SUPPORT SERVICES

Executive Skills Coaching

At STARS executive skills coaching is customized for each student. Our coaches work with students to identify specific executive skill strengths and challenges, and then collaboratively develop tools and strategies to address areas of need. Executive skills include all brain processes involved in setting a goal and identifying how to successfully move from the present to the achievement of that future goal. Time management, organization, planning, prioritizing, initiation, sustained effort and self-monitoring are some of these important skills. Students work with their coaches to strengthen these processes both in isolation and in the context of their academic classes.

Academic Coaching

STARS provides subject-specific coaching for students from elementary school through college. Coaching provides individualized instruction, customized to students' unique learning profiles, in an environment that allows students to progress at their own pace and receive feedback, and encouragement every step of the way. Academic coaching maximizes time on task and allows for repeated guided practice of demonstrated skills. While working with students, STARS academic coaches emphasize important executive function skills related to time management, organization, flexible thinking, prioritizing and self-reflection.

Intensive Literacy Coaching

STARS offers literacy instruction for students who are struggling with reading, writing and spelling. Many of our STARS coaches are trained in structured, sequential, and evidence-based multisensory reading approaches that are known for their effectiveness in helping students who are struggling to read and spell, such as Orton- Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell, and Wilson. STARS literacy coaches focus on sound-symbol imagery, phonemic and phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, word recognition and attack skills, reading fluency and comprehension, writing and spelling skills, and more. Our 1:1 coaching offers targeted literacy support to help students become more confident readers and writers.

SAT & ACT Prep

STARS SAT/ACT prep coaches help students identify areas of strength and challenge in SAT/ACT content and target instruction accordingly. Coaches also discuss test taking strategies specific to the SAT/ACT as well as how sleep, nutrition and hydration can impact student performance on test day. The goal of this class is to increase content knowledge, improve confidence and provide effective strategies for achieving positive outcomes on the SAT/ACT tests.

Study Skills

STARS offers small group study skills instruction every summer. We use the SOAR® study skills program as the foundation of our instruction because it’s a simple, efficient, student-friendly system, created by a student for students. Susan Kruger, author of the SOAR® program, developed several ways to simplify the study skills she learned as a student to help her students resolve their learning and organizational struggles. Three principles guide the contents of the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum:

Strategies must be 

  • time-efficient. 

  • effective.

  • applicable across the content areas. 

Through the SOAR® Study Skills program, students learn to:

  • Manage time

  • Organize papers

  • Complete homework

  • Read textbooks

  • Study for tests

  • Take notes

  • Take tests

  • Communicate with teachers and parents

  • Write research papers

  • Set goals

Home School Instruction

STARS coaches provide subject-specific individualized instruction to students who are being homeschooled. The small classroom at STARS is also available for use by home school groups who have their own instructor.

Educational Achievement Testing

STARS offers standardized achievement testing in the areas of math concepts and applications, math computation, written expression, reading comprehension, letter & word recognition, and spelling. STARS uses the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3 Brief), to customize assessment sessions to the individual needs of each student.