Student Support in the Lower School

The Lower School builds upon the work of the Early Schools to provide open communication about student needs. Students in the Lower School are moving through developmental stages at different rates and may demonstrate differing needs for support and modifications in our learning environment.

Lower School students are of an ideal age to begin to identify learning differences and needs. When teachers or parents have a question about a student’s progress, they begin a conversation with one another about the concern.

Teachers and/or parents may find it necessary to gather further information about a child’s learning through observation by our Learning Specialist, Caroline Hexdall, or, for example, an evaluation for psychoeducational, speech and language, occupational therapy, or other needs. Costs for these evaluations are covered by parents.

As a result of this type of information gathering, teachers will identify the specific
accommodations and/or services that will best support the student in our learning environment.

Accommodations that might be considered, within limits, include:

• Preferential seating;
• Behavioral contracts;
• Access to audiobooks, word processors, tracking cards for reading;
• Kinesthetic cues;
• Quiet background music;
• Noise-blocking headphones
• Separate work space
• Modified homework.

Necessary services, such as tutoring, academic coaching, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and others will be provided and paid for by the parents. For tutoring and academic coaching, parents may contract through the CFS Student Support Program if they’d like to obtain services at school.