2023 Summer Experience

For College-Bound Graduates and Rising High School Seniors With Language-Based Learning Disabilities

Offered by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s acclaimed Regional Center for Learning Disabilities, with 30 years of experience helping students succeed in college-level studies. This non-residential program prepares recent high school graduates and rising seniors for the challenges of college-level coursework. It gives them the opportunity to immerse themselves in a college learning environment while developing their study, assistive technology and self-advocacy skills.

Summer Experience Activities

Students participate in hands-on learning activities designed to help them:

• Develop a better understanding of their learning strengths and weaknesses
• Build stronger self-advocacy skills
• Enhance their time management and organizational skills
• Learn how to study more effectively and efficiently

The morning track includes academic instruction in:

• Learning strategies based on understanding individual learning styles;
• Time management and organizational skills;
• Technology resources to help enhance learning based on a student’s individual learning differences
• Career exploration
• Writing instruction, including brainstorming; outlining techniques and narrowing topics; identifying elements of an essay; revising and proofreading; and learning Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) style formats used in college
• College essay preparation (if needed)

Morning

Session 1

Writing – 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

• Writing instruction, including brainstorming; outlining techniques and narrowing topics; identifying elements of an essay; revising and proofreading; and learning Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) style formats used in college
• College essay preparation (if needed)

Session 2

Metacognitive Strategies – 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

• Learning strategies based on understanding individual learning strengths and weaknesses
• Time management and organizational skills
• Self-advocacy skills
• Strategies to assist in memorization, note-taking, listening skills

Session 3

Assistive Technology – 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

• Technology resources to help enhance learning based on a student’s individual learning differences
• Career exploration

Session 4

Transitional Essentials – 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Self-awareness, Self-advocacy, Self-determination
• Wellness hygiene! Taking care of holistic needs.
• P.V.I.: Pace-Volume-Independence. How will these be different than high school?
• Lean into your STRENGTHS

Afternoon

Session 5

Choice of One Class – 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Orton Gillingham reading

Direct, small group Orton Gillingham-based instruction

Or

Developmental math

Brush up on pre-algebra/algebra skills

Direct, small group developmental instruction