Our Program

Jump Start

The Jump Start program at York Prep assists students with different styles of learning, or specific learning differences, to function successfully in an academically challenging and mainstream setting. The Jump Start program is an integral part of the York Prep community. All Jump Start teachers are full-time faculty members of the school, have backgrounds in Special Education, or a remedial specialty such as literacy or speech and language. All Jump Start teachers have training in Judith Hochman’s Writing Revolution, and many are trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach. The Jump Start teachers act as case managers, providing both parents and fellow faculty members with valuable information about the students they are working with to help them succeed at York Prep and beyond.

The Jump Start program is for students who are having difficulty achieving their full potential in school, solely because of problems in one or more of the following academic areas: language processing, reading, writing, math, time management skills, and organizational skills.

The director of the program matches each student with a Jump Start teacher whose experience and expertise is best suited to the child’s academic needs. A Jump Start student will meet with his or her teacher prior to the beginning of each school day in a small group setting. During this morning group session, the student receives assistance in preparing and organizing him or herself to ensure a smooth academic day. After school, Jump Start students meet with their teachers in a small group study hall where they can receive assistance with planning, prioritizing, and getting started on their homework while their progress is monitored. The Jump Start teachers will help ensure that all assignments are written down in the students' planners and that the necessary materials are taken home each day.

The most important aspects of York Prep’s Jump Start program are the two 40-minute individual sessions the students are assigned per week. During this instructional period, the students work with their assigned teachers to develop the appropriate strategies to address the students’ academic challenges. The sessions are specifically tailored to the needs of the student.

Jump Start’s ultimate goal is to facilitate success and independence by helping students recognize and develop their strengths, and to give them the tools to reach their academic potential.

Jump Start Highlights

Students build confidence in their ability to achieve success and develop an understanding of their own unique learning styles to become effective self-advocates.

Relationship-building between the Jump Start teacher and individual student allows the teacher to be sensitive and responsive to the student’s daily academic needs. Jump Start students receive consistent support, intellectual challenge, and the social and academic benefits of individualized and small-group learning.

Organization is the foundation of Jump Start—from being prepared with necessary materials and prioritizing homework assignments to managing long-term projects and setting aside ample time to study. Study skills support York Prep’s interdisciplinary curriculum by providing students with appropriate strategies and techniques for organizing and applying information when preparing for assignments and tests.

Close communication between Jump Start teachers, classroom teachers, and administrators creates a consistent, well-structured, and highly individualized Jump Start experience for each student.