Brookwood Christian Students Find a Path to
PHOTO BY RED BARYL PORTRAITS
SUCCESS
Kristen Lipscomb using Wilson Reading materials with student, McKenna Cook.
Grades 1-12 accredited by Georgia Accrediting Commission.
Accepts the sb10 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and the Apogee Tax Credit Scholarship.
Curriculum includes the Wilson Reading System for dyslexia, and other computer-based programs for reading, math and auditory processing.
Students improve 2.6 grade levels per year, on average, in reading.
Brookwood Christian School 4728 Wood St., Acworth 678-401-5855 BrookwoodChristian.com | E 38
AROUND KENNESAW | April 2022
As a private academy dedicated to helping students who need extra attention, the staff of Brookwood Christian School has the opportunity to make a life-changing difference for those children. The little red schoolhouse on the north side of Main Street in Acworth is a beacon of hope for children who have language-based learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and auditory processing disorder. Founder Kim Wigington shares a success story that sums up the difference Brookwood Christian School (BCS) can make. “Charlotte began attending Brookwood Christian School in the sixth grade. She was barely reading at a first-grade level and had no confidence in herself. The teachers provided intensive Wilson Reading instruction and by the time Charlotte graduated, she was reading on level. BCS also provided extensive college prep instruction in math, science and history. Charlotte excelled and gained confidence due to the instruction the teachers were giving. While at BCS, Charlotte began dual enrollment, attending Chattahoochee Technical College. Again, she excelled and
once she received her associates degree in computer and electrical engineering, she enrolled at Kennesaw State University. Charlotte recently graduated cum laude from KSU, with her bachelor’s degree in science in electrical engineering technology and is preparing to take the FE and PE tests to join the workforce as an engineer. Without the care of the teachers and the focus on teaching her to read at BCS, Charlotte would have been lost in the public school system. BCS promoted her confidence and realization that she can achieve anything she wishes.”
The director has her own personal testimony to share, the impetus for starting BCS in 2004. Her daughter, Kristen, wasn’t reading at age 8, despite having an IQ in the gifted range. After trying private schools, resource classrooms, tutoring, vision and occupational therapy to no avail, Kim created a program that worked for Kristen. Now Kristen is teaching at BCS, along with her dad, Kevin.
To date, the school has graduated 41 students, with 75% attending college. Wigington leads the 21-member staff with many degrees and years of experience. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education from Kennesaw State University, a master’s degree in school counseling, an educational specialist degree in school leadership and 32 years of experience in public and private schools.
Brookwood students enjoy smaller classes of eight or less, a specialized reading program called Wilson Reading, a math program that is computer based and reads the textbook to the students, and instruction based on their achievement level, not their grade level. The students are normal kids who have IQs that fall in the normal range, but haven’t succeeded in traditional schools.
Truly a part of the Acworth community, students can be seen walking around Lake Allatoona, down Main Street, or shopping at the Farmers Market on Friday mornings. “Our location allows us to be part of the historic downtown area,” Wigington said. “This community has embraced our school family.”
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