Minds-In-Motion™: A curriculum designed to stimulate visual processing, auditory processing, and motor skills. Learners participate in the MAZE™ obstacle course daily.

Bal-A-Vis-X™: Fun, challenging, and captivating activities using bean bags, racquet balls, and balance boards to engage the auditory, visual, and motor systems while encouraging crossing the midline in three dimensions to improve information processing, listening, attention, and communication.

MNRI™ The Masgutova Method™: A set of movements focused on reflexes, whole body coordination, better brain function, and sophisticated sensory-motor integration.

Therapeutic Listening™: Strategically selected and modified music delivered through specialized headphones to activate auditory centers of the brain through frequency modulation.

Science

The Lab’s science curriculum features hands-on exploration of new concepts. Two-minute “mysteries of science,” followed by real-world problem solving, labs, and academic conversations make science fun again. Mystery Science™ is aligned to the national Next Generation Science Standards, which include science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. Geo-Inquiry™ is National Geographic’s learning framework that is used at The Lab to teach learners to ask questions and become empowered in exploring the world and making it a better place.

Literacy

Literacy is a quality of life indicator. It’s important, and at The Lab, we don’t make excuses- we make readers. The Lab’s approach to literacy is to create and nurture strong, confident readers who enjoy discovering multiple genres; spoken communication for effective expression of thoughts and development of interpersonal peer relationships; and writing for explaining thoughts and ideas to others. Our tutors are skilled in meeting readers where they are and moving forward with a combination of brain organizing movement and engaging instruction about the elements of reading, writing, and speaking.

The Lab does not ascribe to any one curriculum. Rather, we ascribe to elements that are supported by the learning sciences such as: Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. We embrace teaching learner fluency in both keyboarding and handwriting. Handwriting learning at The Lab includes cursive writing.

Our curriculum resources are vast so we can best make matches to a learners brain profile. Some of those resources include: MyView Literacy™, Haggerty Phonemic Awareness™ (K-3), Handwriting without Tears™, Tattum FAST™, Orton-Gillignham™, PCI™, UFLI™, and a host of digital tools.

Mathematics & Robotics

The Lab’s approach to mathematics is to start by meeting every learner where they are and building to automaticity to support advanced computation and mathematical reasoning. We use many tools and approaches to discover what learners respond to best.

Some of those tools include: The Rekenrek, a unique tool that allows learners to develop number sense at their own pace.

The Lab’s primary sequenced math curriculum deepens understanding of mathematical concepts, builds fluency with procedures, and creates opportunities for learners to solve problems they may see in their daily lives. Illustrative Mathematics™ is a problem-based core curriculum designed to address content and practice standards to foster learning for all. Learners learn by doing math, solving problems in mathematical and real-world contexts, and constructing arguments using precise mathematical language.

Robotics come alive at The Lab where learners as young as 5 learn to program and employ robots in functional tasks. Part of our approach to movement is gamification. Using such tools as the VEX IQ and the Roamer, learners explore concepts of coding in multiple coding language, building robots from the ground up, and engaging in friendly competition.

Social Studies

The Lab embeds social studies instruction into a literacy block to reinforce reading comprehension and various styles of writing. The TCI Social Studies Alive!™ curriculum is constructed with inquiry-based instruction at its core. Tutors use engaging inquiry projects, debates, and experiential exercises in every unit to enable every learner to investigate and master key concepts.

The Arts

The Lab provides music education through two methods that help learners discover the beauty and pleasure of music within a culturally relevant social environment. Learners are first invited to experience music through movement, instrument play, and singing as a foundation to learning music composition, theory, and performance. The Orff Schulwerk™ method allows access to creative music performance through singing and instrument play at the start of learning. Learners participate in playful, improvisational experiences that build creativity, emotional expression, and a greater understanding of music. The Kodály™ method develops the musical skills needed for instrument training through singing and movement, including reading and writing music.

In visual arts, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)™ is a thoughtful, facilitated discussion of works of art that activates transformational learning accessible to all. VTS discussions are set around curated sets of paintings, photographs, and collages from which teachers prompt learners to discuss what they are seeing. Museum visits are a part of VTS and offer the chance for learners to put their skills of detailed observation to work. The Lab makes VTS discussions accessible to all and inclusive, regardless of a learners communication style.

Across academic subject areas, visual Thinking Maps™ are consistent visual patterns linked directly to eight specific thought processes. By visualizing one’s thinking, learners create concrete images of abstract thoughts. These patterns help all learners reach higher levels of critical and creative thinking — essential components of a vigorous education. Thinking Maps help establish a consistent Language for Learning across content area.

Maker space time, integrated multi-media arts, and song and dance are a regular part of the daily experience at The Lab.

Character Development & Emotional Supports

Social-emotional learning is happens throughout a learners Lab experience. Character virtues are explicitly modeled on a as part of a larger approach using Whole Brain Teaching™. The Lab’s learners and staff share community-wide virtues: Glorious Kindness — exemplified by doing something for others, using “please,” “ok,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome,” helping others in need, and giving sincere compliments. Positive Leadership — exemplified by following rules, standing up for others when needed, being a positive influence to others, encouraging others, and leading by example. Selfless Courage — exemplified by making a smart choice even when it’s a hard choice, teaching others, and being a friend to someone new. Invincible Grit — exemplified by doing what needs to be done, helping someone who is struggling, responding with determination when faced with difficulty, and asking questions when needed. Brainy Creativity — exemplified by doing more than the minimum, finding new ways to show kindness, and creating solutions to challenges. To put these virtues into play in the community, The Lab organizes a community-based service learning day each month. Service learning can also be found in many personalized, deeper learning projects.