Clarke Northampton

Lower School: Ages 5 to 11

"Two years ago an eight-year-old student came to Clarke School. After about a month of school, I said, 'What is the difference between your old school and Clarke?' He said, 'At Clarke School it's my turn all the time.' An eight-year-old in a public school classroom with 27 kids talks maybe once a day. At Clarke School a child that age will be talking about once a minute, because he's constantly being expected to interact, to understand, to practice."
- Judy Sheldon, co-principal

We have shaped our lower school curriculum with the goal of helping our students become active learners and speakers. Our students talk, explore, write and report. They participate in confidence-building activities, such as speaking in front of a group during "Good News" assemblies. They make choices, set priorities, and discover what they are interested in.

We offer young students the language enrichment that is essential to a deaf or hard-of-hearing child

Students build a strong foundation for lifelong communication skills and academic success

The sequential curriculum begins with reading and writing readiness and culminates with expanding the vocabulary, syntax and complexity of the students' receptive and expressive language.

Poetry, music and dramatic arts enrich the Lower School curriculum.

All young children have weekly swim lessons

Our students learn basic typing skills and use the computer lab on a regular basis.

Clarke - School for the Deaf - Center for Oral Education
Round Hill Road - Northampton, MA 01060
Voice/TTY (413) 584-3450 - FAX (413) 587-7318 - Email info@clarkeschool.org

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