We help you reach your goals
by guiding you every step of the way
- We ASSESS and understand each student’s academic and executive functioning skills, interests and learning preferences.
- We help students IMPLEMENT effective strategies to maximize strong skills and enhance deficient skills.
- We help students MONITOR their progress in the application of the strategies.
Step 1- ASSESS
Each student starts the process with an initial consultation and appropriate assessments are completed to identify their strengths, challenges, abilities, and needs. This may include one or more of the following types of assessments.
Holistic Assessment for Learning
Curriculum-based measurement assessments and universal academic screenings are generally used by teachers in the classroom to assess more students within a relatively short period of time.
However, holistic assessments provide a full picture of the students' academic and learning skills, learning preferences and motivational tendencies. Therefore, an initial holistic assessment is completed by all students at MLS prior to considering more intensive and costly assessments that may or may not be required. Then recommendations are made for either further assessments or an implementation strategy within and/or outside the classroom.
Educational Achievement Assessments
Students who experience difficulties in learning may be lacking foundational executive functioning skills or may learn better with alternative instructional methods.
Educational achievement assessments identify challenging and strong academic areas using a variety of diagnostic tests. Some of the skills measured include math operations, math concepts, word recognition, reading fluency, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, spelling and written and oral expression.
Psychoeducational Assessments
When a student's performance falls below the benchmark, it is important to understand the causes underlying these deficiencies to determine the most appropriate solutions to reduce the learning gaps.
General screenings can identify which cognitive skills may be impacting the learning, however, a formal psychoeducational assessment will provide the most accurate measurement as well as recommendations of how to enhance these cognitive skills.
Step 2- IMPLEMENT
A learning plan is created which includes the student’s goals. The educational therapist reviews the results of the assessments and recommends appropriate solutions inside and outside the classroom.
Universal design and differentiated learning solutions enable all students to learn the way that works best for them. We assist all students in identifying and accessing the most appropriate resources for use within their classrooms.
Individual education plan (IEP) support- We collaborate with the student, parents, school, and teachers to recommend and implement instructional, environmental, and assessment accommodations for the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Post-secondary school support- The transition from high school to college or university requires the ongoing use of a significant amount of executive functioning skills. We help students develop advocacy skills to learn how to identify, request, and obtain the appropriate supports or accommodations they need to be successful within the classroom.
MLS combines educational therapy and specialized educational strategies to teach students how to learn by strengthening their executive functioning skills.
These strategies are derived from evidence-based concepts that have aided thousands of students. They combine Reuven Feuerstein's concepts of mediated learning; Barry Zimmerman’s phases and levels of the self-regulated learning model; the Orton-Gillingham structured, directed, multisensory approach to learning; Russ Barkeley’s Self Regulation Executive Function model and Benjamin Bloom’s theory of mastery learning. MLS uses programs derived from these concepts in their educational therapy practices including:
- Processing and Cognitive Enhancement Program© (PACE©) which is an intense, proven brain training mastery-based method that strengthens underlying cognitive efficiency skills. A broad set of learning skills are emphasized including: attention, working memory, processing speed, logic and reasoning, auditory processing, visual processing, and long-term memory.
- Barton Reading and Spelling System which is a multi-sensory, direct, structured phonics-based program influenced by the Orton Gillingham language approach. It is designed for intense intervention to help struggling readers and those with dyslexia.
- The Feuerstein Method which is a unique educational technique teaching individuals how to learn by tapping into their latent intellectual capabilities. The Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) is a cognitive intervention program to engage learners in problem-solving by developing their ability to understand and elaborate information.
MLS offers two structured executive functioning programs consisting of a blended format of online self-paced courses, one-on-one educational therapy or academic coaching, and small group interactive sessions. These programs help students enhance organizational, prioritization, time-management, and working memory while maintaining self-regulation, sustained attention, flexibility and task initiation skills. These executive functioning skills are critical to developing the higher order meta-cognition and goal-directed skills students require to become independent, accountable learners.
Foundational Program- The foundational program starts with a holistic assessment to identify your academic and learning strengths, needs, interests and learning preferences, and executive functions which may be impacting learning. This assessment leads to the development and application of a highly tailored learning plan with SMART strategies to achieve your goals. Since the number and type of executive functioning disorder differ among individuals, the length of time to address these issues will also vary. Therefore, this initial 8 week program focuses only on 1-2 specific skills and students can then move to the progressive program to continue honing their skills. Click here for more details of the Foundational Executive Functioning Skills Program.
Progressive Program- The progressive program is a continuation of the foundational program and consists of ongoing educational therapy or academic coaching. This program helps participants maintain the goals they achieved and develop new goals. Click here for more details of the Progressive Executive Functioning Skills Program.
Sometimes a student's learning challenges are associated with a specific disorder such as speech and language, visual, auditory, motor, or communication deficiencies. In these cases, they may need treatment from a specialist in the applicable area. Montgomery Learning Solutions is able to complete a general screening to detect a potential disorder and will then refer the student to one of the following specialists;
- Psychologist
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Optometrist
- Audiologist
- Occupational Therapist
Step 3- MEASURE
The student’s progress is monitored ongoing with results and feedback recorded on the student’s learning plan.
Students may use a variety of resources and services inside and outside the classroom but it may be difficult to measure their effectiveness and the type of measurement may vary depending on the program, service, and individual student needs.
The educational therapist will review results, provide feedback to the student and communicate overall results to parents. The learning plan will continue to be revised and reviewed until the student achieves his or her goal.
