Curriculum | New Avenues Dyslexia Program | The Walker School

New Avenues students have strong cognitive abilities yet often require additional support and instruction with reading, writing, organization and study skills. New Avenues teachers are trained in specialized research based methods, and they are invested in each student’s success, creating a safe environment to take academic risks. Students learn how to become active readers, author their own writing pieces, and master math concepts - all while gaining confidence in their voice and ability to learn.

The New Avenues Program is available to students in grades 1-5 who have a diagnosis of dyslexia. There is one class for each grade level and no more than 10 students in each class. Students receive their core academic instruction (Math, Language Arts, Reading and Social Studies) in their specialized New Avenues classroom.  During daily Structure Literacy Classes, students receive instruction in phonological awareness, decoding/encoding, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Structure Literacy groups meet for 80 - 90 minutes and include no more than six children

New Avenues students join their grade-level peers for co-curricular classes (Art, Music, Science, Technology, Library, Guidance, PE, Recess and Lunch) as well as for the schoolwide assemblies, field trips, grade-level projects and all Fine Arts performances. New Avenues students also receive specialized technology instruction to introduce them to assistive technologies and tools designed specifically for students with learning challenges.

A Speech and Language Pathologist joins the classroom several times a week to strengthen students' receptive and expressive language processing. Additionally, an occupational therapist integrates into the program on a weekly basis to help students gain an understanding of themselves and develop the skills necessary to be their best self and support self-advocacy.

CORE MULTISENSORY INSTRUCTION

STRUCTURED LITERACY BLOCK

• Phonological awareness
• Systematic decoding rules
• Encoding (spelling rules and application)
• Morphology
• Vocabulary
• Reading Comprehension
• Fluency
   

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Handwriting
• Grammar
• Written Expression
   

MATH

• Multisensory Math Instruction
• Concrete - Representational - Abstract teaching sequence
• Problem-solving – connected to daily life application
• Computational skills
• Fact fluency
• Vocabulary
• Math in Focus scope and sequence
   

UNIT STUDIES

• Social Studies topics
• Development of expressive and receptive language skills
• Vocabulary development

NEW AVENUES
SAMPLE SCHEDULE