Classroom Technology

For our students, technology is key for many reasons.  Every class has access to laptops which help add to the multisensory experience of their subject matter.  Through advanced text-to-speech software, students can hear the words they are typing, adding an auditory element to their work. For a student who struggles with dysgraphia, a learning difference that makes the act of handwriting extremely difficult, it is very important to be able to type class projects.  This helps the student continue learning vocabulary, spelling and sentence structure while working on handwriting in another class.    

Multisensory Teaching

In order to appeal to the many different learning styles of our students, all subjects are taught through multisensory methods.  All aspects of the Radclliffe's curriculum are taught in ways that appeal to the visual, auditory, kinetic and tactile senses of each students.  For example, to learn the sounds of the alphabet, a student will say the letter's sound aloud while tracing the letter in shaving cream or gelatin, this appeals to all the senses, making a more vivid impression in the child's memory.  

Orton Gillingham

The Orton Gillingham method is a research-based, highly systematic, multisensory, synthetic, phonetic teaching method, which simultaneously builds reading, writing and spelling skills.  Instruction begins by focusing on the structure of language and gradually moves towards reading.  In this language-based and success-oriented approach, the student is directly taught reading, handwriting, and written expression as one logical body of knowledge.  Learners move step by step from simple to more complex material in a sequential, logical manner that enables students to master important literacy skills.

One-on-One Tutoring

Radcliffe offers a full-service tutoring program for students of all ages from area schools.

Small Group Instruction

Radcliffe Creek School maintains a three-to-one student-to-teacher ratio, this allows instructors to focus on the individual needs of each student, closely monitoring their progress and developing customized lesson plans.

Speech and Language

Many of the students at Radcliffe have learning concerns that result in difficulty with speaking.  These students spend time with the school's on-staff speech pathologists daily, working through their individual challenges and concerns.  

Visualizing and Verbalizing

The Visualizing and Verbalizing process, developed by Nanci Bell, enables an individual to comprehend and organize both oral and written language using higher order thinking skills.  The techniques used to verbalize and visualize also help develop critical thinking.  This instructional program follows a series of specific steps to create mental images from both oral and written language, and to verbally communicate these images, thus comprehanding and connecting language.  

Lindamood-Bell Phonemic Sequencing

Research shows that the best single predictor of success in learning to read and spell is a student's grasp of letters and their sounds.  Lindamood-Bell Phonemic Sequencing is a methodology employed by Radcliffe teachers to teach students how the mouth forms each sound in a very specific sequence.  By reinforcing these oral-motor skills, students who previously struggled with speech and language are able to advance from lower, concrete levels to higher, abstract levels of thinking and reading comprehansion.

Interscholastic Sports

Radcliffe students compete in basketball, lacrosse, and soccer against other Eastern Shore independent schools.

Enrichment

At Radcliffe we make it a point to offer a wide variety of art, music and athletic programs for students to take each term.  These seventh-period, non-academic classes are called "enrichments."  The students select from a varienty of offerings such as cooking, boat building, chess, music, drama, filmmaking, etc.  These classes not only help students broaden their horizons, they reinforce skills from their academic classes, such as math in boat building, reading in drama.  Students are able to pratice pratical skills during enrichment, for example the patience required to produce a short film in filmmaking class helps students who struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).