“Advanced academics paired with the executive functioning skills needed to truly shine.”
Program Overview
The Connections Program pairs rigorous, accelerated academics with the advanced organizational, time-management, and study skills needed to truly shine in high school, college, and advanced learning settings down the road.
- Who It’s For: Students in grades 1-9 who are already at or above grade level in reading, writing, and/or math, but struggle with executive functioning (such as staying organized, managing time, or planning ahead), thrive in small class sizes with highly positive, individualized attention and encouragement, and need to build independent study habits and practical confidence to successfully navigate larger high school, college, and advanced learning settings down the road.
- Our Philosophy: We take a “first-things-first” approach to advanced learning. Many schools drop students into big projects and simply assume they know the basics. We do the opposite: we ensure students master the individual academic and executive functioning building blocks first, and then apply them to real-world projects.
- The Canvas: We use rich literature, deep social studies, and immersive science as the canvas and material to explicitly teach core foundational habits, high-level research skills, and analytical thinking.
Core Pillars of the Program
Accelerated Academic Mastery
We provide a rigorous, above-grade-level curriculum across the humanities, sciences, and mathematics, keeping advanced learners engaged, appropriately challenged, and continuously learning.
Executive Functioning
We explicitly teach the vital “hidden keys” to academic success—including time management, material organization, textbook navigation, structured note-taking, and efficient study strategies.
Independent Self-Reliance
Through our systematic reasoning protocols, smart questioning, and rapid-fire fluency practices, we shift students away from relying on teachers and turn them into self-directed, independent learners.
Real-World Impact & Collaboration
We teach students how to apply academic skills to daily life while building practical confidence through formal debate, public speaking, and team-driven, inquiry-based projects.
How We Teach (Our Proven Methods)
In the gradual shift from teacher-directed to student-directed learning, students master learning skills that wean them from teacher dependency and promote independent learning:
- A Question-Generating and Answer-Predicting Method: As students study, they use a specific question-generating and answer-predicting method that points out discrepancies between what they already know and any new learning that they need to do, greatly reducing their study time.
- Flash Card Fluency and Student Teams: Students practice content facts and concepts using a flash card fluency method. Small groups practice together, earning points or privileges for the group by improving their individual performances to foster team spirit.
- Thinking Aloud Problem-Solving (TAPS): To promote reasoning and problem-solving, teachers model and coach students to think out loud through talking, writing, diagramming, and other supplemental activities using specially designed protocols. Students then coach each other to master content, solve a range of school problems, and edit their writing skills.
- Practical Deliberation from Daily Life: Students select situations from their own lives to reason through, such as the best way among several alternatives to reach a destination within a given time frame, or how to logically persuade their parents to let them attend an event.
- Natural Reinforcement and Cooperative Projects: When students demonstrate all the competencies necessary to perform successfully, they unlock project-based learning. Students learn to identify their own curiosities, define a collective research project, and work collaboratively in small groups toward common goals while remaining individually accountable for completing their share of the effort.
Program Paths
We offer tailored paths for both elementary and middle school ages to ensure every student is appropriately engaged, challenged, and supported.
Elementary Path: Building Strong Foundations
- Advanced Core Academics: Learning above-grade-level reading, writing, and math skills.
- Real-World Application: Learning how to apply school skills to real life (like designing and independently following their own morning readiness schedule!).
- Lifelong Habits: Building strong, independent homework practices early on.
- Connection & Community: Learning to participate confidently in group discussions and collaborating on meaningful community engagement projects.
Middle School Path: Preparing for High School & Beyond
- Advanced Content & Humanities: Immersive learning in World History, Civics, American History, General Science, Geography & Culture, and Human Relations.
- The “How-to-Study” Blueprint: We explicitly teach the hidden keys to academic success: how to read a textbook, take structured lecture notes, study efficiently, and master test-taking.
- Advanced Communication & Debate: Building real-world confidence through public speaking, persuasive essay and speech writing, formal debate, and delivering multimedia presentations.
- Smart Research & Literacy: Learning critical digital skills, such as navigating complex information and identifying trustworthy sources while avoiding misinformation.
Daily Schedule & Support
| Extensive Entry Assessments | We test academic, learning, and performance skills to identify exactly what your child can do well, not so well, or not at all. |
| Fluid, Skill-Matched Groups | Students are grouped with peers sharing similar needs. These groups change throughout the day as subjects change, and throughout the year as your child progresses. |
| 100% Positive Reinforcement | Teachers praise students hundreds of times a day. Success builds confidence, and confidence builds more success. |
The Daily Support Card: Rewarding Success
Our customized point system keeps students highly motivated both at school and at home.
- Clear Goals: Before every single class period, the teacher sets specific goals for academics, study skills, and citizenship.
- Earn Points: Students carry their Support Card to every class, earning points in real-time as they meet their daily goals.
- Visual Motivation: Point milestones are celebrated publicly on classroom wall charts.
- Home Connection: Students take their cards home daily so families can celebrate their success and unlock home-based rewards (like extra screen, TV, or phone time).