Our approach - respecting differences and building on strengths - is vital for students who learn differently and may well serve as a successful model for educating all students, in all schools.
At Lawrence, this is our way of life – built on the foundation that school is a “safe place” for students to engage in the process of learning. And, within this encouraging environment, Lawrence provides a comprehensive K–12 program that features specialized and personalized attention, organizational strategies and aids, mutual accountability, encouraged self-advocacy, and an engaged faculty of learners.
A number of specific, consistent strategies are used across all grade levels in all classrooms to help ensure success and productivity, including:
Students receive the personal attention they need to be confident learners. Complex concepts are broken into manageable steps, and students have many opportunities to practice each skill before they apply it to new situations. Learning strengths and challenges are continually reviewed throughout the year, and teaching approaches are modified and adapted to match each student's changing needs.
A multisensory approach to learning is critical for students with language and attention-based learning differences. Hands-on activities are the rule rather than the exception, and students take advantage of the approach that best suits their individual learning style. Material is presented using visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic formats, making it easier to process and retain information. Teachers also change activities frequently to help students stay focused on the topic at hand. Learn more.
In the classroom, academic material is taught to mastery. Students must achieve 80% comprehension to move on to new concepts. Teaching techniques include the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, the Wilson Reading System, Framing Your Thoughts, and the Key Three Routine of comprehension and study strategies. Guided questioning, visualization, and verbalization help students reach the 80% comprehension goal.
At Lawrence, small class sizes (an average of nine learners per classroom in the Lower School and 11 in the Upper School) allow teachers to present appropriately challenging curriculum within functional and flexible groupings. Every classroom lesson incorporates organizational strategies to help students manage and retain information. Consistent routines, including frequent feedback and check-ins with students, facilitate success. Highlighting the development of these skills helps students manage their work and develop good structural and organizational habits for the future.
Emphasizing structure and organization helps remove roadblocks that prevent successful learning, such as slower processing speeds, inconsistent spelling and grammar, difficulty maintaining focus and concentration, and feelings of failure and anxiety resulting from past academic and social struggles. Students overcome these challenges when given a strategically designed classroom environment, structured and systematic approaches to learning, and campus-wide organizational expectations that are easily understood and articulated.
A carefully crafted, uniform plan for behavioral expectations provides a calm, predictable learning climate that strives to be free of bullying or harassment. Students are encouraged to embrace and celebrate differences and take risks without the fear of being ridiculed if they fail. Positive, consistent classroom management techniques allow students to meet goals and achieve success, which reduces anxiety and allows for growth.
Students learn at their own pace throughout the day in various small student groupings, avoiding the stigma that may occur when individuals are "pulled out" of class for resource room support.
Who We Serve
Lawrence School serves students with IEPs, 504s, and/or diagnoses, including: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. Our program is designed for students who have average and above intelligence, who simply process information differently than what is expected in a traditional classroom.
How We Serve
For more than half a century, Lawrence School has been developing and refining teaching techniques that best serve the needs of students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Our approach is informed by evidence-based research and the traditions of respect and care upon which our school was founded.
What We Offer
Beyond teaching - we're reaching students. What sets Lawrence School apart from our competitors boils down to just one thing... specialized instruction.
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Orton-Gillingham. What is it?
Our commitment to multisensory learning is rooted in decades of research on how the dyslexic mind retains new information.
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Give the LionShare Podcast a listen!
It might seem like magic, but it's just evidence-based instruction! Hear how our approach transforms our students' learning.
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Spend your lunch hour with us.
Join us for a Virtual Admission Info Session. You'll meet the Director of Enrollment Management and learn about our culture and methods.
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