The Educational Support Program (ESP) offers support to children who are experiencing difficulty in school. The program works in collaboration with the Educational Support Coordinator, teachers, tutors and parents to develop plans for each child and to regularly evaluate progress.
The Educational Support Program offers the following services at no cost to parents:
- Small group academic support for children in grades one through eight, focusing on reading or math skills (one to three times weekly);
- Consultation and support for families who would like to pursue standardized assessments, testing, therapeutic and tutorial work
- Sharing our list of tutors and other professional specialists.
The ESP offers hygienic eurythmy at an additional cost to parents. Some children may require more help than can be given in a small group setting. Parents may need to financially subsidize extra remedial work.
As stated above, the school is able to offer educational support to students who are experiencing a low level of difficulty in math or language skills or who have minor learning issues. However, when it becomes apparent that a student requires one-on-one tutoring, it is then necessary for parents to provide this support. This can sometimes be accomplished during the school day. We work jointly with parents in learning assessment and in tutor selection.
When students enter our school after first grade, it is often necessary for them to be supported in reaching the level of their class in foreign languages or music, and occasionally in other academic subjects. Our faculty members are able to support these students with extra help outside of class for a limited number of sessions. Depending on a number of factors, it is often necessary for the family to provide individual tutorial help for these students to reach grade level.
How can parents tell if their child might need the services of the ESP? Although there are many potential problems that might precipitate a referral, examples of common referrals include children:
- who repeatedly complain that they do not understand what is being taught in school;
- who consistently do not want to go to school;
- who have significant delays in learning to read;
- who are confused by math problems that are at the appropriate developmental level;
- who frequently have difficulty sustaining attention or are easily distracted;
- who have poor planning and organizational skills that impact their school performance;
- who have speech delays or problems (e.g., difficulty analyzing sound sequences, poor grammar, frequent mispronunciation of words); and
- who have a range of other difficulties (e.g., disliking/avoiding paper and pencil activities, frequently dropping, spilling or knocking things over, poor small motor coordination)