Grades 1 - 8
Primary Programs: Nurturing Active Learning
Clarke has shaped its primary school curriculum with the goal of helping our students become active listeners, learners and speakers. Our students talk, explore, write and report. They make choices, set priorities, and discover what they are interested in, all in the language rich environment that is essential for deaf and hard of hearing children. Students build confidence and a strong foundation for lifelong communication skills and academic success.
Listening and talking are vitally important to literacy. New research shows that reading is a function of the auditory brain, where language is processed – not, as one might expect, a visual process. Children who use spoken language have a much easier time learning to read. Clarke’s strong focus on language and literacy helps students not just to speak well, but to understand what they read and hear, and learn to express themselves fully.
Grades K - 4 offered at our Northampton and Jacksonville campuses.
Middle School: A Time of Transition
Middle school is all about transitions — from childhood to adulthood, dependence to independence. It is a wonderful time, and it is a critical time for developing self-confidence, a sense of identity, study habits, and friendships. Our Middle School program is flexible and collaborative with emphasis on critical thinking and academic achievement.
Hands-on activities stimulate spontaneous language and incidental learning in a fun, nurturing environment. Students build confidence and leadership, working as a team on special projects and sharing the results with their peers and teachers. Opportunities abound for creative expression through art, music, drama and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities.
Throughout their time in Middle School students prepare for entry into an appropriate secondary school setting. Mainstream Services staff work with students and families at each grade level to plan a smooth transition to a classroom with hearing peers that provides the support and services each child needs.
Grades 5 - 8 offered at our Northampton campus
Curriculum and Classroom
All Clarke educational programs are led by creative and committed professionals trained in childhood education, speech-language pathology, education of the deaf and the auditory/oral method. All Clarke educators hold a Master’s Degree, and children receive daily speech and language therapy provided by speech-language pathologists and teachers of the deaf.
Very small classroom sizes provide individualized attention, and classrooms are designed for the unique acoustical needs of children with hearing loss. Clarke’s curriculum for all ages is aligned with state and national standard, and families are actively involved in learning through frequent communication and classroom observations.
