Lower School

Learning Support

Every child learns differently. We start by knowing yours

No two children come into a classroom the same way. Some read early and easily. Others need more time, a different approach, or a steady hand to help a tricky concept finally click. At Highland, we don't see that as a problem to fix. We see it as the most natural thing in the world, and we've built our Lower School around it.

Learning Support is how we make that promise real. From the earliest grades, our specialists work to understand exactly how each child learns. Then, we give them the tools to grow into confident, capable students. It isn't a separate track or a label. It's simply part of how we care for every child here.

Learning Support is how we make that promise real. From the earliest grades, our specialists work to understand exactly how each child learns. Then, we give them the tools to grow into confident, capable students. It isn't a separate track or a label. It's simply part of how we care for every child here.

Support that's part of the day, not apart from it

Getting a little extra help is never something to whisper about. It's woven into the rhythm of the day, alongside reading groups, the Village Garden, and morning gatherings.

That matters more than you might think. When support feels ordinary, children stay curious instead of self-conscious. They learn to ask for what they need, lean into challenges, and keep believing in themselves. This is the exact mindset that fuels a lifelong love of learning. Our youngest students simply know that their teachers and specialists are there to help them shine, and that's the whole point.

Catching challenges early matters most

The earlier we understand how a child learns, the more we can do to help.

Our Learning Specialists watch closely for the signs. They draw on grade-level progress, teacher and parent observations, and thoughtful assessments to spot where a child might need a stronger foundation in early reading, writing, or math. Some children arrive with documented learning differences. Others are simply finding a particular skill harder than expected. Either way, we step in early, before a small struggle becomes a setback, and while a child's confidence is still easy to protect.

This is what knowing every child really means. We don't wait for a problem to grow. We notice, we respond, and we partner with families every step of the way.

A proven approach to early reading

For young learners, reading is the doorway to everything. So we teach it with care, structure, and methods that genuinely work.

Our specialists use the Orton-Gillingham approach, a time-tested, research-backed way of teaching reading, spelling, and writing. What makes it so effective for children is that it's multisensory. Students see, hear, say, and touch as they learn, engaging more of the brain and making new skills stick. A child might trace letters while sounding them out, or build words with their hands. It feels like discovery, not drilling.

Children who benefit from this targeted instruction typically meet with a Learning Specialist twice a week, in focused sessions designed around exactly what they need. We keep it small, consistent, and personal. That's how real progress happens at this age.

When a child needs more, we're ready

Some children thrive with an even greater level of one-on-one attention. For them, our Lower School Intensive program offers daily, individualized instruction with a Learning Specialist, with a special focus on building strong reading and writing skills.

It's a deeper version of the same promise: meeting each child where they are and giving them everything they need to succeed. Our specialists will always help families understand whether this kind of personalized support is the right fit for their child.

A strong foundation built on knowing your child

Everything in the Lower School points toward one goal: giving children a steady foundation that carries them through every year that follows. Learning Support is a vital part of that foundation.

When specialists and teachers truly know how a child learns, their strengths, their stretches, the way they light up, they can help that child grow into a student who believes there are no limits to what they can do. That belief, formed early and protected with care, is one of the greatest gifts a school can give.

At Highland, no child learns alone. And no child gets left to struggle in silence.

See it for yourself

The best way to understand how we support our youngest learners is to see it in action. Come meet our Learning Specialists, walk through our classrooms, and picture your child here — known, supported, and ready to thrive.