The Learning Support Center
The Learning Support Center at Augusta Prep assists students who are experiencing academic difficulties. We are committed to helping each student succeed in our challenging academic program. Our goal is to provide students with the skills they need to be successful, independent learners. With a learning specialist in each division, we informally assess students through independent testing and observation, conference with teachers and parents, coordinate in-class accommodations and modifications, and offer individual tutoring sessions during the school day. The Learning Support Center also assists families when outside services (such as occupational therapy, subject-specific tutoring, or formal testing) are needed. As students move from one division to the next, the learning specialists share information and provide support and instruction where necessary to ensure a smooth transition along the student’s academic path.
Lower School
In the Lower School, Learning Support uses a collaborative approach to identify learning strategies, develop specific learning plans, and work individually with students to improve academic performance. Tutoring in phonics, reading comprehension, writing mechanics and written expression, grammar, math, and study skills is available. The Lower School learning specialist is Orton-Gillingham trained and can work with those students who are experiencing difficulties in reading due to weak phonemic awareness.
Three times each year, Lower School Learning Support assesses all students in reading fluency and comprehension. Through this process, we can
- monitor ongoing student progress
- identify which skills and strategies students are applying
- focus on the specific needs of individual students
- target instruction tailored to meet those needs.
In addition, the learning specialist completes a learning styles assessment on all students to help teachers best modify classroom methods and cultivate a sincere joy in learning by giving our students a better understanding of their unique learning process.
Middle School
The Middle School Learning Support Center continues to develop students’ abilities to become more successful learners based on their individual learning styles and processes. Tutoring in grammar, math, history, science, and foreign language is available. Organizational skills are further developed at this level and include assignment and test planning and preparation techniques, note taking strategies, and test taking skills.
The Middle School learning specialist, who also serves as Middle School guidance counselor, offers both academic and emotional support for students who are experiencing difficulties relating to test anxiety. Four times each year, Middle School Learning Support reviews records of all students in an effort to further identify those in need of additional academic support. This process allows us to monitor all student progress, even those not currently enrolled in the program.
Upper School
The Upper School Learning Support Center offers an array of services that complement classroom learning and reinforce proper preparation for undergraduate work. These services include
- one-on-one, small-group, and peer tutoring in all academic subjects
- organizational and study skills development
- preparation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in either a one-on-one or group approach
- a quiet environment for test-taking
- testing strategy development
- arrangement of third-party assessments for students who may exhibit specific learning challenges.
Upper School students rely on their teachers first, the LSC second. LSC visits are scheduled during student study halls so as to minimize time away from the classroom and from the Extra Help period at the end of the school day. LSC activities are complementary to classroom learning, not “in place of” it.
For more information, please contact:
Lower School, Maribeth Burns
Middle School, Cornelia Isaac
Upper School, Lisa Macuch
