Learning Skills Center

The Learning Skills Center plays an integral role in Tower's mission to empower a diverse range of learners to reach their academic and personal goals. Influenced by the work of prominent educational researchers such as Mel Levine and Howard Gardner, and the philosophy that all students learn differently, the Learning Skills Center exists to identify and support the unique strengths and needs of all Tower students. In addition to providing academic support classes and case management for students with diagnosed learning issues, the Learning Skills Center provides consultation for any student experiencing academic difficulty, and provides ongoing support to Tower faculty and parents.

The Learning Skills Center staff includes a full-time Director, three full-time Learning Specialists with expertise in literacy and mathematics instruction, and one part-time Reading Specialist. Our staff is committed to using the most effective research based strategies and provide access to assistive technology. The Learning Skills Center’s success demonstrates how a personalized approach to teaching and an appreciation of the different ways people learn helps all students learn more effectively.

Academic Services
The Learning Skills Center serves all of Tower School's students by providing the following services:

Reading support, study skills and learning strategy instruction (limited to students with greatest need; contingent upon staff availability)
Collaboration with teachers to secure "reasonable accommodations"
Referrals for diagnostic testing and accommodations on standardized tests (in collaboration with appropriate teachers/administrator)
Extended time and an alternative exam environment (upon teacher recommendation)
Seventh-grade study skills course
1st-grade reading instruction
2nd-grade reading instruction
7th– and 8th–grade math
In-class teacher support (as needed)

Students with diagnosed learning issues are eligible to receive:

Case management
Resource support classes (Reading groups, study skills, etc.)
Individualized instruction with a staff specialist
Access to assistive technology including basic keyboarding instruction and educational software, to support learning goals
Additional reasonable accommodations and modifications as identified in neuropsychological testing
Individual learning profiles describing strengths, weaknesses, mandatory accommodations, and other relevant information
Regular meetings, in addition to bi-annual conferences, to update documentation and revise learning goals
Systematic review of educational/psychological testing

Faculty Resource
The Learning Skills Center serves Tower's faculty by serving as a resource for developing awareness of how best to serve the diversity of minds that exist within our community. Services include:

Effective teaching strategies to create new pathways for learning, including multi-sensory, kinesthetic, and experiential methods
Ways to use assistive technology to increase student independence and success
Teaching organizational skills and learning strategies across the curriculum (as requested by teachers)
Assessments: ERB testing evaluations, SSAT administration
Resource library, including books, videos, periodicals, and professional development materials
On-going communication regarding students’ learning styles and needs

Parent Resource
The Learning Skills Center serves Tower's parents/guardians by providing resources and information including:

Workshops designed to improve parents'/guardians' understanding of child and adolescent learning and development, as well as demystification of learning differences
Continuous communication to promote collaboration between parents/guardians and teachers
Resource library, including books, videos, and periodicals to inform parents/guardians about learning differences and tools to support learning