Unlocking Reading Success Welcomes You

Unlocking Success K-3 Microschool Starting Fall of 2024

A Superior Education 

A microschool is a group of students who are taught by a professional teacher outside of a traditional classroom. The school setting is in a private home with a dedicated space for student learning. We will uphold traditional moral values, belief in God, social skills, executive function skills, and responsibility to self and others. These will be imbedded in the classroom discussions, values, and daily practices. 

Our microschool is for students who would traditionally be enrolled in kindergarten through 3rd grade.  My specialty is students with learning differences including dyslexia and dyscalculia. I also have 4 children of my own who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. So my understanding of these students is based on extensive personal and professional experience. We have an adult son who is profoundly deaf, so your child will also be exposed to sign language during regular classroom instruction. Our school meets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week from 10:30-1:30. 

Has your child been struggling in traditional school, fallen behind their peers, been placed in RTI, or had an IEP put in place? Are you disappointed with the lack of support for your child socially or academically? Maybe you are disappointed by the lack of traditional family values taught in school. Perhaps you are concerned by the lack of common sense policies in the current administration of schools.  I've been in your shoes and I understand. I'm a retired teacher and the parent of a child who struggled with learning to read. At the time I was staying at home with my children and taking a break from the classroom to raise my girls. I remember feeling like she would never catch up and the the school just didn't seem to care like I did. I employed a tutor for my child and thankfully she caught up quickly in reading but the years ahead were full of struggles, especially with math and homework. I really think God has an amazing plan for us all and he blessed me with my daughter's tutor. I was so incredibly frustrated because, I couldn't teach my own child how to read. I had taught school for nine years at that point but I couldn't teach my child to read. Her tutor invited me into her sessions and shared the techniques she was using. I learned an Orton Gillingham based reading program from Lindamood-Bell. I was fascinated by the techniques she was using and dove in head first to learn as much as a I could.  When I returned to teaching, I taught first grade for a year and then moved to special education. I repeatedly asked my principal to send me to real Orton Gillingham training. He was extremely impressed with the achievements of my special education students with the techniques I had implemented from Lindamood-Bell and agreed. Teaching reading became an absolute joy as I fully embraced and understood structured literacy.

We have a horrific reading crisis in our country due to the type of instruction schools provide. Only 40% of our students can read proficiently. Although you can find appropriate instruction for students with learning differences in public school, that is rare and dependent on the school system. You can retain the services of a tutor who specializes in dyslexia, or you can homeschool your child. I'm offering a different idea. Instead of homeschooling your child and relying on a curriculum your child may or may not succeed with, you can trust a certified teacher to provide focused, individualized attention to your child's specific needs in a small group setting. Orton Gillingham is not a program you can purchase to use with your child. Orton Gillingham is a teaching methodology that is highly individualized, diagnostic, and prescriptive. I have been teaching using Orton Gillingham methodology for 14 years. Twelve of those years were in public school where I taught special education students in grades 3-5, first graders in a general education setting, and as the reading specialist at my school. My interest in structured literacy has led me down an interesting path. Although I am no longer in the public classroom, I keep up to date on the latest research and best practices as a moderator in a very large Facebook Group: The Science of Reading-What I Should Have Learned in College. I frequently engage in chats with experts from around the country who are also in the moderator group about what the latest information is to help students succeed. 

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Subjects taught will be reading, math, and writing. We will be using thematic units to incorporate science and social studies. For example, if we are studying bears, we will read stories with bear characters, write about bears, learn about camouflage and habitats, sing songs about bears, and complete bear related crafts. We will end our units with a celebration. For example, each student would bring their favorite bear and we would have a teddy bear picnic. Although I have many units prepared, I'm always willing to let student interest guide our learning! All units are student centered and focused for grades k-3.

 

I will meet with students based on ability, not age or "grade level". This will allow for your child who is advanced in one subject, but struggling in another, to work at a level appropriate for each subject. We will begin our day with a morning meeting to discuss the calendar, goals, and to strengthen interpersonal skills and classroom cohesion. We will have a story, songs, and group appropriate lessons. I will meet with small groups and individuals to ensure targeted instruction. In a traditional classroom, your child may sit through a whole group lesson that is not at all at their instructional level. All lessons taught will be review or appropriate for your child. 

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Each child will be assigned a rotating "job" in the classroom so they learn responsibility to themselves and others. A behavior management system will be implemented using pretend money to reward students for behavior and learning throughout the week. They may spend their money once a week. They don't have to spend it all though, they can spend part of it or save it up for the next time to purchase more/ larger treats. Rewards for individuals include small amounts of candy, stickers, toys, and stuffed animals. Privileges such as shoes off day, pajama day, and hat day will be earned as a group. 

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Progress will be updated and grades for each subject will be recorded every month. I will also keep attendance as needed for the state. Parents will be responsible for filing a Declaration of Intent with the state and obtaining testing every 3 years.  Although you are required by the state to complete the testing every 3 years, you do not have to report the scores to anyone. 

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Our classroom rules will be as follows:

1 Keep hands, feet, and all other objects to yourself

2 Listen and follow directions

3 Do your very best

4 Be polite and kind to others at all times

5 Stay on task and complete your assignments

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Classroom Consequences

1 Verbal warning and cool down time

2 Loss of reward money-amount dependent on situation

3 Note home

4 Phone call home to parent by student and teacher together

5 Continued behavior difficulties would mean our micro school is not a good fit for your child

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Payment due on the 1st day of each month regardless of what day that is. The class size will be capped at 8 students and there will be a camera in the classroom for the safety of your students and myself.  There is an additional supply fee of $50 per child for arts/crafts materials. Students may bring a snack or lunch from home to eat if desired.  All toys and other distractions should be left at home unless otherwise instructed. Parents will be given contact information for all other parents/children to facilitate social event invites and carpools. Students will need to be dropped off within 5 minutes of the start time of the day and picked up no later than 1:35. There will be an additional charge of $5 per 5 minute interval for students not picked up on time. All parents must have a working cell number that they can be reached at in case of emergency or illness.  Children need to be fever free for 24 hours and may not come to class sick. In case of inclement weather, we have a room for shelter immediately off the classroom space. Children must be potty trained and should bring a change of clothes just in case. Toileting issues will need to be handled by the parent and I can not help your child clean themselves up.