solution, compare/contrast and

Story Grammar Marker (SGM) and ThemeMaker

persuade. These graphic organizers assist students

have been used by our students since 1991, and

in comprehension, organization, retention and

today are utilized by a large number of school

expression of information.

districts nationwide. Both provide language development at the Discourse Level – where the child learns to converse, comprehend, narrate, organize and write.

In addition, the well-researched concept of reciprocal teaching is a vital component of the ThemeMaker methodology. Iconic-based maps help students transition from speaking to writing,

A child’s ability to understand and express

as the ThemeMaker and Research Writer is used

narratives is vital to academic and social success.

extensively throughout the content areas of

The Story Grammar Marker allows students to

language, arts, science and social studies. The SGM

better understand story components – retelling,

and ThemeMakeer & Research Writer are used by

focusing on details, making predictions,

our students on a wide variety of oral and written

summarizing, taking a character’s perspective,

language tasks as specified in the Massachusetts

mapping semantically, expressing their own and

Curriculum Frameworks.

others’ points of view, and resolving conflicts.

OUR STRATEGIES Most of our students find the development of initial

children are taught to feel and see the differences

decoding skills difficult. Our basic decoding strategy

between speech sounds in addition to hearing

is, at its core, a strong program of phonological

them.

awareness achieved through a unique combination of the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS) and Benchmark approaches.

The Benchmark program, which deals primarily with the orthographic sequence, provides the two metacognitive strategies of compare/contrast and

The LiPS program is designed to develop

context. Benchmark syllabication rules (“chunking�)

kinesthetic awareness of speech sounds and

are used for decoding and spelling, and symbol

their association with individual letters in order to

imagery instruction is utilized to enhance rapid

facilitate decoding and spelling. At the Day School,

reading, spelling, and self-correction.

VISUALIZING AND VERBALIZING PROGRAM Our Visualizing and Verbalizing Program supports

A growing body of research indicates that the

the development of mental images for helping

internalization of these strategies better enables all

students understand both concrete and abstract

aspects of language processing – decoding/spelling,

information. The students are taught specific

working memory, comprehension, retrieval,

structure words (mood, color, perspective,

organization and expression.

movement, etc.) to develop comprehension and vocabulary skills. This process fosters story comprehension and vocabulary since the students actively engage in visualizing and verbalizing a description of oral and/or written language. This

These strategies are utilized and reinforced throughout the day, ingraining them into our students’ learning habits and helping enable them to become independent learners

concept of visualizing and verbalizing is woven throughout our curriculum.

One of our senior staff members, Professor

A child’s ability to understand and express

Maryellen Moreau, has developed a unique

narratives is vital to academic and social success.

educational approach for the explicit teaching of

The Story Grammar Marker allows students to

comprehension and oral/written expression. Her

better understand story components – retelling,

Story Grammar Marker (SGM) and ThemeMaker

focusing on details, making predictions,

have been used by our students since 1991, and

summarizing, taking a character’s perspective,

today are utilized by a large number of school

mapping semantically, expressing their own and

districts nationwide. Both provide language

others’ points of view, and resolving conflicts.

development at the Discourse Level – where the child learns to converse, comprehend, narrate, organize and write.

The ThemeMaker & Research Writer tool and maps emphasize basic on-fiction (expository) text structures: sequence, description, cause/effect,

CURRICULUM

Reading Students are provided with individualized reading instruction where they are cued to employ all the decoding and comprehension strategies they are taught in their special classes. Reading teachers provide one-on-one instruction utilizing quality children’s literature and motivating the students to read. Skill building in vocabulary, fluency, sentence structure, clarification, retelling and summarization receive special attention during this concentrated reading session.

These specialized reading sessions allow for the sustained systematic intervention and careful monitoring of progress necessary for optimal success.

Language and Literature The Language and Literature program fosters the development of language skills necessary for oral and written expression. The Story Grammar Marker and related maps and Thememaker (graphic organizer) facilitate the students’ comprehension and organization of stories and content area information.

Lessons are created in accordance with the Massachusetts Frameworks for English/Language Arts and are integrated with other subject areas. Instruction also incorporates reinforcement of phonemic awareness and Benchmark strategies, grammar skills, vocabulary building, visualizing and verbalizing and word retrieval cueing necessary for precise language expression. Portfolios, containing narrative and expository writing samples, are maintained from year to year to aid in assessing student growth and proficiency.

Science and Social Studies Student proficiency in information gathering, concept development, and practical application of knowledge is the focus of this program. The primary strategies used are Reciprocal Teaching (prediction, reading, requests for clarification, test question formulation, and summarization), visualization and the use of graphic organizers (maps).

These strategies mesh with the techniques advocated by Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. These include: descriptive listing, cause/effect and problem/solution relationships, compare/contrast questions and persuade/ argue. The language of Visualizing & Verbalizing, the Story Grammar Marker, Thememaker and pragmatics are integrated in these content areas.

Math Our curriculum encompasses the skills, concepts and processes involved in gaining and in-depth understanding of mathematics. Word problems are an integral component of the program and manipulatives are utilized to foster the visualization of the concepts necessary to solve those problems. Because many learning disabled students encounter difficulties with retention, teachermade materials and study guides offer consistent review and re-teaching of difficult concepts, as well as reinforcement.

Pragmatics (Social Uses of Language) The pragmatics program focuses on specific social/communication skills necessary for the successful development and maintenance of interpersonal and professional relationships. Students are taught to consider others and show respect for their points of view. Our formal program of instruction in pragmatics is integrated throughout the curriculum. It is provided to all students and is reinforced throughout the school day by all staff.

On a basic level, students are explicitly taught the communicative aspects of language such as intonation, turn taking, eye contact, topic maintenance and conversational repair, all of which are aspects of the Health Frameworks.

On a more advanced level, teachers use explicit instruction and role-play to help students identify positive and negative uses of pragmatics in various social situations. This instructional model is critical in the higher-level social/communication skills related to self-advocacy, conflict resolution and empathetic communication in all areas of life. Over the past 15 years, this Pragmatics program has enabled students to identify social/communication difficulties and work toward improvement in a safe, nurturing and researchbased environment. Supplementary group lessons in the conversational uses of language are also provided to students whose needs in these areas are especially significant.

Art The art of self-expression is a valued component of our curriculum. The development of personal creativity not only enhances self-awareness, but also builds the appreciation of artistic and cultural diversity. Success through artistic exploration fosters self-esteem, as students experience personal satisfaction through exposure to a multitude of artistic media. School-wide projects encourage involvement in community programs, with the goal of affecting positive change in others and within themselves.

Drama Workshop The Pragmatics and Art programs are enhanced by our Drama Workshop.

Through modeling and role-playing, students learn skills that strengthen interpersonal relationships while assertively avoiding negative interactions.

Addressing social skills in this way gives students a valuable frame of reference when faced with similar situations outside of the school environment.

Mentor Program Both younger and older students benefit from the mentor program, whose purpose is twofold: Mentors help new students better acclimate to the school environment by demonstrating appropriate social behaviors as well as giving assistance in academic subjects. These older student mentors are in turn given the opportunity to practice and demonstrate social and academic leadership. The focus of this program is the application and instruction of pragmatic principles in a structured setting monitored by teaching staff.

OUR COUNSELING PROGRAM

In order to address the multiple issues faced by our diverse population of students, we employ a full time School Psychologist and a part time Adjustment Counselor.

The acquisition of social skills is important for any student’s success in school and beyond. Under the guidance of the School Psychologist, our students engage in interactive groups, focusing on skills for social development. The translation of these skills to other environments is emphasized in order to foster independent problem solving and well-developed social relationships.

The School Psychologist also consults with teachers in the development of learning and reinforcement strategies tailored to individual student needs, and those of various groups. Cooperation between teacher and School Psychologist becomes especially important as our curriculum expands to accommodate specific needs – whether they are language based disabilities, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), or nonverbal learning disabilities.

The counseling of individual students is also available when personal or family issues impact academic performance, or when group sessions are not the appropriate solution. And recommendations may be made to parents regarding external interventions if needed.

Finally, as secondary school placement approaches, graduating students and their families receive assistance in choosing the high school that will best build upon the skills acquired here at the Day School. Additionally, we help students prepare emotionally for the academic and physical changes this transition will bring.

OUR STAFF

At the Curtis Blake School, our teachers constantly reinforce skills learned through the specialized techniques of our regular curriculum, providing continuity while fostering generalization and internalization. All of our teachers are familiar with the strategies for decoding, spelling, reading in context, comprehension, and written and oral expression, and integrate these strategies throughout the day, using common terminology.

We believe the integration of our specialized techniques into the regular curriculum promotes maximum comprehension. That’s why our entire teaching staff is thoroughly grounded in these techniques, employing them across every subject, every day. As a result, students are exposed to constant and consistent strategies.

Beyond the effectiveness of our strategies is the profound impact that a caring staff can make on a troubled child. We are proud of our curriculum, but prouder still of the compassionate and dedicated professionals who implement it.

OUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The ability to translate effective learned behaviors in interpersonal situations is critical to mature social development. This is a major focus of our student extracurricular activities. A good example is a weeklong program for graduating students that requires participating in nature-oriented activities with students from other schools.

Additionally, older students participate in after-school programs, planning school dances, fundraisers, and other activities that foster team participation, as well as social and/or athletic interaction.

All students participate in a yearly project focused on community involvement, which blends care and concern for others with school spirit in a fun and engaging way.

OUR LOCATION

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The Curtis Blade Day School of American International College is located in the classroom wing of Temple Beth El. 979 Dickinson Street Springfield, Massachusetts 01108 Phone: (413) 205-3960 Fax: (413) 205-3915 Email: cbc7@aicstudent.com