School plays a central role in our children’s overall development and behavior. Not only is it a place where they learn the “3 R’s,” but it is also where they “learn how to learn,” make friendships, and navigate social situations. It isn’t just about getting good grades, it’s also about accessing all the learning opportunities around them both in the classroom and on the playground. A positive school experience can ignite the love of learning, while a negative one can at best be discouraging and at worst result in damaged self-esteem and persistently poor academic performance.
In order for all of this to happen, the school environment and culture should be well-matched to your child’s social and academic needs. The Sutcliffe Clinic helps you learn more about your child’s overall profile through assessments, talking with your child’s teachers, and observing your child at school. We then share this information with you and your school team. The information that is collected is not only about cognitive and academic abilities, but also about temperament, behavior, and social-emotional skills, which all contribute to a child’s overall success and happiness at school.
The Sutcliffe Clinic partners with you to ensure a good school match, making recommendations around educational approaches, curricula, and teaching philosophies that are best suited to your child’s learning style. We can also partner with your school by attending meetings with you, providing professional development and/or coaching at your school, or providing interventions/therapies to your child at your school. The information we gather also helps your school better understand your child and meet their needs.
Ultimately, our goal is to help you find a school that is a good match for your child’s learning style, and then work collaboratively with you and the school to provide the most enriching educational experience possible.