Reading Archives

Specialized Boarding Schools

November 4, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Specialized boarding schools offer students flexible, individual and small group instruction tailored to their unique learning needs. For students with ADHD, executive function issues, dyslexia, or other learning differences, a specialized boarding school not only offers students differentiated and targeted instruction as well as seamless access to accommodations, but acceptance into a community. With smaller faculty to student ratios and skillful instructors working collaboratively with learning specialists and related service professionals guided by evidence-based research, specialized boarding schools offer a comprehensive level of support that cannot be matched at other programs. But just like the students themselves, no two specialized boarding schools are exactly alike. In this blog post, we hear from the experts at four top programs in New England to learn how families can select the right school and make the most of the experience once a student gets there.

Individualized Learning

Specialized boarding schools occupy a unique niche in the independent school world, designed to help students who may have been struggling in more traditional academic settings or students needing continued support from a specialized middle school experience. Instead of pulling students out of class for special instruction and creating stigma around their differences, specialized boarding schools develop individualized learning plans in close consultation with students, parents, and faculty. These learning plans are implemented throughout the day by classroom teachers, residential faculty, and related service professionals.

“The very classes in which a student studies are often created collaboratively by students and teachers, and a student’s individual goals and needs provide the direction,” says Dana Harbert, Director of Admissions at Eagle Hill School in Massachusetts. “Our nine-term academic schedule provides nearly infinite possibilities for students to customize their educational experiences.” Students are able to follow their passions, receive extra help in the areas they struggle with, and go at their own pace–with constant communication between faculty, parents, and advisors.

Libby Parker, Admissions Director at The Landmark School in Massachusetts points out that, “a child’s learning style or difference continues beyond the school day. A specialized boarding school works on strategies and teaches skills on the playing field, in the dorm, in the art studio–all of the places our students frequent after school. They continue to learn skills that take them forward to success in college or the postgraduate world.”

Reinforcement Outside the Classroom

Many students with learning differences struggle to manage their time and turn in assignments. The best specialized boarding schools understand that executive functions are essential for success in any academic environment and intentionally integrate this skillbuilding into students’ daily routines. Students should expect to receive extra supervision outside the classroom in the form of study halls, resident dorm advising, and regular meetings with counselors who specialize in developing students’ executive function skills.

David Hodgson, Director of Admissions at The Greenwood School in Vermont says that structure and accountability are the key to student success. “All our 9th and 10th grade students spend the majority of the year in a nightly hour-long structured study hall proctored by adults. This structure helps students get in the habit of dedicating time to their studies,” he explains. However, Greenwood does not require 11th and 12th graders to attend study hall, “as we want them to be independent enough to find the time to complete assignments, but we do assign individual students to attend if they miss an assignment.”

To this end, the Forman School in Connecticut focuses specifically on executive function coaching because according to Director of Admissions Jamie Feinman, this approach “provides non-judgmental structure and support as students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and develop personalized approaches.” But this coaching doesn’t end when the session is over–with students required to hold up their end of the bargain. “A critical component of coaching is accountability, used as a measuring tool for action and support as a student moves forward with a plan outside of the session.”

Preparing for College

Most of our families hope to eventually send their children to college and may opt for a specialized boarding school that will allow their child to overcome academic difficulties. Because most universities are not as accommodating as specialized boarding schools, it is essential that students be able apply knowledge and skills they have learned in high school in a potentially more challenging environment. Beyond help with standardized test preparation and college essays, schools like The Landmark School work with juniors and seniors on “skills for success in college, such as getting to know their professors, going to office hours, managing time, and breaking up long-term assignments,” says Admissions Director Libby Parker.

When it comes to applications, it’s essential that students and schools work together on finding the right universities that will meet their students’ needs and allow them to thrive as they enter adulthood. “We guide students to delineate their own personal set of criteria by taking into account each student’s personal strengths, talents, and lifelong dreams,” says Jamie Feinman of the Forman School. Such personalized advising requires collaboration and trust.

In order to prepare students for university life, it’s also important that students reflect on their personal and academic journey before taking the next step. At the Greenwood School, students in the spring of their senior year present a self-curated collection of their academic and personal work with accompanying reflections to a panel of faculty, a peer, administrators, and a community member, says David Hodgson. “We believe that by reflecting on their work, students learn more deeply and are more likely to apply their skills as they move beyond Greenwood.”

Finding the Right Fit

When faced with so many choices, it can be difficult for families to determine which specialized boarding school is best for their child. There’s no single criterion, but according to the experts we spoke with, families should consider how schools integrate learning strategies, assistive technology and teacher support into your child’s program. Take a look at the student-to-faculty ratio as well as the way the school helps students internalize study skills and ultimately manage themselves. Make sure to experience the school firsthand by scheduling an in-person tour to see how the reality lines up with the admissions website.

Finally, though specialized boarding schools are designed to accommodate students with learning differences, they also seek to appropriately challenge each student. “Those who think specialized boarding schools don’t offer the same level of education or academic challenge as a mainstream school are mistaken,” says Dana Harbert of the Eagle Hill School. “Specialized boarding schools prepare students for college and for life as much if not more than mainstream schools.”

If you’re interested in learning more about specialized boarding schools for your student, please contact our office for assistance.

By Brad Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, and Laurie Gross, Reading Specialist and Special Educator.

Stages of Learning

October 18, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

As students set out to acquire new skills, understanding the stages of learning and how and where to recognize progress towards mastery can be difficult. The beginning and end of a particular learning process are generally quite clear, but learners often lack vocabulary for all of the micro-steps that occur between “not knowing” and “knowing.” Students regularly articulate thoughts like “I’m not good at this” or “this is easy for me,” but less commonly note nuances like “I’m getting the hang of this concept, though I’m still not able to work fluently” or “I can solve simple problems, but it’s difficult for me to apply this concept in unfamiliar settings.”

Without understanding learning as a continuum, students can be quick to judge themselves as either capable or incapable, and often do so inaccurately. The underconfident learner views mistakes as proof of ineptitude (and consequently give up), while the overconfident learner concludes mastery too early (and stops studying too soon). The truth, of course, usually lies somewhere in the middle, and expanding awareness about how learning works can center students in healthy non-judgement, motivate them to “stick with it,” and empower them to learn more efficiently in the future.

One useful framework to discuss is “The Four Stages of Learning” model, originally posited by Noel Burch in the 1970s during his work at Gordon Training International. Burch lays out steps that highlight two factors, awareness (consciousness) and skill level (competence):

Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence. [Wrong Intuition]

In the first stage, students don’t yet know what they don’t know. They are unaware of the areas in which they are falling short, and they have not identified what they need to work on. It can be helpful to acknowledge this stage before any sort of diagnostic test; standardized assessments like the ISEE frequently test above grade level content, and providing a simple disclaimer about encountering unfamiliar material can often help mitigate testing anxiety. In this setting, when students normalize “not knowing” as a natural first stage of the learning process, coming across advanced concepts on the exam becomes less intimidating. Students are more likely to take challenges in stride, skip strategically, and better allocate their time towards the questions they do understand.

Teachers can assist in developing awareness of this stage by asking students to keep a log of their errors. When learners can track for themselves which questions were missed due to not yet knowing completely unfamiliar material – versus misapplying familiar concepts– they are gently guided to take initiative in their own learning process and also practice formulating stronger, more specific questions.

Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence. [Wrong Analysis]

Eventually, learners recognize what they do not know, and enter the “Conscious Incompetence” stage. This 2nd stage of the stages of learning model can be a particularly discouraging experience, as weaknesses have been identified but not yet remedied. During this time, it is important to remind students that there is a difference between lacking competence and being incapable; just because they cannot perform a task now doesn’t mean they will always fail at it in the future. Teachers and parents can also help learners reframe knowledge gaps as opportunities for improvement by embracing the word “yet.”

Progressing through Conscious Incompetence often requires a significant amount of trying and failing. As mistakes occur, mentors should encourage students to recognize errors as a natural and essential part of learning (in teaching sessions, a useful response to “Oh wait, I did that wrong” is “No problem, that’s what we’re here for!”). Getting even one or two questions correct is a concrete step forward from not knowing.

Stage 3: Conscious Competence. [Right Analysis]

Slowly but surely, the percentage of successful attempts will increase, and learners reach “Conscious Competence.” At this 3rd stage of the stages of learning model, students have gathered the tools they need to perform effectively, but exercising their new skill still takes significant effort and attention. Moving from Conscious Incompetence to Conscious Competence usually looks like inconsistently being able to implement the desired skill, and progress may even appear nonlinear.

It can be helpful to recognize how students compensate (counting out on their fingers, looking back at formula sheets or study guides, etc.) and track as students use those methods of compensation less often. Other progress signs include working through problems more quickly, occasionally applying the concept unprompted, or actively recognizing related question types. In some cases, a student’s willingness to practice may even be considered a progress sign; the more confident a student feels in a particular area, the less resistant they will be towards homework or additional skill-building exercises. Completing focused practice – and any step towards establishing a system for consistent review – also counts as a step forward, helping students advance towards working more fluently.

Stage 4: Unconscious Competence. [Right Intuition]

Finally, in the 4th stage of the stages of learning model, learners have effectively mastered their new skill and apply it easily, perhaps even automatically. They feel confident implementing the desired action over a wide range of scenarios and can execute their expertise in congruence with other tasks. Depending on the skill, Unconscious Competence may sometimes be achieved permanently, but more often it requires habitual upkeep in the form of regular use or review.

Considering the difference between Conscious Competence and Unconscious Competence can be a useful point of reference for students, especially in a standardized testing setting. For example, when there is a significant disconnect between a student’s grades and their performance on standardized assessments, it is possible that Conscious Competence was achieved in time for the classroom test, but then never progressed forward into Unconscious Competence. Additionally, standardized exams like the ISEE, SAT, or ACT require students to work not only accurately but quickly, applying multiple concepts at once. The sheer length of these multi-hour assessments also requires significant mental stamina, and students without Unconscious Competence in multiple skill sets will experience overbearing testing fatigue. Successfully distinguishing between stages three and four helps to explain these opportunities for improvement and motivates students to self monitor for deeper understanding.

Armed with the “Four Stages of Learning” framework, students and families can recognize progress in all forms. Thinking more about how learning occurs and becoming more knowledgeable about steps of the learning process can help to remind us that with consistent effort, growth and development are inevitable.

By Ali Stoner, Private Tutor, Brad Hoffman, MS.Ed. and Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A. and Board Certified Educational Planner.

Progressive Education: Developing a Better Understanding

August 14, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Progressive education, a pedagogical movement that defines most schools across the United States today, began as a niche, innovative idea that sought to reimagine the purpose of education in the late 19th century. One of the founding theorists, John Dewey, proposed the idea that the goal for education should be to prepare students for an active and well-balanced life in our global society. This idea came in stark contrast to the then widely accepted traditional purpose that the goal of education was to prepare students with the necessary skills either to enter the workforce or to prepare for university depending on one’s social class.

Since its early founding principles, schools have been incorporating and expanding on the ideas of early progressive education theories. Defining progressive education in today’s school landscape is complicated and an often highly debated and controversial topic subject to interpretation. Arguably most schools in the United States consider themselves “progressive”, but “progressive” exists on a continuum subject to how schools perceive themselves as well as how they are perceived. In our conversations with families and educators, we often discuss “little p progressive” and “capital P progressive” schools to distinguish where on the continuum a school seems to fall. A “little p progressive school” may incorporate more “traditional elements” in contrast with a “capital P progressive school” that is intentionally more experimental and, perhaps, more “provocative” or “edgy” in its approach and pedagogical choices.

We tread into this discussion cautiously as “progressive education” has characteristics without absolutes, and it can be a quagmire for educators and parents trying to parse out differences between school settings. It’s a topic subject to interpretation, subjectivity, and many misconceptions.

Pedagogical Core Principles

At its core, progressive education views students as active participants in their learning. The overall goal is to foster an intrinsic motivation for lifelong learning stimulated by a sense of ownership and independence. Progressive education seeks to prepare students for a democratic society that emphasizes social responsibility and global citizenship. Moreover, progressive education makes use of evidence-based research and intentionally evolves its pedagogical practices over time. Progressive educators seek to create a learning environment that both adheres to common core standards or grade level concepts and skills while also promoting a sense of autonomy and freedom to explore an individual student’s learning journey. There is plenty of room and encouragement to differentiate the learning experience for diverse learners within the classroom.

Progressive schools encourage their students to explore intellectual curiosities and inquire deeper into personal passions and interests while utilizing the concepts and skills being instructed by the teacher. Furthermore, progressive schools value autonomy and personal expression, thus believing we learn best when working towards a personal creative project or endeavor. Pedagogically, a progressive education plans for Bloom’s Taxonomy in better balance with more opportunities for higher-level critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, evaluation, and creation rather than getting too stuck at the lower levels of just “remembering and understanding”.

In progressive school settings, teachers have more creative freedom and act as facilitators, often curating a learning experience by making use of various curricula and programs in addition to creating their own materials: think “artist’s palette” versus “painting by numbers”. This approach stands in contrast to more purely relying on textbooks, packaged programs, or a scripted sequence. In progressive education classrooms, the teacher is really “the guide on the side” rather than “the sage on stage”. There’s an intention to make authentic, real-world connections, and the experience is intentionally student-centered.

In progressive classroom settings, you’ll typically find table groups, desks organized in pods, or students seated in a circle to facilitate discussion. At the upper school level, a progressive education may specifically make use of the Harkness Method, where students are seated around a conference table, so that the teacher can facilitate conversation and discussion.

Learning Experiences

As expected, there can be drastic differences in learning experiences in progressive schools. A progressive education values learning experiences that are guided by student interests and timely relevance. The teachable moment is seized in a way that’s more organic and natural. Students will mostly learn through experiences, collaboration, and play. Assessments are typically project-based, where groups of students will work together by utilizing different skills to complete the assignment. The culminating learning outcome is often presented as a final project centered around an interdisciplinary approach where all or several subject areas are interwoven into a singular curricular theme.

A progressive education emphasizes socialization and preparing students to be active participants in our democratic society (not to be confused with progressive schools having a particular political leaning, which is not inherently a characteristic of progressive education). Units and discussions are centered around inquiries into the ethical nature of our decisions as individuals and communities. Social-emotional development is addressed through classroom meetings and use of a social-emotional curriculum that is delivered by the school counselor and/or the classroom teacher. For example, read alouds often focus on problem-solving as well as interpersonal skills.

Some progressive schools create multi-age classrooms so that children are given the opportunity to learn from older students. This approach is rooted in the firm belief that education is meant to be socialized, and who better to teach you than a peer? You’ll especially find this approach in Montessori or Waldorf School programs, or progressive schools inspired by these approaches but not purely adhering to them.

Furthermore, some progressive schools view education as the exploration of learning, where students are given a great amount of freedom to chart out their experiences and explore, or perhaps co-construct units under the guidance of a teacher. Students are encouraged to identify a passion and follow it, which often leads them to learning experiences in a variety of settings. Classes can often be broken into micro-classes where groups no larger than ten are assigned to a teacher. While it may seem like learning through exploration and socialization is giving students the freedom to choose whatever they want or, more to the point, an “anything goes’ approach, this is hardly the case. Students are still given clear expectations and guidelines on how to effectively learn within this exploratory framework.

Education on the continuum

Progressive education is most definitely not a “one size fits all” approach. To try to define progressive education one way or another is an oversimplification and a mistake. Different learners have different needs, thus traditional elements and progressive elements are both beneficial and are often fused together for better balance. It’s more typical for schools to fall somewhere along a continuum of progressive education. The experience at the elementary school level (Lower School Divisions) may differ from the experience at the middle school or high school level (Upper School Divisions). Many schools promote a progressive approach to education with traditional elements embedded and used strategically. For example, rote memorization of math facts for automaticity (math fluency) remains important and can co-exist within a larger progressive project-based math unit. Moreover, there’s absolutely a need for benchmarking reading and math levels and using achievement test data for instructional planning in balance with “alternative assessments” and project-based learning in order to track growth over the course of the student’s learning journey.

Depending on the student, certain pedagogical approaches might work better. For example, a student needing reading or writing remediation may benefit from a more “traditional” approach that provides direct, explicit, and systematic instruction. A student with significant attentional and/or executive function challenges may need an environment with extremely clear and predictable routines, which could be found in a “progressive” or “traditional” school, but certain schools may be “too loose” or conversely “too rigid” to foster success for that particular student, hence the notion that schools exist on a continuum and trying to rely on a single definition for “progressive education” is not useful or practical.

Rather it is important to think critically about the student’s learning style or intrinsic curiosities as it relates to the different pedagogical approaches schools offer. Initial learning diagnostics and/or psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations can help provide insight into a student’s learning style and needs. It is also helpful to read a school’s mission and/or vision statement as it will often be an insight into the pedagogical approach along with the type of education that a particular school values (wherever the school may fall on the continuum of progressive education). Visiting and exploring schools is mission critical in the application and decision-making process. Parents need to feel comfortable and confident with the school setting and faculty in balance with understanding their child’s learning profile and learning needs to ensure a successful experience.

To maximize the effectiveness of the learning outcome, it is important that the pedagogical approach chosen is supported at home. Parental buy-in to the school’s mission and approach is essential. Strong communication and understanding between the school environment and home environment leads to greater continuity in a child’s overall growth as they learn that educational experiences do not end with the school day, but continue on throughout each moment of their life. It’s also important to note that students may need rounding out at a particular point in time whether they’re in a setting that is arguably a more or less progressive education in terms of the continuum.

To further discuss your school planning needs, please contact our office.

By Brad Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner, Laurie Gross, Reading Specialist and Special Educator, and Sam Kleinman, International Educator.

Writing Process: Down Draft, UP Draft, and Dental Draft

May 2, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The best way to write effective papers is a three-step writing process we like to call the 1) DOWN draft, 2) the UP draft, and 3) the DENTAL draft.

In a separate blog post, we talked about all the ways to get a first draft finished. Remember a first draft is just a draft, it can be riddled with mistakes! All you need is to finish it. The first of three steps in the writing process is the DOWN draft.

Again, it’s important to emphasize DOWN because many students edit while they write and get derailed. They start and stop and start and then never finish. The goal here is only to get words on the page and it is the most difficult stage for most.

The next step in the writing process is the UP draft which is when you fix up the DOWN draft with vertical editing and make sure the thesis is clear and supports the content. This stage is more involved. A common pitfall for many students is they meticulously go through their writing line by line only to later delete entire paragraphs because they are not relevant to the paper. Before you look at things at the sentence level (Horizontal Editing), it’s best to first make sure everything makes sense vertically. Vertical Editing means reading the thesis, then looking at the topic sentences and evidence presented in the paper along with the eventual conclusion to make sure whatever point needs to be made is made and every point is presented in the correct order. This is the most important step in the writing process because the point of writing is communicating an idea clearly to another person, and you need to make sure that there is a clear message for the reader.

The final stage is the DENTAL draft. Usually grammar and punctuation are the first things marked up by a teacher, but the most important priority is writing a coherent paper. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation can get in the way of this goal, so here is where you fix it.

The DENTAL draft is named after getting a cleaning at the dentist office. You go tooth by tooth and make each one perfect and then polish it. The DENTAL draft is important to come last because (and it is worth repeating because it happens so often) many students focus on their paper line by line but need to delete entire edited paragraphs if the thesis is not clearly supported. It saves SO MUCH TIME to start editing at the line level ONLY AFTER making sure the thesis and support for the points are present. Use this writing process to make sure there are no issues with your writing that could distract the reader from your message.

Write with passion and your reader will feel your interest and keep turning the pages. The UP draft, DOWN draft, and DENTAL draft are the keys in this writing process to polishing your writing. Write your first draft as fast as possible. Edit your second draft with a focus on logic and the reader understanding your points, whatever they are. Make your final draft have the best grammar, spelling, citations, and presentation. Three steps to really say something on the page. Now, go make it happen. Speak from your heart. Edit with your mind. Your reader is waiting!

My Learning Springboard is here to support you throughout the writing process. To organize writing coaching for yourself or your student, please contact Brad Hoffman or Faya Hoffman.

By Grant Bergland, MFA and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Learning Specialist.

Drafting Process: Just Get Your Ideas Down

April 29, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The hardest part of writing an essay for most students is beginning the drafting process. Once the first draft is done, it’s relatively easier to fix up the paper, refine a thesis, and put the final polish on it.

The best advice on getting drafts finished is from Stephen King. No one can deny that Stephen King is very good at finishing first drafts. Sixty-three novels, 5 nonfiction books, and 11 short story collections comprise an opus of several hundred thousand pages that many people have loved. And, next to J.K. Rowling, he’s the best-selling author of all time. It’s fair to say that Stephen King knows a thing or two about beginning and completing the drafting process.

According to Stephen King, the first draft is supposed to come out as fast as possible, so fast you never stop writing:

“I write as fast as I can and still remain comfortable. If I write rapidly… I find that I can keep up with my original enthusiasm and at the same time outrun the self-doubt that’s always waiting to settle in.” – Stephen King On Writing

King explains that the thing that slows him down the most is editing (and self-doubt) while writing. He asserts it is impossible to edit while writing because writing is the process of getting your ideas out and reflecting and refining them happens during editing.

A student starts with an idea and then doesn’t like the way they phrased their sentence. They stop and edit, and edit, and rewrite that clever phrase. By the time they finish, most students have lost the thread that inspired them and have a hard time getting started again. The flow of the drafting process is lost.

The fastest way to finish papers is to simply get your ideas down without stopping. It seems like an oversimplification, but to get those drafts you need to say something like: “don’t worry about who is reading it, don’t worry about how it sounds, just explain it to me.”

This part of the writing process is kind of magical because whatever a student is most interested in or passionate about comes out in their own words. There’s so much life and character in an honest opinion or a thoughtful explanation and you really get to know a person by how they write. No judgements, no critique, just speak.

The dictation option on Google Docs (it’s under the TOOLS menu) can really help get those ideas down and enhance your drafting process. You can even try having your child explain what they want to write about to you and just let the dictation tools in your smartphone convert their words to text. You can help your kids compose those pesky first drafts anywhere.

Don’t worry about the details, the grammar, the order, the citations — all of that comes later. Start with passion and don’t stop until you’ve gotten it all down! Once it’s “down” on the page, your drafting process can progress to further refinement via the UP draft and then the DENTAL draft.

My Learning Springboard is here to support you throughout the drafting process. To organize writing coaching for yourself or your student, please contact Brad Hoffman or Faya Hoffman.

By Grant Bergland, MFA and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Learning Specialist.