How We Do It

Many learning professionals can tell you what “ails the student”, but few can develop the strategy and put together a support team that incorporates that diagnostic information. Ivy Prep treats the total individual and collaborates with parents, teachers and other specialists to help the student develop strategies and results. Our methodology consists of educating a person according to his nature, whether that student is intellectually gifted or whether there a specific learning or attention problem has been identified. We specialize in teaching very bright and intellectually gifted children and adults who have specific learning problems or areas that they want to further develop.

A gap exists between testing results and resolving learning problems because psychologists are not educators and schools are not expert at decoding the complex information in neuropsychological testing reports. As a result, people can feel overwhelmed by test data, unsure how to start. Under the guidance of Dr. Rebecca Mannis (LINK), we bridge testing results to instruction for our students and colleagues. We are dedicated to addressing the total educational needs of each student. We accomplish this using a neuropsychological learning model. We incorporate methods and materials that bridge our understanding of a student’s individual learning style to that student’s academic or professional goals.

Research in brain-behavior relationships over the past three decades has yielded significant advances in educational psychology and in our understanding of individual learning styles. Some people learn best through auditory or language-based methods, while others succeed with visual cues, or with kinesthetic (hands-on) experience. At Ivy Prep, a student’s learning style and strengths are the first characteristics we consider when designing an individual program of educational goals, materials, and curriculum.

For students who have already had educational, neuropsychological, or developmental testing, Ivy Prep uses that information, along with parent and school reports, to design a curriculum that will optimize the student’s learning experience. When appropriate, we also consult with other professionals such as speech-language, occupational therapists, neurologists, psychopharmacologists and psychologists to develop the best possible educational plan for each student.

Ivy Prep offers an educational approach that integrates an understanding of the individual student’s learning style to design an individual program of educational goals, materials, and curriculum. Dr. Mannis’ integrated neuropsychological model includes a review of school reports, test materials and results, and (when requested) she consults with other referring specialists and schools to develop specific goals for the individual students. Further consultation with students and parents provide a framework for understanding the student’s development and how to attain specific goals.

All the information gathered is used to develop a Road Map for Learning, a non-technical explanation of how the student learns best, what can hinder that process, and how to bridge that to educational practice. We then incorporate that information in structuring an Education Action Plan.

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