Language Arts

• Emphasis on phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, sight words, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, written expression and oral communication skills
• Multi-sensory approach utilizing visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic teaching styles
• Concentrated, direct, and systematic instruction based on individual student’s needs and learning style
• Instruction informed by formal and informal assessment and progress monitoring
• Integrated focus on language arts across all classes

The language arts curriculum is at the core of The Janus School’s emphasis on developing students’ language skills. All students attend reading, writing, and language enrichment classes, and is supplemented by keyboarding instruction and speech-language services. The emphasis on language processing extends to the students’ entire school day, as curriculum is integrated between classes and instructional team collaboration guides diagnostic instructional methods. Specific skill development, transference of skills, retention, and the ability to synthesize information are objectives of the language arts curriculum.

Speech and Language Services

• Individual assessment of speech and language functioning
• One-to-one and small group intervention services tailored to each student’s needs, including receptive and expressive language, auditory processing and pragmatic language as it relates to school and community activities
• Focus on remedial and compensatory strategies
• Integrated educational program and member of instructional teams
• Parent resource

Speech and language services are available to those students who might benefit from specialized instruction as determined by the speech and language pathologist in consultation with instructional teams. Formalized assessment is used to design the program utilizing mostly compensatory strategies to enable the student to achieve their highest potential. Communication is important for the teachers and parents to assist with carryover into the classroom and community as well as to help the student to understand their needs and become a self-advocate.

Science

• Hands-on activities using experiments to investigate processes and theories
• Use of scientific method
• Inter-disciplinary
• Students use both critical thinking and problem solving skills to arrive at scientific conclusions

Science is an area offering great potential for many students with learning differences because of their capacity for divergent and creative thinking. Science content in the lower division is selected from life, earth and physical sciences. Lab experiences and investigation and inquiry-based exercises support the curriculum, which emphasizes strengthening students' understanding of scientific processes rather than remembering facts.

Mathematics

• Multi-sensory, hands-on activities
• Use of manipulatives when appropriate
• Development of understanding, critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving
• Emphasis on the concept of mastery and application

Mathematics instruction at Janus is rigorously systematic and each lesson connects to previous learning. Skills and procedures are introduced slowly and practiced repeatedly until students are adept. The lower division faculty uses the Saxon Math series as the core component of their curriculum, supplemented by strategies that individualize the instruction for every child.

Social Studies

• Emphasis on skill transferring, study skills, research techniques
• Understanding different viewpoints, comprehension
• Focus on note-taking

The social studies curriculum helps students develop a growing understanding of geography and the impact the past has on the present and future. With this type of objective, instruction is focused on directly teaching students how to assimilate, sequence, and problem solve, in order to teach students how social studies impacts their lives and community, as well as the lives and communities' of others.