Helping Children Learn

Gordon Parks Elementary’s Sense-Able Learning program is a holistic approach for improving reading, language, mathematics and listening skills. The three-part program, comprised of Enhanced Arts, Visual Skills and Listening, is designed to jump-start the learning process by fine-tuning and stimulating the senses. This sensory approach is the logical building block and key to unique breakthroughs, so that our teachers’ academic program can have maximum impact.

Enhanced Arts

Our curriculum emphasizes the arts, as they inspire and encourage creative thinking and problem solving. Every student spends the equivalent of one school day each week in the studies of art, music, physical education, dance, martial arts and library science. The arts enhance the process of learning by developing our students’ integrated sensory, attention, cognitive, emotional and motor capabilities; stimulating all areas of the brain, enabling our students to become more effective learners. Please see our Gallery of student work.

Visual Skills

The early identification of vision problems in our children is an integral part of ensuring educational success. Many of our students do not develop visual and motor skills in the pre-school years sufficient for beginning instruction. Poor nutrition, family trauma, large and small muscle deficits—including poor visual skills—inhibit the ability to learn. Our Visual Skills Program screens and provides corrective exercises, including glasses, for students experiencing visual problems not identified during a regular eye exam. The program has resulted in an increase in students’ reading comprehension and fluency.

Listening

The Tomatis Listening Program helps to exercise children’s ear muscles by exposing them to a variety of pitches.  Research shows that a child’s exposure to filtered and gated music increases the ability to focus, process information and stay on task. Tomatis listening is particularly helpful for children diagnosed with ADHD or autism.  We measure success through pre and post-testing.

Our Sense-Able Learning program is supplemented by our special education and counseling staff. We employ four full-time special education teachers and two licensed counselors experienced in teaching and treating urban core children.