Methods for Success

Hillside School provides specialized instruction for students in grades 1-9 in a supportive environment. We enable students with dyslexia and other learning differences to reach their academic potential and become capable and confident learners.

Key components of Hillside’s program

• One hour a day is dedicated to each academic area – reading, written language, and math
• Four students per class
• Individualized instruction based on the specific needs and levels of each student
• Skills are explicitly taught and student’s level of mastery is tracked as the learning progresses. This helps eliminate the frustration of moving forward before fully learning important, prerequisite skills
• Immediate feedback is provided to reinforce correct responses
• Frequent charting allows students to monitor and be involved in their own progress
• Multi-sensory teaching methods are used to help fully learn the material presented
• Strategies are incorporated to ensure mastery and independence with skills taught
• Wherever possible, fluency—the speed with which students can apply skills—is increased
• Repetition, frequent review and application of skills being learned is interwoven throughout the program
• “Best Teaching Practices” are employed as discussed in current neuroscience research such as Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz
• Hillside teachers communicate with teachers from the student’s regular school
• The balance of the day is spent at the student’s public, private, or home school