The Catherine Learning Program

The goal of the Catherine Learning Program is to assist each student in reaching her full potential through varied small group and individual learning experiences.

Assisted by the Learning Specialist and individualized for each student, the program will support the student in the following ways:

• Offer interventions and strategies that will be taught or reinforced based on the individual’s needs
• Foster metacognition (awareness of how one thinks)
• Teach life-long study skills
• Enable academic achievement
• Promote self-advocacy
• Teach personal reflection in the context of the student’s curriculum
• Include clear and frequent coordination and communication with the student’s learning team
• Offer family, teacher, and team support regarding student’s learning needs

Students who typically enroll in a CLP are ones who benefit from high frequency, individualized support for a variety of reasons:

• students with specific learning differences who need help in learning how to utilize their educational supports and developing individualized learning strategies to work around their specific areas of challenge 
• students who need help with organization and time management 
• students who need help with making connections in the curriculum or need more guided practice in doing reading, writing, or math assignments 
• students who need help with managing and organizing academic stress 
• students who are waiting for developmental maturity to catch up and need help managing expectations of a fast paced and demanding academic environment

• Individualized instruction using strategies with regular classroom assignments
• Organization
• Assist student in planning for daily and long-range assignments
• Review of assignments and check for student understanding
• Clarify any new concepts
• Self-advocacy skills
• Collaborate with staff members to accommodate student needs in the classroom and/or school activities
• Interpret psychological reports to provide appropriate support for both families and school staff
• Advise parents on ways to provide assistance at home
• Support SAT/ACT and other testing accommodations, if needed
• Communicate with the staff related to the progress of the student
• Communicate with parents with both positive and clear updates of student progress

Students with the following but not limited to:

• ADHD Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADD, ADHD inattentive, ADHD Hyperactive, and ADHD Combined.
• Auditory Processing Disorder APD, also referred to as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD).
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which now includes the former diagnoses of Asperger’s
• Dyslexia Specific learning disability in reading, also known as Developmental Reading Disorder.
• Dyscalculia Specific learning disability in mathematics, also known as Mathematics Disorder.
• Dysgraphia Specific learning disability in writing, also known as Developmental Writing Disorder or Written Expression Disorder.
• Executive Function Disorder Also known as Executive Dysfunction.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• Language Learning Disorders Includes expressive language issues, receptive language issues, mixed expressive-receptive.
• Language Processing Disorder Specific type of Auditory Processing Disorder.
• Sensory Processing Disorder SPD, formerly Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

• Organization & Prioritization
• Time management skills
• Reading, writing, and math strategies
• Research skills
• Test-taking strategies
• Effective communication skills
• Metacognition
• Setting Individual Goals
• Collaboratives skills
• Chunking and planning for daily and long-range assignments
• Self-assessment and reflection
• Self-advocacy
• Following Task Instructions
• Asking Relevant Questions
• Developing Positive Academic Self-Esteem
• Maintaining Personal Health and Wellness

Students work on individually identified goals based on their own specific learning profile; however, the group setting allows the students to work collaboratively on similar assignments or learn different strategies from peers. Initial emphasis is on developing habits for tracking assignments, time management, willingness to ask for and accept help, and metacognition. Once these skills are mastered, higher order study skills are introduced. Rather than a separate study skills curriculum, students are learning to apply these skills to their coursework from their content area classes. While CLP  Learning Specialists can help support students in their content area classes, the class does not provide basic skill remediation, and Learning Specialists are not necessarily content area specialists across subjects. 

The CLP Director provides important support for all constituents involved in your daughter's education. The educational team led by the CLP Director is comprised of the student, her parent(s), teachers, and can include the Dean of Academics, Student Dean, Counselor, and auxiliary tutors. Furthermore, the CLP Director facilitates the education of families and teachers on how they can be partners in the academic support efforts of your daughter. The Director interprets psych-ed evaluation for teachers who may not be familiar with the language and helps them implement educational supports. Additionally, the CLP Director is a resource for families in understanding academic evaluations (types of evaluations, interpretations, and timelines) current student’s academic needs, outside academic resources, and future academic planning.