Lower School - Early Years or Young Learners

Early learners can experience difficulty in the acquisition of language, visual-motor integration and other motor skills. The Learning Support Department is available to assist the early learners, their parents and the Early Years Programme Staff in a consultative role. Consultation services can include the following:

• Class observations;
• Consultations with staff and parents;
• Consultations with students;
• Assisting Early Years Staff with Early Intervention strategies.

It is important to recognize that early learners have different stages of development. It may be difficult to determine if a student has a learning difficulty when these children are so young, however focussing on a student's less developed areas, while respecting his natural development helps reach an holitically balanced student by the end of the Programme.

Should an Early Years student be observed as possibly being at risk for learning when he/she leaves Early Years for Primary, permission is sought from the parents to investigate the child further.

We recommend that children have regular hearing and vision checks so that neither hearing nor vision become the underlying causes of language acquisition or motor concerns.