Education at Forman

Our world moves at lightning speed.

Technology, culture, and ecosystems are constantly in flux. It’s more essential than ever for students to be agile, flexible, independent, and collaborative, armed with the self-knowledge to navigate the future and embrace it with both hands.

For nearly a century, Forman has pioneered revolutionary, evidencebased education. We empower students with ADHD and dyslexia to excel at every level, leveraging their unique learning profiles for lasting success. Our early curriculum was developed with input from Dr. Albert Einstein, who also faced reading challenges. By the 1980s, we were the first school to introduce computer-assisted writing courses. Our trimester schedule offers flexibility and choice, enabling students to master core academic skills while immersing themselves in topics they’re drawn to. From our expertly-trained Cognition and Learning Department—keeping students at the cutting edge of neuroscience and learning research—to daily, mandatory study hall sessions, Forman is a place where every student thrives, whatever their learning style.

When we left campus after our visit, our son said, “Do you know how nice it is to be in a place where people understand what you’re struggling with, and actually want to help you? Do you know how great it is to tell people that I have dyslexia and dysgraphia—and I don’t have to explain it, and they know what that means?”

Cognition and learning

Unlike other independent schools—that send students who learn differently out of class to learning centers—Forman integrates cognition and learning into the curriculum and maintains a full faculty department for it.

Students never leave class for extra assistance; instead, lessons are structured to meet the way they learn, and specialist cognition and learning subjects are part of the timetable. Here, students master metacognitive strategies; develop organizational skills; uncover reading and word attack techniques using multi-sensory, phonetic, and sequential approaches; and work with coaches to develop short and long-term goals in a nurturing, non-judgmental environment.

Knowledge is power. Our students learn exactly how their brains work, helping them build confidence and self-advocacy.

“The small classes provide more one-on-one time with my teachers, so that I can get extra attention if I need it.”

— Current Forman student

Bettering the brain

Each Forman student is unique—and so are the ways they process and absorb information. Whatever their learning profile, they excel via a tailored curriculum that meets them where they are, using evidence-based research and the latest innovations in neuroscience. All course offerings are reviewed and redesigned annually, adapting to each cohort. We regularly collaborate with leading experts to ensure we’re meeting current student needs—think Dr. Vicky Zygouris-Coe, a professor of reading education, and Dr. George McClosky, a specialist in adolescent executive functioning.

In classes like ‘Brain Matters,’ students unpack the neurocognitive networks of the executive functions: how their brain works, how to overcome academic challenges, and how to prepare for less structured environments like college. They develop new strategies and habits to find success—and learn that the journey there is never a one-size-fits-all formula, but something special that can be mastered.

Research points to the fact that teaching students about neuroplasticity—the concept that their brains are malleable and can be changed by process of habit—is meaningful.

DEVIN BURKHART, DIRECTOR OF THE COGNITION AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT

Helping our students to trust us—by showing we see and respect them as individuals—has a tremendous impact on how they’re able to show up in the classroom.

ERIKA DELLA CALCE, CHAIR OF HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Future-proof classrooms

Forget traditional classrooms, with their chalkboards and topdown learning. Whatever the subject, Forman students enter spaces specifically designed to meet their needs. All classrooms are executive function-informed and equipped with the latest assistive technology, such as SMART Boards, Apple TVs, and iPads loaded with speech-to-text and note-taking apps. Each space is uniquely exceptional: take the eco-friendly 9,000-square-foot Science Center, with its own rain garden and custom seating to increase focus.

Faculty and staff meet regularly to ensure they’re aware of each student’s challenges and that new skills are thoughtfully developed and reinforced. Small class sizes, averaging eight students, build agency and confidence.

A hands-on, practical, and individualized curriculum helps students process and retain information.

POWERING YOUNG MINDS TO DREAM BIGGER

A talent incubation lab

Set in a high-tech, resourced lab on campus, our Promethean Program is where project-based and experiential learning collide, with remarkable results. Available to ambitious students at every grade level—whose interests range from product development to robotics to conservation—the program involves research, experimentation, and problem solving individual passion projects, in partnership with a faculty advisor. The documentation process of bringing the project to life— via a dynamic website that each student runs—can be a vital part of their college application portfolio.

“I’d like to be a golf club engineer when I graduate. Recently, in the Promethean Lab, I built my own putters with a CNC machine.”

– Current Forman student

ARLIS ASTUDILLO, CHAIR OF MATHEMATICS, FACILITATOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

Immersive learning

Research indicates that learning experiences outside the classroom can improve motivation, vivid recall, and overall academic performance. For two weeks in March—right before spring break— Forman students and teachers are immersed in our flagship Winterim program, a hands-on, action-driven initiative that gives them agency to pursue their passions in the real world. Over two dozen options are available each year, domestically and internationally: think film production, historical trips through Europe, or tours through colleges in America’s Northeast.

Since students have so many different learning styles, differentiation in course material and student interaction comes naturally.

The Winterim program plunges students into new, ambitious learning environments—like this expedition to Thailand.

Enroll

THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION

860.567.1802

admission@formanschool.org

formanschool.org

Forman School

12 Norfolk Road, P.O. Box 80

Litchfield, CT 06759