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Summer Boot Camp for Structured Literacy

Structured Literacy, girl reading a book on the couch.

Every student is expected to show some regression when they walk into school each fall after their summer break. State standards account for it, curriculums are built with an initial review in mind, and teachers spend the first couple weeks not only reviewing school rules, but also academic material that was taught the year previously. […]

EXPLORE! Tailoring Education to Foster Genuine Interest and Beyond

EXPLORE! Tailoring Education to Foster Genuine Interest and Beyond, image of kid looking through telescope

Have you ever had a lesson with a student or a project you helped your child with that left you feeling curious and intellectually stimulated? These lessons feel too few and far between — there are so many fundamentals and standards for students to learn these days that sometimes it feels like the love of […]

Executive Functioning Skills by Age: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

Executive Functioning Skills by Age: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents, image of mom with two young kids building blocks

Welcome to Part 3 of our Executive Function blog series. In this installment, we address a key question many parents have: “When does executive function develop?” We take a closer look at how Executive Functioning skills unfold from infancy through young adulthood, providing a timeline and understanding of this crucial development at each age stage. […]

Navigating Day-to-Day: How Executive Function Influences Every Choice

Navigating Day-to-Day: How Executive Function Influences Every Choice, image of kids playing with color balls standing next to a wall.

Executive functioning skills are often developed through age and maturity, good teaching, and trial and error. For children with learning disabilities or attention deficits, explicit instruction and extra support is often required to develop the executive functioning skills that are lacking. A student with executive function difficulties may face challenges throughout their day. In the […]

Executive Function: The Silent Force Behind Every Child’s Development

Executive Function: The Silent Force Behind Every Child's Development, image of a child thinking, wall of blank post-it notes.

Executive Function (EF) is a fundamental component of young minds, guiding their ability to plan, organize, and regulate emotions. As these skills are still developing in children, many often grapple with recognizing and articulating their EF-related challenges. It’s crucial for caregivers and educators to understand and assist in identifying these needs to support optimal growth […]

The Summer Slide: How to Maintain Your Child’s Academic Progress

The Summer Slide, image of two young girls reading a book outside.

Popsicles on the beach, swimming, and summer camps have probably been big topics at the dinner table as your child gets excited about summer. While summer is an important time for kids to recharge and have time to dive into other enrichment opportunities, it is also risky to take an extended period of time away […]

Private School Admissions 2023: Timeline and Tips

Private School Admissions 2023: Timeline and Tips, image of young kids working on their private school admissions application

As summer approaches, so does admissions season! As you start to consider the many premier private schools in San Diego,  it is important to consider what the admissions timeline looks like, especially if this is the first time you’re having a child apply to a private school. Click here to review our admissions info sheet […]

College Prep 2023: Tips for Application Essay Success

College Prep 2023: Tips for Application Essay Success, image of two teens writing their college essays

Writing college application essays can be an intimidating task for many rising high school seniors. On top of the anxiety about getting into the schools of their choice, application essays require an approach to writing that is a complete 180 from the academic essays students are typically asked to write throughout high school. In contrast […]

Morphology: Using Word Parts to Help Strengthen Reading Skills

Morphology: Using Word Parts to Help Strengthen Reading Skills, image of letters saying LEARN

There are many approaches to helping students strengthen their ability to sound out words and read fluently, a skill which is also called decoding.. Most reading programs designed to support students in decoding are called structured literacy (this is a topic we like to talk about OFTEN as it is one of our biggest passions […]


Bionic Reading:
A New Reading Strategy for Students with ADD/ADHD

ADD/ADHD, Reading Strategy for Students with ADD/ADHD, image of a kid reading a book on a bed

Does your child tend to feel overwhelmed when reading and struggle to focus? Even as adults, focusing while reading can be difficult.. If we feel unfocused, reading a paragraph can be exhausting, and information is less likely to soak in. For those with ADD or ADHD, this can be even more so true.  There is […]