Writing Program

Purpose
Focuses on improving legibility, organizing thoughts on paper, editing, and spelling by helping individuals stabilize their perceptions, manage perceptual distortions, and learn specific techniques to facilitate easier and more effective writing

Age

Suited for children with a maturity level of age seven and above, as well as adults.

Length of Program

Spans approximately 30 hours, typically delivered over five consecutive days, with unlimited follow-up consultation included.

Note

This program is often paired with a reading program, as they complement each other.

Develops

Legibility
Enhancing fine motor skills and increasing awareness of letter formation, as well as achieving consistency in the size, shape, and spacing of letters.

Visual Spatial
Improving skills for copying from the board, writing on horizontal lines, and maintaining equal spacing between words.

Written Expression
Developing strategies to translate thoughts into writing and constructing coherent story and essay structures.

Spelling
Understanding basic spelling rules and identifying which letters or combinations produce specific sounds.

Editing
Improving the ability to self-correct omissions, deletions, spelling, and grammatical errors, ensuring accurate punctuation, enhancing detail, and creating clear, sequential writing.

Positive Thinking
Cultivating a relaxed mindset to maximize learning potential, recognizing and reducing stress, and employing strategies to decrease test anxiety.

Reduces

• Muscle strain and hand fatigue
• Hasty and inconsistent writing practice
• Irregular spacing between letters
• Writing that slopes or drifts off the line
• Slow, laborious writing processes
• Inconsistencies in the size, shape, and spacing of letters
• Errors when copying from the board
• Frustration with getting thoughts onto paper in a logical sequence
• Writer’s block
• Illegible handwriting

Writing Program Tools

The Programs provided at Rocky Point Academy get to the root of learning challenges. Each client leaves with a “tool box” The following are a list of tools that may be provided.

Click the pictures below to see a larger version of the tools' descriptions.

Orientation Procedure

This procedure corrects inaccurate perceptions in vision, hearing, balance, movement, or time. It assists in maintaining a focused state, reading and comprehending printed text, accurately processing spoken words, and enhancing activities that involve coordination or social skills.

Dial

The dial empowers the client with conscious control over their energy levels, allowing them to adjust to the most appropriate level. This technique is beneficial in social or learning environments for effective communication or productivity. Additionally, it provides the ability to manage frustration or anxiety. As an extra advantage, it can also be applied to improve sleep and performance in sports!

Release

Release is a tool crafted to alleviate frustration and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and simplify learning. Intentionally "releasing" boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, enhancing creativity, problem-solving abilities, and energy levels. It makes learning smooth and effortless.

Symbol Mastery

Brain scans reveal that the processes of creating and learning are so intricately connected that they trigger the same brain activity. Language and mathematics consist of many symbols, including letters, punctuation marks, words, numerals, math operation symbols, and more. Mastering these symbols in clay ensures clarity and removes any confusion, providing a solid foundation for language development, including reading, writing, and expressive and receptive language. It also enables a student to confidently determine what the equation is asking for in mathematics, providing clarity in solving problems.

Neural Network Development

Kinaesthetic and balance exercises are utilized to strengthen the neural network involved in maintaining a focused state, accurately processing information, and staying engaged in tasks.

Writing

The components of writing encompass several key elements that contribute to the creation of coherent and effective written communication. These components include:
• Legibility: We address various potential causes of illegible writing, such as stress, pencil grip, underdeveloped fine motor skills, multiple mental pictures, incomplete neural networks, and unawareness of letter height, shape, space, or angle.
• Planning and Organization: Structuring ideas logically and creating visuals to guide the writing process.
• Grammar and Syntax: Using correct grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation to clearly express one's ideas.
• Vocabulary: Employing a rich and appropriate vocabulary to vividly express ideas.
• Spelling: Recognizing inaccuracies and developing strategies for retaining correct spellings.
• Clarity and Coherence: Ensuring that ideas flow logically and are easy to understand.
• Revision and Editing: Reviewing and refining the text to enhance clarity, coherence, and correctness.

Concept Mastery

Entails the development, exploration, and application of essential life concepts. These foundational elements are crucial for all learning, behavior, and productivity. They are also the foundations for all math. Mastery of these concepts aids in:
• Effective planning and organization
• Task initiation
• Enhancing flexible thinking
• Sustaining focus
• Boosting working memory
• Advancing time management skills
• Strengthening impulse control
• Improving social skills
• Building self-motivation
• Increasing the ability to understand and think mathematically

Auditory Fine-Tuning

This process is specifically designed to ensure precise perception across all senses, enhancing receptive and expressive language, communication, balance, and motor skills.

Mind Mapping

We take a different twist to mind mapping, which uses a more visual approach and includes Accelerated Learning Techniques (brain accessing patterns). This helps a client not only get their thoughts organized before writing, but also for studying and organization in general.

Mind Mapping

We offer a unique spin on mind mapping by adopting a more visual approach that incorporates Accelerated Learning Techniques, including brain accessing patterns. Some key advantages include:
• Boosts Creativity
• Enhances Memory
• Improves Organization
• Facilitates Problem-Solving
• Increases Productivity

This versatile tool can be used in studying, writing, planning large projects, and organizing thoughts.

Concentration Bubble

A visualization tool designed to enhance intention and focus. It can also be valuable for reducing anxiety and increasing confidence when presenting to others.

Mindset Modification Tool

The importance of mindset lies in its profound impact on how individuals perceive and respond to situations, especially for nonverbal learners who perceive pictures so vividly. When one begins to recognize and alter an unproductive mindset quickly and easily, it will:
• Enhance Learning: Facilitate better understanding and retention of information.
• Boost Confidence: Increase self-assurance by overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing challenges with a positive outlook.
• Improve Problem-Solving: Enable more creative and efficient problem-solving by approaching situations with an open and flexible mindset.
• Reduce Anxiety: Minimize feelings of stress and anxiety by reframing negative thoughts and focusing on constructive perspectives.

Writing Structures

Our math exercises start at kindergarten level and progress to the client's current grade level, filling in any gaps along the way. Manipulatives/clay are used to ensure each developmental concept is understood rather than memorized. Exploring mathematical symbols through symbol mastery (see symbol mastery tool) helps resolve confusion in written equations. The areas addressed include:
• Arithmetic: The study of numbers and the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, including decimals and fractions.
• Algebra: Involves variables and the rules for manipulating these symbols to solve equations and understand mathematical relationships.
• Geometry: Focuses on the properties and relationships of shapes, sizes, and figures, including concepts like points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.
• Trigonometry: Deals with the relationships between the angles and sides of triangles, and the functions derived from them.
If a student is in high school, we can progress into higher level math. Although a client may have great ideas and information about a topic they often struggle getting it down in a logical and acceptable structure. Seeing the structure in a clear, visual manner helps organize information.

Organizational Strategies

Choose from a variety of organizational strategies to effectively arrange binders, bills, clothing, paperwork, crafts, collections, and more. Organization is proven to:
• Increase Productivity
• Reduce Stress
• Enhance Efficiency
• Improve Focus
• Foster a Positive Environment

Study Strategies

A range of study strategies and memory techniques are examined, enabling clients to select the ones that suit them best. Study strategies are essential because they:
• Enhance Learning Efficiency
• Boost Retention
• Improve Focus
• Build Confidence
• Encourage Independence

Test-Taking Strategies

Test-taking skills: Discover how to enter an exam feeling positive and relaxed; how to prepare for various types of exams (such as multiple choice, essay, and fill-in-the-blank); and explore tips to effectively access memory while taking the exam itself.

Managing Bullying

Managing Bullying: We hope that our children never have to experience this, but reality tells a different story. These techniques have proven highly effective in reducing and eliminating bullying.

Visual Spatial Learning Techniques

Visualization is a potent technique that can be utilized in different areas of life to boost performance, enhance well-being, and attain personal success. It is particularly beneficial in scenarios such as: learning spelling words, overcoming phobias, retaining memory, and enhancing skills in sports and public speaking.

Rocky Point Academy

Writing Program

Develops

Legibility Enhancing fine motor skills and increasing awareness of letter formation, as well as achieving consistency in the size, shape, and spacing of letters.

Visual Spatial Improving skills for copying from the board, writing on horizontal lines, and maintaining equal spacing between words.

Written Expression Developing strategies to translate thoughts into writing and constructing coherent story and essay structures.

Spelling Understanding basic spelling rules and identifying which letters or combinations produce specific sounds.

Editing Improving the ability to self-correct omissions, deletions, spelling, and grammatical errors, ensuring accurate punctuation, enhancing detail, and creating clear, sequential writing.

Positive Thinking Cultivating a relaxed mindset to maximize learning potential, recognizing and reducing stress, and employing strategies to decrease test anxiety.