1161 W. 2320 So.
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Phone (801) 908.7347
Fax (801) 908.7348
Reading is a pleasure, and a skill to be mastered. A student who reads well can study anything with confidence. Praised by students and parents alike, Ability School's reading program is second to none.
Each new student is assessed and placed accordingly in the program. At every level, students are introduced to a wide variety of classic and modern literature carefully selected to entertain and educate, while gradually building vocabulary and an understanding of the world around them. The completion of each "reading level" is a celebrated achievement, while the beginning of a new one offers hundreds of exciting new books to choose from. Veterans of this program typically love to read, and often do so at a high school or college level by Grade 6.
Other language skills go hand in hand with the reading program. As a student's reading material matures, so does his speech and writing. By the fourth grade, Ability School students produce essays, reports and short stories on a weekly basis.
Many Ability School students name Math as their favorite subject. Class placement is based on ability rather than age, so students are challenged without being overwhelmed. Games, projects and art are routinely incorporated to demonstrate mathematical concepts. Consequently, the subject is embraced because the activities are fun and students understand how to apply what they learn in real-life situations.
Our 100% comprehension philosophy is particularly effective here, because learning new processes is so often dependent upon previous lessons. For example, a student who knows counting-by's will grasp multiplication. If she can multiply, she can divide. If she can divide, she will understand fractions, and so on.
Students complete projects and study units in science, geography, history and social studies, with plenty of hands-on activities. Field trips and other time spent outside of the classroom is an essential part of the Ability School program, allowing students to explore their environment and experience what they are studying.
Each week, a new student has the privilege and responsibility of feeding our turtle and fire-bellied toads as well as helping with aquarium maintenance, but the greatest joy is in being the first to discover new babies!
Ethical behavior and responsibility for one's own actions are at the heart of the Ability School program. It is a common misgiving that one cannot broach this subject without religious influence. Our students have fun exploring a variety of common-sense guidelines for better living, from The Way to Happiness® – a nonreligious moral code written by author and humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard. It is the ideal way for a multi-denominational student body to learn and practice good behavior together.
Group discussion, skits and comic strips are favorite ways to examine values such as Do Not Steal, Honor and Help Your Parents, and Do Not Tell Harmful Lies.
Others, like Help Take Care of the Planet and Try to Treat Others as You Would Want Them to Treat You, are often demonstrated by involving the children in community service. Food drives, graffiti removal, planting trees for Earth Day, and keeping our local park free of litter are just a few past projects. Set a Good Example and Love and Help Children, which encourage older students to mentor younger ones, are practiced here everyday.
Physical fitness is important at Ability School. Pre-K through first grade students participate daily in games designed to entertain, increase agility and build coordination. We've partnered with the Dynamic Tae Kwon Do School to offer students a convenient way to learn martial arts.
Twice each year, just before the winter and summer breaks, Ability School holds a "Graduation and Performance." After the graduates are announced and other special achievements are acknowledged, students delight an audience of proud parents, relatives and friends with musical performances, skits and speeches. The children practice for weeks beforehand to sing, dance, and even perform gymnastics to music.
Each age group participates separately, with everyone joining in for the finale. They come on stage brimming with enthusiasm, and exit beaming with pride.
