All high school students at Currey Ingram Academy have an individualized learning plan (ILP). As a dyslexia boarding school, Currey Ingram understands that students with broad language difficulties may need further assistance. That is why high school students are provided with everything from emotional intelligence skills development to aid in fine-tuning their executive functioning abilities.
ILPs are extremely valuable for students with dyslexia with average to above-average comprehension skills. In this range, students that attend the dyslexia boarding school may only need slight accommodations. These may include:
- Access to spell checking software
- Alternative testing – tests may be read orally by a teacher
- Scaffolded notes
- Speech typing software
- Text-to-speech read back
- Additional time for assignments and testing
- Audiobooks instead of printed source materials
Young learners at the dyslexia boarding school that continue to exhibit difficulties in reading may need a more hands-on approach. In this case, educators may employ additional, more comprehensive interventions. Currey Ingram utilizes Structured Literacy, an academic approach recommended by the International Dyslexia Association. This may include any or all of the following:
- Small-peer instruction groups
- Positive and corrective feedback
- Progress monitoring, daily or weekly
- Language and comprehension support, which may be given by a licensed speech-language pathologist
- Systematic instruction
Foundational Skills
In addition to the above, Currey Ingram Academy staff say that a dyslexia boarding school should also help students refine their foundational skills.
Foundational skills are fundamental skills needed for students to handle order and operation. They also translate into the broader spectrum of life by being useful in the workforce later on. A few foundational skills that students may need assistance with are understanding phonological awareness and recognizing high-frequency words. Students with dyslexia can refine these abilities with time and practice.
About Language, Live!
There is no single strategy that works for all learners. Educators at the dyslexia and ADHD boarding school, however, have chosen to use Language! Live, which was developed by respected dyslexia expert Louisa Moats.
Language, Live! focuses on text training, word training, and extensive support for students with dyslexia. As a special needs school, Nashville, TN’s Currey Ingram relies on this innovative program for effective and evidence-based reading intervention. Language, Live! was designed to support struggling readers from grades five through 12 and helps educators leverage their guidance in their classroom’s language arts curriculum. Currently, the program is used by more than 2520 educational facilities and aligns with school standards in most districts throughout the United States.
About Structured Literacy
Another program the dyslexia boarding school utilizes is Structured Literacy. Like Language, Live!, Structured Literacy was developed with dyslexia in mind. Structured Literacy helps students with semantics, syntax, syllables, morphology, sound-symbol association, and phonology. It is a systematic and cumulative approach, which builds on itself as students learn to master language at each level.
Structured Literacy works best when teachers have extensive training in individualizing instructions. As a dyslexia boarding school, Currey Ingram’s English and language arts teachers are all well versed in Structured Literacy.
The goal of both Structured Literacy and Language, Live! is to help students succeed. Each program aligns with Currey Ingram’s methods and has proven effective for students with dyslexia. As a boarding school that specializes in this type of learning difference, having these tools available is crucial to the success of many students.
For more information on Currey Ingram or to inquire about dyslexia boarding school options, call the admissions office at 615.507.3173
