Learning at Rashi
EnrichmentENRICHMENT
The hallmark of Rashi teachers is that they really know their children.
Every child is different. At Rashi, some students work at such high levels that they benefit from more academic challenge presented to them to further their learning.
Rashi teachers assess what each child is capable of, design learning experiences to fit the individual learning style, and tap into what interests the child, thereby investing the child in the learning experience. This is called “differentiated instruction.”
For students who require more challenging academics – whether it be in one or two subject areas, such as math and Hebrew, or in all subject areas – Rashi teachers are able and supported to provide this enrichment to their students. Such differentiated instruction is so highly valued at Rashi that, supported by the Peerless Excellence Grant, teachers receive in-depth training on how to assess children’s needs and then match instruction to those needs.
For some subject areas, differentiation is provided by grouping students into small groups to work with a teacher on a particular unit of study. This occurs, for example, in the use of reading groups in fourth grade classes. For other subject areas, differentiation is provided by designing an individual set of activities for each child as is done in kindergarten through use of “mini-missions.” Working in the same grade level, students can achieve quite different levels of learning. The goal is for each Rashi student to feel comfortable with and also stretched by the pace and depth of his/her individual learning.
