Tips for Finding the Right School Fit

Tue. 01/17/2017

Finding the right school for your child means parents should consider the “whole child” – academic, social, and emotional. The right school can make all the difference in setting your child up for success.

Schools are not “one size fits all” so parents should take their child’s personality, strengths, and challenges into consideration. Placement in a school that is the “right fit” will set a good tone for how your child perceives school and learning in general.

Making a school change for your child can sometimes be a necessary decision. At The Summit School, many of our students come to us after struggling at another school. Often, we find that a new student not only fell behind academically at their previous school but also their confidence took a big hit. We meet the student where they are and bring them up to where they need to be. The purposeful structure and environment at Summit teaches students that they can learn, that they can give a wrong answer, and can learn from their mistakes.

For a child who struggles, parents might consider the following:

• Is my child making progress?
• What is their current school’s student to teacher ratio?
• How well do the teachers and staff know students?
• Do the teaching methods work well for my child?
• Is instruction tailored to students’ talents and challenges?
• Are expectations clearly communicated?
• What is the homework policy?
• Are there open lines of communication between teachers and parents?
• Does the school have all of the resources my child needs?

Parents, understandably, often want to keep siblings together in the same school. However, if a child is not thriving, it is in their best interest to consider a new school environment. Each child deserves to have the opportunity for success.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander Den Heijer

The Summit School serves bright students with dyslexia and other learning differences in grades 1-8. Teachers maximize students’ strengths and support areas of weakness. Summit empowers students and prepares them for success in high school and beyond. Students may apply and enroll throughout the school year.

For more information on how The Summit School serves bright students with dyslexia and other learning differences, click here.