Academics
Elementary
Developing Habits of Academic Excellence
All parents want to give their child a learning environment where they are nurtured and embraced for who they are and who they will be. Children who have communication delays and learning differences should be no exception. At The Parish School, we break down the barriers of language and learning disabilities to empower students with the tools to succeed in any educational environment.
Our elementary program addresses the needs of children from 5-12 years old. The Parish School’s elementary staff are experts at addressing a variety of learning styles, interests and abilities, meeting the needs of each of our students. We provide an academically challenging program that develops the language, social-emotional, executive functioning, and self-advocacy skills needed to succeed and thrive in school and life.
What do Parish Classes Look Like?
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Classes are grouped to include students of varying ages and developmental levels. All children of the same chronological age rarely perform at the same level. By grouping children according to levels, we build on developmental skills. Multi-age/multi-level groupings allow students to learn from other peer models while also having the opportunity to be a model for other children.
Elementary students are placed into the following levels based upon our assessments
Primary Elementary
Ages 5 – 7 years
Lower Elementary
Ages 7 – 9 years
Upper Elementary
Ages 9 – 11 years
The following optional programs are also available:
Early Morning Drop-Off
Monday – Friday
7 – 7:45 a.m.
Extended Day
Monday – Friday
after school until 6 p.m.
Adventure Play
Open to students ages 6-12
Monday – Thursday
after school until 5:30 p.m.
Our Unique Approach
State Standards-Aligned
Aligned with the Texas State Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and differentiated for each student, instructional methods utilize a multi-sensory teaching approach for all core academic subjects.
Specialized Reading Instruction
Specialized reading instruction is prescriptive to each child’s needs. Reading is explicitly taught in a multisensory, systematic manner focusing on phonology and phonological awareness, sound/symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, fluency and comprehension.
Multisensory Learning
Our curriculum incorporates multisensory instruction that integrates visual, kinesthetic, auditory and tactile experiences. This approach activates different parts of the brain which fosters deep, meaningful connections with language and academic concepts. Utilizing multisensory learning techniques allow for differentiation to meet the diverse needs of all students.
Social-Emotional Language & Learning Program (SELLP)
This whole-child approach is a school-wide model of support that incorporates intervention strategies that build skills across developmental areas and promote successful group learning, self-regulation, independence and resilience. This includes the implementation of Social Thinking® by Michelle Garcia Winner and Conscious Discipline®.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech-language pathologists support academics by providing group language therapy in the classroom. The Social Thinking® approach is also implemented in all classrooms to teach social language concepts through weekly social groups and activities.
Nature-Based Learning
Daily nature-based learning opportunities facilitate children’s intellectual, social and emotional development through direct, hands-on engagement with our environment.
Arts and Sciences
Full-time specialists lead weekly classes for children to explore creativity and expression through music, theater, art, library, physical education, technology and even a makerspace.
Professional Partnerships
We embrace collaboration with professionals who support a student beyond the doors of The Parish School and consider them important members of the child’s team.
The Good News Book
Communication using the Good News Book is a hallmark of The Parish School. This “journal” records classroom experiences in pictures and words. It focuses on a child’s strengths and provides an avenue to build literacy and writing skills.