The public school system has done a world of good since nationwide compulsory education laws were enacted in 1918. However, a traditional educational model isn’t ideal for every child. We recently sat down with educators from Currey Ingram Academy, one of the most prominent boarding schools in the South, for insight on how parents can tell if their child’s public school isn’t fully meeting their needs.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of public schools?

Currey Ingram Academy: Public schools are readily available, and there are schools that serve every ZIP code in the U.S. They are also free, and the vast majority of educational systems offer some accommodations for students with needs like learning differences. However, they are not nearly as flexible as private options. If you look at boarding schools in the South, you can see why. Private schools are not dependent on standardized testing for funding. Our educators have a bit more freedom to reach individual students on their level and in a way that makes the most sense for the students. 

[Read more…]

Many parents are choosing a private school education for their children to teach them the necessary skills they need to navigate an ever-changing world. From preschools to alternative schools and boarding schools, many private school options are available for children with different learning needs. Brentwood private school Currey Ingram Academy shares more reasons why private school education is worth the investment.

Exceptional academic experiences

Private school students benefit from enriching academic opportunities such as extracurricular activities and advanced placement course options, to name a few. Private school students have consistently scored top marks in standardized tests and college entrance exams, enabling them to attend the university of their choice.

Smaller class sizes 

Almost all private schools maintain small class sizes to give each student individualized attention. At Brentwood private school Currey Ingram Academy, class sizes average between four-to eight students each to give all students opportunities to excel and assume leadership roles.  All academic classes are grouped according to the abilities and needs of the student.

Active parental participation

Private schools believe that families are an integral part of a child’s education and make it a point to involve parents in the community, from parent-teacher conferences to athletic events and fundraising initiatives. Communication lines between parents and the school’s administration are likewise kept open.

Passionate faculty members

Private school instructors are both qualified and passionate about their subjects, often holding advanced degrees in their field. Small class sizes make it possible for students to build close relationships with their teachers, who also act as mentors and role models. 

A safe and nurturing environment

The community spirit fostered in private schools encourages both self-discipline and respect towards peers and teachers. Most parents believe that such environments improve the quality of the child’s educational experience and achievement. 

Moreover, most friendships formed in private schools have lasted post-graduation. Private school alumni are also known to have a strong sense of school pride, creating rich networking opportunities upon entering the workforce.

Holistic development

Private schools have incredible resources to support students in their artistic and athletic pursuits. Currey Ingram Academy’s Fine Arts Department, for example, provides opportunities for students to explore music, visual arts, and theatre. Students, in turn, develop new skills, deepen their passions, gain confidence and develop their creativity through exploration and performance.

Currey Ingram Academy’s educational-based athletics program provides a competitive and safe environment. Student-athletes connect with caring coaches and experience physical, social, and emotional growth leading to positive transformation.

Clubs and after-school activities provide a much-needed break from academic work while providing students opportunities to socialize and develop valuable life skills.

Educational philosophy

Finding a private school with a teaching philosophy that’s in line with your values as a family can create a positive and productive academic experience for your child. The right private school will not only allow students to thrive in a supportive environment and build independence but also gain unique skills that fit their learning style. 

Shaping tomorrow’s leaders

Private school alumni have assumed leadership roles in politics, business, and society; their education has trained them to adapt quickly to cultural and technological changes. That same education is bringing out the best in students with learning differences. Private schools like Currey Ingram Academy provide a premier educational environment for students with unique learning needs. The school remains committed to creating a supportive, accepting climate that promotes academic success and personal fulfillment.

Currey Ingram Academy is a private school in Brentwood that supports and empowers students with learning differences to achieve their fullest potential – academically and socially – within an environment that fosters holistic student development. Get in touch by calling (615) 507-3173.

A boarding school offers a completely different approach to learning and holistic development. If you’re looking for a suitable boarding school for your child, the selection process should be as multi-faceted as your child is. Currey Ingram Academy, recognized as one of the best boarding schools in the South, shares tips on narrowing down your options and getting the best educational experience possible.

Make a list of your non-negotiables

Sit down with your child early on and discuss what your ideal boarding school experience looks like. Don’t worry about whether one school will meet all your criteria. This exercise will help you determine your must-haves, and factors you’d like to avoid. These could include:

• Location
• Campus and class size
• Facilities
• Extra-curricular activities and after school programs
• Cost and financial assistance available
• Recommendations from friends and other family members
• Diversity
• Philosophy
• Spiritual affiliation

If your child is entering high school,  take the discussion even further and ask them what their goals are and who they would like to do after graduation. A boarding school has the power to shape a student’s future and the boarding school should be able to provide an environment that nurtures them along the path they wish to pursue, both academically and beyond the classroom.

Understand the boarding school’s mission statement and philosophy

A boarding school’s mission statement is crafted to reflect its values and goals. Policies and decisions will be made based on this statement, so it’s important to make sure the boarding school’s values are aligned with what you stand for as a family. 

Explore the boarding school’s curriculum, teaching methodology, and how it strives to maintain social and academic balance. The school’s history and traditions will determine its approach to yearly meetings, uniforms, and community-building efforts. 

Check out what professional development and curriculum growth opportunities are available to the school’s faculty and staff. The culture within the teaching community is indicative of the culture nurtured in the classroom.

Look into its specializations and focus areas

Variety is important as it helps students explore their different interests over the years. The boarding schools on your shortlist should have a performing arts curriculum, science classes, and a broad range of advanced placement classes to choose from. 

See if the boarding school has partnerships or affiliations with international learning institutions. 

Find out if there are teachers who offer mentorship opportunities in their fields of expertise, and if college counseling services are available.

Many families are drawn to boarding schools with strong athletics programs. Take note if the boarding school has the facilities and the support systems to nurture this program and develop high-caliber athletes.

Get first-hand reviews

Just as important as classroom size, student-teacher ratios, school rankings, and other data are insights from students currently enrolled in the boarding school. Schedule a visit to interview students and parents in the community; this will give you a grasp of what the boarding school is actually like beyond the statistics.

Do a campus tour

Experiencing the school’s energy first-hand can help you gauge how life actually is on-campus. Pay attention to details: Do students greet each other? Do they greet you? Are the classroom discussions lively and engaging?

During your tour, you may want to cover the following areas as well: parent-teacher communications; housing arrangements; medical support available in case of an emergency; food options, especially if your child has dietary restrictions; and off-campus activities.

Each boarding school is unique. Each institution’s culture and mission statement will serve your child’s life differently, so admission departments are as keen to find the best fit for your child as much as you are. Ultimately, the boarding school should inspire your child to learn and thrive all year round.

Currey Ingram Academy is a boarding school in the South that supports and empowers students with learning differences to achieve their fullest potential – academically and socially – within an environment that fosters holistic student development. Get in touch by calling (615) 507-3173.

One of the most common learning difficulties is dyslexia, which can cause problems with reading, writing, and spelling. Unlike a learning disability, dyslexia does not affect a child’s intelligence. 

There are misconceptions about dyslexia. It has been said that dyslexia is caused by vision problems; the truth is, it is a hereditary learning difficulty. A child with a dyslexic parent has a higher probability of being dyslexic as well. Another misconception is that dyslexia can be outgrown. While there is no “cure” for dyslexia, early intervention and proper science-based instruction are crucial in helping dyslexic students become fluent and skilled readers. 

Be on the lookout for these early warning signs of dyslexia so intervention can take place as soon as possible.

Early signs of dyslexia

Children find it difficult to articulate what’s on their mind. Observe how they speak; it might take a few moments before they could express something, even if the concept is familiar to them. It might seem like a normal interaction, but when the pauses happen frequently, it could be a sign that the child is struggling to retrieve information. 

Watch out for subtle nuances. Switching words can be a red flag; a child for example would say “predator” instead of “president.” Moreover, the child has not expressed any interest in books, reading, or being read to; learning language might be overwhelming for them.

Children with dyslexia will confuse pronouns and have difficulty with learning how to rhyme since there’s a disconnect between the words and their sounds. They gravitate towards picture books even when they are in middle school and seldom choose text-heavy books.

They do not have a strong phonological awareness. When they hear a word that does not naturally conform with what they know about language, children with strong phonological awareness would stop and ask themselves, “Did I read that wrong? Did someone spell that wrong?” and try to correct the error. Dyslexic children do not have the natural ability to identify these errors.

Dyslexic students have a hard time with rapid naming tests. Students would usually learn the names of colors, letters, and numbers quickly as soon as they enter school and formal instruction begins. A child struggling with dyslexia cannot easily recall the words when they see a visual stimulus. He or she might be thinking, “I see something red, I know what it is, but I don’t know what to call it.”

Look into their handwriting. Because reading and writing rely on related underlying processes, dyslexia can manifest through the child’s writing as well. Signs include poor spelling, poor legibility, lack of a diverse vocabulary, poor idea development, and/or lack of organization.

Practical strategies that work for students with dyslexia

Keep in mind that students with dyslexia are learning to read, and not reading to learn. They have already developed a negative attitude towards reading and would rather not do it given the chance. It’s thus important to explore and use all teaching modalities possible. Pair a physical book with an audio guide, for example.

Providing structure and routine to the learning process. Knowing what happens next gives them peace of mind. Students with dyslexia lose their sense of security when they are tasked to read a book; they feel that their weaknesses are exposed for all the world to see. 

They also want to understand why things are the way they are (i.e., why a word is spelled a certain way while another word is spelled differently). 

Acknowledge and embrace their strengths. Celebrate triumphs such as a word spelled correctly or a sentence read beautifully. This makes a huge difference.

Encourage reading for pleasure. Let them read what they want to read and at their own pace.

Simultaneous oral spelling is highly recommended. Students hear the adult say the word out loud and then they repeat the word, making sure they have the correct mouth movement. They write the letters, say them out loud, feel the motor movements of their mouth, feel the movement of their hands as they write the letters, and see the word they wrote. They then read the word they wrote. Seeing all the elements come together helps students understand how words are formed.

Use a phonics phone. It’s a simple tube shaped like a telephone receiver, often made from plastic PVC pipe. This allows the students to speak quietly in one end and hear their own voice through the other, helping them identify subtle sounds they might not have heard otherwise.

Enroll them in a school that understands their needs. From the Lower School to the Upper School and Residential Life program, Currey Ingram Academy provides a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment to students in grades K-12 as they acquire the skills to excel in reading and writing. A private boarding school in Brentwood, Currey Ingram Academy understands that students learn differently; teachers use different evidence-based instructional practices and present material through individualized, structured, and multisensory approaches (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) to best meet the instructional and learning needs of each student. 

Specializing in dyslexia, private boarding school Currey Ingram Academy supports and empowers students with learning differences to achieve their fullest potential – academically and socially – within an environment that fosters holistic student development. Get in touch by calling (615) 507-3173.

If you are a parent struggling to figure out why your child is not responding to your constant pleas for a behavioral change, keep reading. We recently sat down with administrators from Currey Ingram Academy, a private school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, who tell us that reframing a child’s consequences is an effective approach to teaching new behaviors. Keep reading to find out some ways this academic institution helps their students evaluate their own actions.

Q: Good morning, we want you to know we appreciate you taking time out of your day to sit with us.

Currey Ingram: It is absolutely no problem. We are happy to talk with you.

Q: We wanted to reach out to you about discipline. Many parents today struggle with how to show their children – particularly teenagers – that their actions are not acceptable. One of our readers mentioned that they have seen a huge change in their 16-year-old since enrolling them in your school. Can we talk about how your staff and teachers approach the issue of behavioral modification?

Currey Ingram: Absolutely. First, it is important to know that we believe young learners respond best to consequences as opposed to discipline. What this means is that undesirable behavior creates an effect they can relate to their original action. For example, if a student is running through the hallways, a possible disciplinarian action would be detention. A consequential action would be that they must practice how to move throughout the hallways.

Q: In other words, they have to be logical and stem directly from the situation?

Currey Ingram: Yes, you could say that. We try to take a three-step approach toward issuing consequences. The first is that they have to be known ahead of time and communicated clearly. The next is that they must be logical and natural, such as in the example above. Finally, we also prioritize reinforcing positive behaviors with positive consequences.

Q: How do you communicate the potential consequences of an action without knowing how a student might react in a particular situation?

Currey Ingram: Since we run a private school, we have a fairly predictable routine. One tactic we can employ is to let students know that we expect their full attention during a lecture, for example. We would tell them before speaking that disruptive behaviors will be met with X consequence from the teacher or staff member in charge. We also have a list of rules that our students are expected to follow, and we look at each student on an individual basis to determine what consequences might be best geared toward their needs and personality.

Q: Why is it important that consequences relate to the infraction?

Currey Ingram: Every action creates a cycle of cause and effect. Humans learn from an early age that if they do one thing that something else happens immediately after. We do not lose this instinct as we age. So now, as teenagers, our students are still learning that everything they do triggers a response. Whether you are in a public or private school, students interacting with each other have consequences. For example, Student A says something hurtful to Student B. As a result, Student B ends their friendship. This is a natural and logical consequence. It makes sense to take the same approach when working toward the goal of behavioral modifications.

Q: You asserted earlier that Currey Ingram also prioritized positive consequences. Tell us a bit about that.

Currey Ingram: Because we are a private school, we have the authority and ability to offer numerous positive outcomes in response to desired behaviors. In other words, when we see a student doing something they should do, we want them to know that we recognize their good behavior.

Q: Give us some examples of a positive reinforcement strategy.

Currey Ingram: For younger students, we might offer stickers or small toys as a tangible reward. Older students may enjoy perks, such as having a few extra minutes of video game time. Our private school campus in Brentwood also offers a boarding option, so many of our high school scholars are with us around the clock, which gives our staff an opportunity to further reinforce positive behaviors outside of school hours. All of our students – and most children in general – respond well to social rewards, which might include praise or recognition.

Q: How do you help your students learn to recognize their own positive behaviors?

Currey Ingram: That is a great question. One way we do this is by being very mindful of how we phrase verbal recognition. Instead of simply saying, “You did good work today!” we might say, “You worked very hard on your project, you must be very proud of yourself!” 

Q: So you are reframing the praise?

Currey Ingram: Absolutely. Similarly, by reframing consequences as more of a learning experience than a disciplinary action, we hope to get through to our students in a way that will be lasting and impactful.

Q: That is very interesting. Before we close, can you tell our readers a bit about your program?

Currey Ingram: Currey Ingram Academy is a private school located in Brentwood, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Our educational facility caters to students with learning differences, such as ADHD and dyslexia. We take a comprehensive approach to helping to develop appropriate and responsible behaviors both inside and outside of the classroom. We know that each one of our students has the potential to achieve more than they give themselves credit for. By illustrating cause and effect for all behaviors, we believe that we can help these students by empowering them to take control of their actions before they happen. To learn more about Currey Ingram and how this private boarding school can help your child, visit https://www.curreyingram.org today.