Early Childhood

Learning Support

Support for our smallest learners

Every child learns in their own way, and every way is worth understanding. In Highland's Early Childhood program, children from Pre-K 2/3 through Pre-K 4/5 grow with a team that pays close attention, noticing how each child thinks, moves, and communicates. Support here isn't something a few children receive. It's woven into how we know every learner, so each child feels seen, safe, and ready to try.

A team that knows your child

Great support starts with people who show up every day. Our youngest learners are surrounded by specialists who work hand in hand with teachers to help each child thrive:

  • Heather Richards, Learning Support for Pre-K through Grade 4, guides individualized support and helps teachers meet children where they are.
  • Denise Young, Occupational Therapist, helps children build fine motor skills, coordination, and the physical confidence that early learning depends on.
  • Mary Kay Yates, Speech Language Pathologist, supports language development, communication, and the joy of finding the right words.

Together, this team looks at the whole child, not a single skill or score, and builds a plan that fits who each child already is.

Support that lives in the everyday

The best help doesn't feel like a program. It feels like belonging. At Highland, learning support is embedded in daily life, not tucked away in a separate room. Specialists partner with classroom teachers so that support happens naturally, whether it's during a project, a story, a math center, or a moment on the playground. Children get what they need without ever feeling singled out.

Built around each child's pace

Growth isn't a race, and it doesn't follow one timeline. Our experienced educators observe continually, then adjust the complexity and challenge to match each child. A little more time here, a different approach there means that small, thoughtful choices add up to real progress. Because when children feel understood, they take the small risks that lead to big steps forward.

Why it matters

Learning support at Highland isn't an exception to how we teach. It's the heart of it. When we know each child deeply, how they learn, what lights them up, where they need a hand, we help them build the confidence to try, again and again. That early sense of being known and supported becomes the foundation for everything that follows. It starts here, with a team that sees your child clearly and cheers them on every step of the way.
 

Meet Our Staff

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Heather Richards

    Heather Richards 

    Lower School Learning Services
  • Photo of Lisa Cooper

    Lisa Cooper 

    Reading Specialist

Discover Highland

Take the next step in your academic journey at Highland School.
Highland School is a co-ed independent Pre-K2 to Grade 12 day school located in Warrenton, Virginia.
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