Oakland School

[EduCativ]

Founded in 1967, Oakland School is a small K-8 co-ed boarding and day school specializing in language-based learning and attention issues. Because of our size, we can tailor an academic program unique to each child's strengths and challenges. Students graduate from Oakland with a newfound love of learning, a sense of self-worth, and respect for themselves and others.

25 to 40 boarding and day students year-round, Up to 110 campers each summer, Specialist in Dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD/ADD, and executive functioning issues.

Learning differences are pervasive. One in five kids has learning or attention issues, with the most prevalent being language-based. This can make reading, writing, and spelling difficult for students.

80% of students with learning differences find reading a challenge. Typical side effects of learning disabilities include sensory-motor integration, motor planning and coordination, and executive functioning. Attention disorders such as ADHD frequently occur in tandem as well.

For more information, visit Understood.org, a consortium of 15 nonprofits who support the millions of parents whose children, ages 3–20, struggle with learning and attention issues.

Our warm, nurturing atmosphere and bucolic farm-like setting creates a safe space for children to understand that their brains work a little differently. Through intensive academic instruction and emphasis on character development, we guide students through a journey of self-discovery, unlocking their potential to succeed and develop the confidence to take on even more significant challenges after Oakland.

• A cornerstone of the Oakland Way since the school's inception, daily one-on-one sessions with a child's primary teacher not only facilitate up to 1.5 to 2 years of progress in reading each year but also build trust to help students navigate social and emotional challenges as well.
• We work hand in hand with parents to understand each child's strengths and weaknesses and their learning styles, interests, and motivators. The result is a living document that empowers teachers to customize instruction to meet each student's needs best.
• Starting in elementary school, reading sits at the core of most academic instruction. This is why we have made it Oakland's specialty, dedicating as much as three hours a day to phonics, decoding, word study, comprehension, and oral reading.
• We do not categorize students by grade like traditional schools. Instead, we focus on each child's individual needs and place them with students of similar achievement levels. This eliminates the anxiety related to the feeling that one is 'falling behind' and helps students focus on their unique educational journey.
• Small, flexible instruction groups provide children with classroom experience in a judgment-free zone. Students accept each others' differences, often modeling encouraging words and offering praise when learning new materials together.
• Our founder, Margaret Shepherd, focused on visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile methods to teach students with learning differences. More than 60 years later, we continue to use this creative, multisensory approach to stimulate learning.
• A new buzzword in education, "grit," is something we have always sought to teach at Oakland. Our Character Counts curriculum and overall approach to learning emphasize our core values, including perseverance, resilience, and respect.
• All children enjoy free riding lessons as part of their schedule. Caring for the animals, respecting the sport's discipline, and enjoying the moments of peace on our meandering trails builds character and provides our students with a break from academic demands. Many students become expert riders and develop a lifelong love of riding.
• Included in tuition, our five-week summer camp is a blend of intensive academics and traditional camp fun. The program sets students on a path for success, with campers gaining up to a year's worth of reading achievement in a few short weeks.
• Technology takes a back seat to the great outdoors with experiential learning at Oakland that includes nature walks, gardening, fireside chats, and outdoor instruction. Movement between buildings every 35 minutes is intentional, allowing students to increase oxygen intake, revitalize blood flow, and prime the brain to store and retrieve information.

View full school