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=Universal Design for Learning and ICHS=

As [|Carol Ann Tomlinson] so aptly put it: "what we share in common makes us human. How we differ makes us individuals." We all know that each individual student learns in a different way and comes to learning with a different set of skills and needs. This is where ICHS vision for [|Universal Design] begins. We are committed to making sure that all students have the space and resources they need in order to learn to the best of their abilities.

At our school we have set up a variety of support mechanisms both within the classrooms and outside the daily core subjects. Our academic support team offers aid to students who may be diagnosed with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, behavioral disorders or other factors that hinder their progress in core classes. We also offer a top notch ESOL program with language teachers providing both [|push-in and pull-out] support to English language learners. Because we are an international school with a great variety of student ethnicities we know that English is not the first spoken language for many of our students. We have ESOL teachers for each grade level that work with small classes of students in order to support them in learning English and uncovering some of the finer points of lessons they may have missed in the daily core subjects.

In the classroom we do our best to offer [|differentiated instruction], so as to accommodate all different learning needs. The integrated classroom is the best place for learners. We want everyone to feel included and to play unique roles in the classroom. Through [|tiered instruction], we are able to pre-assess student abilities and plan lessons and assignments according to their academic needs. The role of Universal design is directly linked with our constructivist and backwards by design classroom philosophies. Teachers are given the time to assess and plan for students' needs directly. The global nature of our school is to be celebrated and with a Universal Design for Learning we are able to achieve success together!