ASK - All Special Kids, the Geneva based, non-profit organization set up to help families of children with special needs and learning differences, has just announced it is launching a new after-school program in the region.
Created in response to an ever-growing demand in the region for improved special needs support, the classes will be held at the ASK offices in Grand Saconnex, and will include two “streams”: The Study Skills & Homework Club for both primary and secondary children, and the Intensive Study Skills Program targeted at secondary students only.
The Study Skills & Homework Club will be offered in 10 session blocks, which can be booked on the same day of the week: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 16h30 and 18h, and Wednesdays from 9h30 to 11h00 or 16h30 to 18h00. Individual catch up sessions will also be on offer, subject to availability. Each lesson will include 25 minutes of Study Skills, 20 minutes using the “Lexia and Catch Up Math” computer program (www.lexiauk.co.uk - licenses pending) and 45 minutes of homework help.
There will be a maximum of 12 students in each class, with 4 staff to support them, i.e. a ratio of 1 teacher to 2 or 3 children. Each class will be led by a special needs teacher, who will be supported by an assistant teacher, plus two additional trained staff. Mondays and Wednesday lessons will focus on English/LITERACY for children with problems such as dyslexia, whilst Tuesday and Thursday lessons will focus on Math/NUMERACY for children experiencing difficulties such as dyscalculia.
The Intensive Study Skills Program for older children only, will be available in a 5 week block, starting in November, and will look at what type of learner each child is, and teach them skills such as reading to remember, listening effectively, and organizing work as well as yourself. There will also be a parents information session with a special tutorial covering the key learning points. In this advanced program, there will a maximum of 8 students per class, with 4 staff to support them.
Both programs will be coordinated by Dyslexia teacher and Assessor, Johanna Kitson. Jo has recently arrived in Geneva. She was trained as a specialist teacher and then as an assessor for children and adults with specific learning difficulties at the world-renowned Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre in the UK. Prior to this, she was teaching and assessing for dyslexia in a London day school and also privately.
Commenting on the new program, ASK Founder, Joy Tong told knowitall.ch, “This new program builds on the success of the support programs we have run in the past during the holiday periods, and which are very popular with parents. Although many schools in the region are now able to provide specialist support for children during school hours, parents have found this support often does not extend to helping children with their homework after-school. This program fills a necessary gap in support provision, and should help many families have a more positive approach to homework, which can cause enormous tension in families of children with special needs.”
All Special Kids (ASK)
C.A.R.E. Center,
The Ecumenical Center (WCC),
150 route de Ferney,
Room 425a,
Grand Saconnex,
1211 Geneva
www.allspecialkids.org
022 788 2102
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