The Craig School was established as an independent school in 1980 for children with learning disabilities — the types of learning deficits that cause children to struggle with decoding, reading comprehension and written expression. Students at The Craig School have at least average or above average ability and with proper intervention and the right school setting are capable of meeting or exceeding traditional educational benchmarks. Beginning in 2nd grade and extending through graduation in the 12th grade, The Craig School’s instructional methods extend far beyond New Jersey state guidelines.
The school draws upon a wealth of strategies that educators have been developing and refining since Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham first began collaborating in the 1920s to address the needs of students with dyslexia. These two individuals were the first to promote learning as a multisensory experience and to devise teaching methods that engaged all sensory modalities. Textbooks and academic content covered at The Craig School are consistent with New Jersey State Common Core Standards.
By Dr. Kara A. Loftin
Head of School at The Craig School
Community, in its purest form, is a feeling of fellowship with others that springs from shared attitudes, interests, and goals. We, at The Craig School, are such a community. As an independent school specifically designed for students with language-based learning disabilities in grades two through 12, we unite under our common purpose of providing an evidence-based, challenging academic program coupled with nurturing the social-emotional and moral health of our students, all in the environment most suited to their needs. Our goal is to foster students who are self-aware, self-confident, and self-advocates; students who have developed the tools that allow for deeper learning with the ability to reach their highest potential.
By Dr. Kara A. Loftin
Head of School at The Craig School
When we attend to the needs of each child, our communities are enhanced and a better future is on the horizon. For students, this individualized approach creates pathways for increased self-awareness and self-esteem, an understanding of both their strengths and their challenges, and the opportunity for their true potential to shine. At The Craig School, programming is based on five essential elements that we call The Craig School Way. They are Orton Gillingham Structured Literacy Intervention, Multi-Sensory Learning, Integrated Organizational System and Skill Development, Whole-Child Development, and Parent-School Partnerships. Rooted in evidence-based practice, The Craig School Way is an adaptive and responsive approach to the educational needs of students in grades two through 12 with language-based learning disabilities.
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