I have spent the past two decades of my life working with students with learning challenges, and the prior two decades being one. So, when I say that all children have a unique way of learning, it is not just a flowery statement. It is a conviction based on a lifetime of personal and professional experience.

As a student, I would have given anything to have people in my life who understood me, my unique brain wiring, and my potential. At The Curious Edge, we are committed to three beliefs:

• Every child can learn.
• It is our job to discover the best ways to help them learn.
• Okay, we only have two beliefs.

Ray Wilbur, third president of Stanford University wrote, “The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation.” In order to unlock the potential in any child we meet, we use a three-step process.

Step 1: The Curious Edge Assessment

Whether we are working with an individual student or an entire faculty, we begin with a thorough assessment. It is critical to find out what is working and what is not so we can customize your intervention.

Without the right kind of assessment, you cannot determine the true root cause of your struggle. We take pride in offering the most comprehensive assessment available in order to be intentional about our strategies for improvement. We provide you, as the parent, teacher, or administrator data about true cause of your educational gaps. Then, we are able to customize a plan of action based on informed, calculated data.

 
Step 2: The Curious Edge Pathway

From the assessment we determine areas of deficit in each student’s underlying cognitive skills. We compare this process to that of a computer. Every computer reacts based on the code that has been programmed into it’s hard drive. In order to improve cognitive function, we must rewrite the underlying code. For example, if a child is struggling with reading, we will determine where the breakdown is and work to reprogram that missing code, creating neural pathways that have not been previously activated in the brain.

Unlike other programs, the first phase of our pathway is a clinical intervention, completely based on building neurological pathways. In the first phase of our intervention, we are address each cognitive roadblock, use research-based clinical interventions to chip away at the roadblock and establish neurological pathways . This results in a strong neurological foundation that creates a path for an academic breakthrough.

We call this phase of the pathway, “The Brainboost.” During this phase, we use targeted intervention to improve cognitive function. Then, once the cognitive function is strong and the pathway is clear, we look specifically at the academic skills that need to be addressed. These skills include reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Finally, once the neurological pathway is clear and the academic skill is strengthened, we address practices such as homework skills and strategies.

 Step 3: The Curious Edge Difference

 At the Curious Edge, we are certainly proud of the strides our students make in standardized test scores, reading accuracy rates, and reading fluency rates. We complete a pre-test and post-test for every intervention so parents and teachers can be confident that The Curious Edge Pathway works.

But, we see results in other ways as well.

Generally, after about three weeks of work, students will begin to verbalize that they feel the difference. Reading is easier. School is more fun. Recently, a high school student said, “I sat down and read fifty pages in a book. I didn’t want to put the book down! And I have NEVER liked reading.”

We see confidence grow. At the beginning of the pathway, students are often hesitant. They walk into our office dejected. Shoulders slumped. Eyes down. Discouraged. And after a few weeks, they have a new spring in their step! They make eye contact with our staff and initiate conversation. They share stories of success with energy and excitement.

They come in as Eeyore and leave as Tigger.

Teachers notice the change, too. The review below is a typical response from a teacher:

“I had Zach in class for Spring of 2014, before he attended The Curious Edge.  After one summer, he was a different student.  He had happiness, self-worth and confidence knowing that he could accomplish what was asked of him in class.  At school, he celebrated his success at The Curious Edge, telling me how he had achieved “Rhythm Master.”  Zach reviewed his reading rules before class and, as the 2014-2015 year progressed, he began sharing with the class how he could figure out more complex words.  Zach began volunteering to read out loud in class, even though his 504 permitted him to be excused from this activity.  Zach became the the student who volunteered to read most often in class by the end of the school year.”

This type of feedback is why we do what we do. It is why The Curious Edge exists. I am proud to spend my life in the service of helping young people to learn and helping teachers empower them.

Thank you for stopping by our home on the web and checking us out! To learn more about what we do, take a look around or take a class. Even better, stop by the office and see for yourself.

Until then, may you live in a state of passionate curiosity!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Hudson

Owner, The Curious Edge