by Erika Surkin

Connecting the dots from where your child is now to college graduation can often be difficult for a parent. If the childdoesn’t fit in, either socially or academically, it can be a sobering exercise. Providing that child with the support of an appropriate educational environment can rewrite their futures. Deciding which school is appropriate takes research, legwork and consideration.

In considering what options are available for your child, it is helpful to understand what is involved in making such a decision. The starting point comes with assessing your child.

It is often helpful to see a licensed school psychologist for a fresh prospective and recommendation. Ideally stumbling blocks to learning are  identified prior to fourth grade, before your child falls behind and a social component compounds learning difficulties. However, making a private school decision can happen in any grade, at any time of the school year.

To be prepared for a September placement, parents should start as early as January to allow ample time to gather information, compare schools and be comfortable with their decision. Referrals from educational professionals and friends, and web research will ultimately lead to Open Houses or private tours — a great time to determine what educational niche the school fills and to get a feel for the environment.

It is helpful to compile a quick profile for each school on your list of contenders. For example, your profile for the Concept School would include:

• learning profiles and leveling allow for child to progress with support and appropriate curriculum
• small class sizes with a low student to teacher ratio
• safe and accepting environment
• college prep curriculum
• suitable placements for students with average and above average intelligence

Now, the challenge is in aligning what a school has to offer and what your child needs. Compare your child’s needs to what each school has to offer.

• Is educational support geared to the needs of your child?
• Is the academic curriculum suitable for your child?
• Would your child be comfortable in this social environment?
• Does the school teach to your child‘s strengths?

Fortunately, there is a fail-safe built into the process of selecting the right school. Ideally, the application for admission is a litmus test for how well you have matched your child to the appropriate school. The school wants a good match as much as you do — so they compare what they have to offer to what your child needs, too.

The application process is a critical step in making sure your child is getting the opportunities you want them to have. At TCS, we take extra care in accessing the appropriateness of a placement. After the application materials are reviewed and if favorably assessed for placement, the Director will approve scheduling for a required visit of two or three days. During a visit — besides spending time with classmates — teachers will talk with a prospective student and answer questions. Testing for placement in English, reading and math are also conducted at this time. Only after this visit, is final acceptance determined.

At TCS, the application for admission kicks off transitioning the student into the school — getting to know the student, building a learning profile, helping the student get to know us. I take great pride and pleasure seeing new students blossom as they rediscover the joy of learning. With a concerted effort by the student, school and parents, your child can be successful. Hopefully for your family, connecting the dots from where your child is now to where they want to go will be as plain to see as stepping stones.

Erika Surkin is the School Psychologist at the Concept School. If you would like to learn more about what TCS has to offer, call 610-399-1135 for information about attending an Open House.