Philosophy of the WOW Classroom 
(Supporting K-6th grade level of learning)
Lead by Autumn DeMeo, CTRS
CLICK HERE for her first impressions of the pilot program

If you are tired of schools that seem to only babysit your special needs child, look no more. We offer engaging hands on activities in math, language, science, art, music, dramatic play and social/emotional development. Our program is ideal for any child including children with hyperactivity, dyslexia (reading difficulties), disgraghia, Autism, Giftedness, CP, Downs Syndrome or sensory,  language and developmental difficulties.

We believe that every child is unique and has an innate desire to learn. Our curriculum is developmentally appropriate and child-centered. Our teachers will create hands-on learning experiences that tap into children's natural curiosity to explore topics and develop skills. There is very little paperwork, making this classroom ideal for children who have not developed their writing skills or those that experience physical disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy or disgraphia.

       "WOW kind of evens the playing ground for children with severe physical and learning disabilities. They all love it. All of
       our students have 90- 100% retention of what is presented. It is totally amazing. We have children with CP that can not
       write are excited about the WOW lessons. Writing takes them 5-10 times the amount of energy that a typical student
       uses. Some of them have gifted levels of comprehension, they just can not write or it's exhausting for them to write.
       Students with dyslexia need the interactive qualities of WOW rather than written lessons that accentuate  their
       disability. Students with autism benefit from the playfulness of the WoW Kits Multi-Intelligence curriculum to engage 
       their attention and social interaction. The playfulness also is helping their desire to speak and use their language skills."
       Holly M Fales BS MA

The curriculum is flexible to handle different situations.  Our curriculums are tools that help smooth the transition of theory into practice. Curriculum and progress reports are based on Howard Gardner's Eight Multiple Intelligences.

Eight Multiple Intelligences

Various Learning Styles: 

1)  Verbal/Linguistic - All aspects of formal language (poetry, storytelling, oral conversations)

2)  Logical/Mathematical - Clear thought process (problem solving, classifying, sequencing, puzzles)

3)  Visual/Spatial - Visual perception and forming images in the mind (drawing, painting, playdough)

4)  Bodily/Kinesthetic - Expressing oneself and learning through physical activities (gross motor skills, blockbuilding, creative movement)

5)  Musical - Understanding through rhythmic movements (dancing, circle games, singing, instruments)

6)  Interpersonal - Knowing how to communicate cooperatively with other people (large groups, role-playing, drama)

7)  Intrapersonal - Inward thoughts and emotions (one-on-one, small group, independent and imaginative activities)

8)  Naturalist - Observing and wondering about natural environment (simple science experiments, nature walks, planting, collecting objects)

The idea behind the theory is that intelligence is more complex than the traditional view of IQ. Everyone has different strengths in each of these areas. Our strengths affect who we are and how we learn.

Understanding children's strengths and providing them with activities that play to their strengths can greatly improve our effectiveness as a teacher.

Serving Children with Special Needs
WoW curriculum was designed with the understanding that every child has different needs and abilities. The philosophy of a child-centered approach to teaching and developmentally appropriate practices guide our thematic units, helping even inexperienced teachers to more effectively meet the needs of children with differing abilities.

Theme-based units provide a strong context for learning
A child better understands new concepts when they are put into the context of real life. Thematic units create this context, and WoW curriculum builds upon this idea by providing activities across a variety of disciplines.

Activities incorporate Multiple Intelligences
A child is more likely to become engaged in an activity if that activity plays to the child's strengths. Each WoW activity lists the intelligences addressed. We use this information to match activities with each child in your program.

Each unit is designed to reach and teach every child
Creative activities are fun for teacher and child
Variety of activities in math, language, science, art, music, dramatic play and social/emotional development

Activities are child-centered
Each thematic unit is designed to be flexible, allowing us to tailor the activities, the schedule and even the length of the unit to meet the needs of the children in our program. Our professionally trained staff will pick and choose the activities that best suit our curriculum goals and the needs and interests of our children each month. If you have found that your child is particularly taken with the tactile activities. The variety and quantity of activities included in our curriculum allows us to tailor the unit to this new interest, or extend the unit, capitalizing on the children's enthusiasm.

Units include activities to develop social/emotional skills Children with special needs often require extra help in developing social/emotional skills. Each unit includes a section devoted to activities designed to develop these skills, including increasing self-esteem, cooperation and improving social interaction.