The Skills BOOST courses are designed specifically for students entering grades 6-9 in mainstream middle and high schools who are seeking support to develop essential executive function and foundational writing skills. Many teachers assign essays, long-term projects, and tests, without explicitly teaching the students the skills and strategies they need to complete these independently and successfully. This course aims to fill in those foundational gaps that students often have in middle and high school. The courses are neither remedial (for students requiring intensive intervention) nor advanced (for students looking to develop above-grade level skills). Please note that the courses are not designed for students who have been diagnosed with a language-based learning disability or are in a specialized learning environment.
What is the format?
The 4-day writing course runs Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm. At the end of the course, students receive a binder with resources and tools to support them throughout the school year. The Executive Functioning modules are designed as discrete skill sessions, each one of which focuses on a different key student skill. Students may register for one, two, or all three. Each one takes place from 1:00-3:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Shefa faculty teach in a structured and dynamic format that provides active, hands-on applications of course material and offers extensive opportunities to practice and master new skills with individualized support. For each class, there will be a section for students entering 6th and 7th grade and a section for students entering 8th and 9th grade. Each section will be capped at 12 students.
Who will be teaching the courses?
The courses are taught by veteran Shefa Middle School faculty including a Senior Speech-Language-Pathologist and a Senior Teacher.
What do students learn in each course?
Writing :
Actively read, annotate, and summarize complex source material
Compose complex and sophisticated sentences
Follow a structured process for outlining and writing
Use tools to organize and write, revise, and edit multi-paragraph essays
Executive Functioning :
Note-Taking Skills: Take organized notes from written material and oral lectures
Study and Test-Taking Skills: Use active study techniques for learning and practicing material and learn key test-taking strategies
Time management: Effectively manage long-term assignments and plan, prioritize, and follow through on tasks
Can we sign up for both courses?
Yes! You may sign up for one or both courses. Students who attend both courses will have an hour lunch break in between during which they can go out for lunch, enjoy a picnic lunch (brought from home) on the rooftop, play basketball, or relax with classmates.
How is this program different from 1-1 tutoring?
Shefa is a nationally-recognized leader in evidence-based instruction. Shefa collaborates closely with many mainstream NY-area middle and high schools and has a strong understanding of the expectations and coursework, enabling us to design the Skills BOOST curriculum to directly target these skills. Also, in a small group setting, students receive the benefit of building social-emotional skills, developing relationships, and working in a pair or small group. The group setting fosters interactions that more closely resemble those that students experience in their classrooms during the school year, allowing for a more seamless transfer of skills.
Are there any follow-up opportunities?
Depending on interest, Shefa plans to offer 1-1 or small cohort follow-up support throughout the year for an additional fee.
“Shefa taught me how to be organized - both in academic settings and everyday life. I organize my materials clearly, use a planner to keep track of my to-dos, and manage my time effectively...which prevents a lot of stress now that I'm in college."
-Shefa alum in college
“My high school teachers say I'm one of the top writers in my grade, and I think it's because my writing is so organized... I still use the planning, structuring, and editing strategies I learned at Shefa."
