Southwest
Academy is an independent, coeducational,
nonprofit school established in 1994.
Southwest offers a full-day program for
children three years old through twelfth
grade. Its philosophy is that learning
lasts longer when it involves the whole
brain, is most effective when it accommodates
individual learning styles and is most
efficient when it occurs in a pleasant,
supportive environment. Our mission is
to teach children that they are lovable
and capable and to be life-long learners.
Southwest Academy
Learning Center is directed by Beverly
Dooley, Ph.D. She is assisted by a team
of specially trained instructors under
the guidance of a Board of Directors
which is comprised of business and educational
community leaders. Members of an Advisory
Board are available to lend expertise
in their individual fields. The Center
encompasses the Academy, an Evaluation
Center, Summer School for enrichment
and Southwest Multisensory Training
Center for teacher training.
Comparisons of a Southwest Academy
Education with Traditional Education
Southwest Academy
students develop confidence and adapt
with their learned tools. They have
learned to work independently as well
as in groups. Since they have been encouraged
to make decisions from an early age,
these children are problems-solvers,
who make appropriate choices and manage
their time well.
|
SWA
Multisensory Education |
Traditional
Education |
|
Emphasis
on cognitive structures and social
development. |
Emphasis
on rote knowledge and social development. |
|
Direct teaching occurs in classroom
activity with time for questions;
child is an active participant
in learning. |
Teacher has dominant active role
in classroom activity; Student
is a passive participant in learning. |
|
Environment and method encourage
internal self-discipline. |
Teacher acts as primary enforcer
of external discipline. |
|
Instruction, both individual and
group, adapt to each child’s learning
style. |
Instruction of both individual
and group conforms to the adult’s
teaching style. |
|
Mixed age grouping in some activities. |
Same age grouping. |
|
Children are encouraged to teach,
collaborate, and help each other. |
Teacher does most teaching and
collaboration is discouraged. |
|
Curriculum is grade level appropriate
and adapted to ability. |
Curriculum structured for child
with little regard for child’s
interests. |
|
Child formulates own concepts
from discovery teaching. |
Teacher guides child to concepts. |
|
Child may work independently completing
the task to their ability. |
Child is generally given specific
time limit for work. |
|
Pace is set for as fast as the
group can go or as slow as they
need to learn. |
Instruction pace usually set by
group norm or teacher. |
|
Self-correcting is encouraged;
child spots own errors through
feedback from the material. |
If work is corrected, errors usually
pointed out by teacher. |
|
Learning is reinforced internally
through the child’s own repetition
of an activity and internal feeling
of success. |
Learning is reinforced externally
by rote repetition and rewards/discouragements. |
|
Multisensory materials are used
throughout curriculum. |
Fewer materials for sensory development
and concrete manipulation. |
|
Organized program for learning
care of self and environment (cleaning
up trash, cleaning fish tank,
etc.). |
Less emphasis on self-care instruction
and classroom maintenance. |
|
Child can work where she/he is
comfortable, moves around and
talks as needed (yet does not
disturb the work of others); group
work is voluntary and negotiable. |
Child usually assigned own chair:
encouraged to sit still and listen
during group discussion. |
|
Parents are encouraged to attend
field trips and teach for University
Days. |
Voluntary parent involvement,
often only as fundraisers.Not
participant in understanding the
learning process. |
