Academic Programs

General Academics and Homework Assistance

Cornerstone's academic programs are focused on the philosophy that every student wants to learn, and on the research-based reality that every student learns in different ways.  Our programs draw from a variety of resources and are custom-designed for each student -- no cookie-cutter formulas here! We can also include homework assistance and regular contact with your child's teacher or teachers as a part of any student's program.

Many of the problems faced by struggling learners in school ("math anxiety," "test anxiety," being labeled as "lazy," and so on) stem from needs that are difficult if not impossible to address in a large-group instructional setting. This is where we can help -- by determining what barriers exist and where breakdowns are occurring, and then by giving the student strategies for success, including an understanding of the ways in which they learn.

Here are a few examples from our extensive library of curricula from which we select activities:

Phonemic/Phonological Awareness

The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS^®) Program teaches the relationships between spoken sounds and written symbols and how to sequence them. This skill is the single strongest predictor of success in learning to read.

Reading Fluency and Comprehension

Seeing Stars^®, another Lindamood-Bell^® program, uses visual imagery to build vocabulary and decoding skills.  We also draw from Rewards® and LinguiSystems' Access® programs to create custom-tailored reading programs for our students.

Mathematics

On Cloud Nine^® is a visualizing and verbalizing approach to math instruction which only works one-on-one and in small groups.  It allows beginning math students to quickly make connections between numerical concepts and visual symbols. We also use Math Blaster® and Math Xpert® software to reinforce those associations.

Fast ForWord^®

We are also the only local provider for the Fast ForWord^® family of programs, designed by Scientific Learning, Inc.  These exciting programs can produce 1-2 years of growth in reading and language skills in only 5-8 weeks!  Through interactive learning games, new neural networks are created, allowing students to overcome difficulties with reading, visual processing, auditory processing, organization, and attention, among many other areas.  The programs have a demonstrated track record of success with young readers, high school students, and adults, including many people in Plumas County.  For more information, visit:

www.scilearn.com

We have dozens of other curriculum and software resources, and are continuously acquiring new ones!

Test Preparation

Cornerstone has a very high success rate in preparing students for various examinations including the SAT, CBEST, CSET, California High School Exit Exam, and various pre-employment tests.  Contact us for more information.