Academics

At Oakwood, we focus on meeting a child where they are; filling in foundational skills that may be missing, remediating areas of need, and helping each child recognize and believe in their unique potential.

To accomplish this, we use proven, evidence-based teaching methods, as well as methods and technologies based on brain research. Our student to teacher ratio is 6 to 1 for most classes, allowing for maximum individual attention. All of Oakwood's classroom teachers are Orton-Gillingham trained, experienced, and licensed through the Virginia Department of Education to teach special education. We provide an integrated approach to teaching students the skills they need to be successful. The reading techniques and strategies taught in Reading class are reinforced in Science, Social Studies, and even Math!

Our curriculum is child-centered – our focus is on learning the material, not just covering it.

Curriculum for Students With Learning Differences

We start students at their instructional level and move at a challenging, but manageable, pace. Small instructional groups for reading and math allow us to place children in the appropriate level. This makes remediation of deficit skills possible while we provide instruction at a different level for areas of strength.

When a child enters Oakwood, they receive a Strategy Notebook. This binder serves as a portfolio of strategies that the child adds to as they develop as a learner. This notebook empowers the student with tangible evidence of learning and ways to help themselves.

We focus on developing the whole child.  Our social/affective lessons focus on understanding the brain and how we learn as well as how we want to act with each other in our school community. We reinforce that we all have learning needs and challenges, as well as areas in which we excel. Recognizing and appreciating these differences in each other is important to our learning community.