Related Services

Speech and Language Therapy is offered in small groups or in individual sessions. Instruction is focused on the development of receptive language, expressive language, social skills, and articulation. Our speech language therapy program helps students build communication skills that extend beyond the classroom. Activities such as announcements, assemblies, School Store, and everyday experiences allow students to practice and generalize skills. This approach builds confidence and independence that lasts beyond the classroom.

Our counseling program supports students’ social, emotional and personal growth through both individual and group sessions called Class Meeting. A counselor is available at all times to provide guidance and support. Weekly lunch groups offer opportunities for students to build friendships and strengthen connections. The counseling team meets regularly to collaborate and ensure every student feels seen, supported and valued.

Occupational Therapy provided through Bergen County Special Services supports students throughout the educational process in a variety of ways, with individual and group sessions that reflect the varied needs and challenges that students face. Key areas include the development and implementation of fine motor skills, organizational routines, executive functioning skills, and self-regulation skills to promote the highest level of independent learning and participation across the curriculum.

Reading is taught in small groups of students who present with similar reading levels and instructional needs. Teachers utilize a variety of programs and materials tailored to meet the individual needs of the students. Our goal is to engage students in the active process of reading for meaning as well as to develop essential word identification skills. Both groups and individuals proceed at their own rate. Students may move from level to level as rapidly as their skill development dictates.

Students work on decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and spelling skills. Reading fluency is developed through age appropriate high interest stories. Specific methods are also employed to develop comprehension. Students are taught story elements, main idea, supporting details, how to summarize, predict and infer. New vocabulary and spelling are presented in a structured way. Community Lower School's reading instructors are adept at using multi-sensory methods. All techniques are reinforced throughout the entire Community School curriculum and all skills are practiced, reviewed and repeated to promote mastery.

The specialized Wilson Reading Program is used when appropriate for the student. It is based on building a network of sound-symbol association using visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modalities. It is a highly structured, step-by-step approach utilizing sight word instruction, vocabulary, oral expressive language development and comprehension in which each step builds on previous accomplishments.