Dyslexic children will have one more educational option with the opening this coming school year of The Sterling Academy - Brooklyn's only private elementary school for dyslexic children.
The school is currently accepting applications for full-time students in the second through fourth grades who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and/or a learning disability with a primary reading problem.
Housed in a modern, newly renovated, four story building in Brownstone Brooklyn, across the street from P.S. 261, facilities will include a fully-equipped photography studio with a darkroom, a kitchen for cooking classes; an art studio for painting, pottery and sculpture; an outside deck for gardening, bird-watching, exercise and a weather station.
Hands-on learning will be incorporated into a rigorous curriculum using the Orton-Gillingham approach. Developed in the 1920s, this method has been used to help thousands of dyslexic children overcome the frustration and hopelessness that can limit academic success.
Says director Ruth Arberman, M.Ed.: "Too often, schools make children feel that they are the cause of academic failure. Our underlying philosophy at Sterling is that all children can learn and that they will learn. Our program nurtures children's innate love for learning." All staff members have many years of experience teaching dyslexic children, and teachers are well-trained in the Orton-Gillingham method.
The school is fully accredited by the National Private Schools Association Group. A charter from the Board of Regents of the State of New York Education Department is currently in process.
For more information, and to request an application, parents can contact Mrs. Arberman at (718) 625-3502. The Sterling Academy is located at 299 Pacific Street.
