Reasoning.

Reasoning is a core component of our educational philosophy, transcending mere memorization of math facts and science vocab. Our approach is informed by the groundbreaking research of Project 2061 — an initiative led by more than 400 educators, researchers, and specialists from the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences.

This longitudinal study focuses on a curriculum that fosters scientific and mathematic literacy and our curriculum aligns with their Project 2061 Benchmarks.

At the forefront is problem-based learning. This is a dynamic approach where students are presented with a real-world problem and must collaborate and work together to come up with solutions… then, test their efficacy and assess their results, allowing them to engage with and improve the world around us.

In elementary, students learn the basics of logic and probability in addition to true mathematical reasoning and math fact fluency. They learn to see math in applications they need daily.

In middle school, we focus on pre-Algebra and Algebra, as this is the biggest stumbling block for students. More than just formulas, we teach abstract reasoning and numerical literacy, and push students into challenging content. Our students learn that they can use math and love it.

Writing.

In elementary, writing is more than just a way to mark an answer. Writing is a reflection of children’s motor skills, their decoding and encoding abilities, their mastery of grammar, and their ability to advance an argument.

In middle school, writing is the way that a student can organize his or her thoughts and articulate them to others.

While many schools have moved away from writing by substituting it with technology, The Linder Academy knows that writing is one of the single most important skills a child can master - no matter what paths lie ahead in the future. Writing is one of the weakest areas in our national educational domain, with only 29% of Virginia fourth graders and 27% of eighth graders write proficiently for their grade (only 39% of those in private schools).

Our curriculum and specialist-trained staff bring the top evidence-based interventions into the classroom to make sure each child learns the foundations of writing - from the motor control of letter formation to the logic of a sound argument.

Once this is mastered, we have writing as a core component of all classes, helping students master everything from a research essay to a lab report.

Reading.

In the United States, failure to read is the norm. In 2019 only 35% of children in fourth grade nationally and 32% in 8th grade nationally read at a proficient level. This barely improves when considering private schools, with only 49% of students in private schools reading proficiently or above in fourth grade. The issue isn’t the teachers. It’s the county contracts that determine curriculums and the teachers themselves are taught using outdated models of literacy instruction.

Scientifically, we have known for more than a decade that structured-literacy is the best curriculum for teaching reading and that its efficacy increases when children are taught multi-modally. As such, The Linder Academy has all teachers trained in Orton-Gillingham (OG), which is a reading and writing curriculum that has shown the best results in national studies.

While some schools are working to have basic training in OG, our staff is put through the entire comprehensive OG training at the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. This means that they teach with structured literacy and multi-modally - the most valid instructional method backed by science.

All students, not just those who struggle to read, deserve the best education in reading and writing.