Learning Strategies
Dunn's Learning Strategies program has a long-standing reputation for success.
Since 1973 we have been providing extensive, individualized support and encouragement to help students master their own cognitive strengths and achieve their academic goals. This program is a vital component of the school’s overall mission to develop and nurture the whole child within a warm, caring environment.
Our Learning Strategies program provides individualized and comprehensive academic support in an encouraging, structured, and fully integrated environment. As the students develop their meta-cognitive skills they become independent and effective learners, gaining self-confidence in the classroom and beyond.
Celebrating & Supporting Cognitive Diversity
Our program embraces a diverse student body, including those in challenging courses, athletes, leaders, and artists. We recognize and celebrate each student’s unique strengths, helping them leverage these strengths for academic success while equipping them with strategies to overcome challenges. This approach fosters skills and confidence essential for personal growth.
We offer two support levels:
- One-to-One Learning Strategies: Students work individually with a specialist, integrating strategies into their schedule like any other class, meeting regularly to enhance learning and communication.
- Executive Group Program: Students benefit from tailored support in a small group setting, fostering a collaborative environment that supports individual needs. Advisors outside the program collaborate closely with specialists to ensure holistic support for each student.
Some of the skills that you might work on in your Learning Strategies session:
- Comprehension
- Fluency
- Time management
- Long-term planning
- Presentation skills and dry run (or "rehearsal") of class presentations
- Research
- Organization
- Test and Quiz Preparation
- Self-Advocacy
- Writing
- Research
- Teaching others (demonstrating the highest level of understanding)
- Specific assignment support
Contact
The Learning Strategies Specialist
Each student in the program is paired with an experienced learning specialist who provides support and encouragement as well as individualized course advising. These full-time faculty members have dedicated themselves to helping students become more efficient, effective learners, while significantly reducing student stress and anxiety about learning. By developing a strategic plan that is tailored to each student’s needs, they help the students achieve success in a rigorous prep school environment while simultaneously preparing them for future success in college and beyond.
Your Learning Strategies specialist will be the faculty member that knows you best. They will be your biggest supporter and your sounding board, providing proactive support and facilitating student-teacher-family communication. The relationship that a student has with their learning specialist often develops into a lifelong friendship.
Our learning specialists also work closely with classroom teachers to ensure that they are well acquainted with the profile of each student, giving them guidance about individualized academic support and accommodations while receiving feedback about classroom performance. This relationship ensures that the teachers understand the unique learning style of each student and gives the learning specialists valuable feedback about ongoing classroom performance and areas that need to be addressed in the learning strategies session to ensure classroom success. These sessions help students gain confidence and acquire skills that will allow them to overcome their learning challenges and enjoy success at Dunn and at the college of their choice.
"I’m here to help these kids successfully navigate their high school years." — Mark Geriak