About Acorn to Oak Academy
Let us briefly introduce ourselves. We are sisters and ‘Acorn to Oak Academy’ co-founders. We are experienced primary teachers with a wealth of additional qualifications and specialist training that combined together provide quality, holistic teaching and learning for children.
Acorn to Oak Academy provides quality, structured reading workshops for children aged 6 – 9 years in the Grand Hotel, Malahide.
We follow a simple 3 step ‘plan-do-review’ cycle. We begin by assessing each child individually and prepare a tailored individual learning plan. Next, we provide engaging tuition over six weeks to target your child’s needs. Lastly, we provide a progress report with parents and decide on the next best steps for your child.
The ‘Little Acorns’ reading program is child-centred, structured and evidence-based.
The emphasis on learning through fun games and engaging child-centred activities in small groups and 1-to-1 will appeal to all children but especially any child who may be struggling or who may be falling behind in the larger classroom setting.
The workshops are taught by us – Aoife and Mary – two highly qualified and experienced primary school teachers with specialist literacy training. We have over 35+ years of combined teaching experience and a wealth of additional qualifications and training. We are both registered dyslexia tutors with Dyslexia Association of Ireland.
'Little Acorns’ Reading Program
The 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why) of our Program
In a nutshell (or should I say ‘acorn’) this is a reading program suitable for any child aged 6-9 years but especially relevant for any child who may be struggling and could benefit from extra reading support in a small group setting.
Below we provide detailed information on the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and (most importantly) ‘why’s of our reading program. We hope this answer many of your questions. If not, please feel free to contact us at [email protected], 086 088 8786 / 086 868 0833.
The 5 W’s
Who will benefit from the program?
- Emergent and early readers i.e. senior infants, 1st class, 2nd class or younger-aged children in 3rd class
- Small group and 1-on-1 tuition will benefit all children but in particular, any child being left behind in the bigger classroom setting
- For any child with poor concentration or attention skills, the smaller groups and emphasis on games and activities will be very effective
- Any child who may be struggling with sounds, blending, sight words etc
- Any parent who feels their child is frustrated with reading homework
What is the focus of this short program?
This is a list of some of the essential reading sub-skills we will be covering:
- Word decoding skills, phonics, blending, onset and rime, phonological awareness, sight words, word attack strategies
- As reading instruction is never done in isolation we will also be covering oral language and writing skills. However, these are not the primary focus of this short program and will only be incorporated to support any activity that improves the reading skills listed above
- Attitude to learning and developing a growth mindset will be taught through relaxation, yoga techniques, social stories and role-play
Methodologies and Teaching Tools (How)
Our program is research and assessment-based. The methodologies and approach we will use are internationally recognised as being effective.
- Each child will receive an individual assessment with either Mary or Aoife (it will take about 30 minutes)
- Parents will also complete a questionnaire to provide information that will help us to understand and connect with your child
- Individual assessments will clearly identify learning targets for each child
- Small group and 1-on-1 tuition
- Multi-sensory approach to suit all learning styles
- Station learning- short bursts of learning and practice at multiple stations to cover various reading skills
- Fun games, interactive style teaching and engaging activities
- Strong focus on adopting the right attitude and skills to support effective learning
- At the end of each session, we will get the children to think about their own personal targets for the coming week e.g. say positive affirmations to themselves, find a book they would like to bring to the next session etc. We will call these ‘home acDviDes’ and they will be learner-directed and are optional
- Post-course progress meeting with parents. After the child finished the 6 weeks of tuition, we will arrange a call with the parent(s) to give our feedback on their child’s progress
Where?
The Grand Hotel, Malahide
- We considered the choice of location for the course to be very important. We didn’t want children to feel they were being sent to ‘school’ at the weekends. Facilitated learning in a hotel will provide a relaxed vibe for the children. The space allows us to operate under current Covid-19 restrictions. There is good parking available so it removes stress for parents/guardians.
When?
- The individual assessments will be held prior to the commencement of the course. A 30-minute slot will be allocated to each child. During this time parents will also be asked to complete a questionnaire
- The dates for the next 6-week block of workshops are Saturday 19th September to 24th October
- There are two different workshops times 9 – 10.30 am and 11 – 12.30 pm. Parents select their preferred time at the booking stage. (With the Covid-19 situation, changing children to a different time will not be possible once the program commences.)
Why?
- As teachers, we both know there is a need for this course. At the moment there is nothing structured like this out being facilitated by highly trained and experienced teachers. (This was very apparent as soon as Aoife, as a parent, went searching for help for one of her own children who was diagnosed with having dyslexia)
- Combining the expertise of two teachers broadens the understanding we bring to assessing and mitigating your child’s difficulties
- The small group tuition is ideal as it brings a social element to the learning. The children can look around a room and recognise that they are not alone – there are other children just like them coming to a hotel on a Saturday morning to play games and get better at reading. There is safety in numbers for the children and a safe space to come, enjoy and learn
- We love our work and are very passionate that we can make a difference to help children have better success at reading which will ultimately make a big difference to their confidence and self-esteem