Who does the St. Anselm Program Serve?
The St. Anselm Program, a school within a school, was established in 2012 to meet the educational needs of children in grades Junior K-8 with specific language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. The program was founded on the premise that every child can succeed. Our program teaches students many learning strategies and skills that they need to achieve success in more traditional classroom settings.
Language Instruction
Every student in the St. Anselm Program receives daily 1-to-1 Orton-Gillingham instructional tutoring. In this daily tutoring period, each child receives instruction following an individual treatment plan which is carefully delivered to meet the child’s specific language needs. Students receive instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, handwriting, and spelling. Each child also receives small group instruction in oral or written language each day.
Content Area Instruction
While 1-to-1 tutoring is the cornerstone of our program, we also provide a comprehensive program covering all academic areas. The principles of the Orton-Gillingham approach are incorporated throughout the curriculum. Our teaching is multisensory, structured, and systematic. The Saxon Math Program provides the structure and continuity of our math curriculum. Manipulatives are used throughout, to ensure the understanding of concepts in order to build a solid mathematical foundation. Our Science, Social Studies, and Literature curriculums are based on the Maryland State Department of Education voluntary curriculum.
Educating the Whole Child
The St. Anselm Program strives to meet the needs of the whole child. While some children may require full day learning in the St. Anselm Program, others may only need half day or period-by-period learning. Instruction across the curriculum areas is integrated when possible. Children have the opportunity to develop and enjoy areas of strength during, art, music, computer, and physical education classes. We are committed to creating a rich, nurturing environment where children can experience the success and joy of learning.
The Importance of Community
Our 1-to-1 student-teacher ratio for individualized Orton – Gillingham tutoring instruction allows us to truly know and celebrate the uniqueness of each child. The size of our St. Anselm Program student body remains small, personalized, and limited, to provide the unique level of individualized instruction necessary for each child to succeed academically. We want our students to know one another and feel like important members of the larger St. Stephen’s Classical Christian Academy.
