Learning Support

The Learning Support Program provides:

• One-on-one tutoring
• Assistive technologies
• Help with applying for accommodations on standardized tests
• Communication with teachers to support each student's learning profile

Tutoring Program Description:
Drew's Learning Support Program (LSP) provides one-on-one academic assistance and is open to all Drew students. Generally, sessions focus on academics, remediation, development of study & organizational skills, and acquisition of compensational strategies. If you have questions about arranging a schedule which best meets your student's needs, please contact Karen Houck or Julia Lynton. The registration form is available in the top right corner of this page.

Summary of Assistive Technologies:
Drew has the following assistive technology titles that benefit all learners, and which are available to all students:

• Inspiration is a visual learning tool for developing and organizing ideas and information.
• Kurzweil is a program that highlights & speaks text and has many other useful study skills features to help with reading comprehension.
• Dragon Naturally Speaking is very effective speech recognition software.
• Books on Tape and CD are audio versions of books. Drew is a member of this program, and the LSP has many books in audio format that are used in the classroom.

Psycho-educational Assessment:
The LSP staff requests that parents submit to us a copy of any psycho-educational assessment their students may have had. We summarize these reports and post them on a secure server so that the students' teachers can easily access information about the students' learning styles and special needs.

Contact Us:
If you would like to find out what the LSP might do for your son or daughter, please contact us at Drew. We are available by phone or email.

Karen Houck: 415-409-3739 x224 karenhouck@drewschool.org
Julia Lynton: 415-409-3739 x214 julialynton@drewschool.org
Co-Directors, Learning Support Services

Learning Support Staff:
Julia Lynton (Co-Director) handles the logistics of the Learning Support Program, tutors in the LSP, and teaches a section of Integrated Science. She began tutoring in 1995 and has tutored students from elementary age through college. Most of her students have come to her for help with organizational skills, math, science, study skills, and editing papers. Julia is currently pursuing a certificate in educational therapy.

Karen Houck (Co-Director) is a long-term Drew teacher with bachelor's and master's degrees in linguistics. She is also a Certified Educational Therapist with special training in the Slingerland method of multi-sensory education. In addition to teaching and tutoring, Karen is in charge of helping students with diagnosed learning disabilities register for special accommodations (such as extended time) on the SAT and other standardized tests.

Chris Perdue specializes in mathematics and science, and he tutors students in writing and organization as well. His degree in mathematics and computer science is from James Madison University. Chris also plays music locally and gives private lessons in guitar and bass.

Cody Carvel earned his undergraduate degrees in English Literature and African-American Studies from Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard, he spent time living in Barcelona and Berlin tutoring students in English at the University of Barcelona and the University of Potsdam. In addition to his work in the LSP, he assists Jacques Cusin with his senior year Humanitas course. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco.

Adrian Baker earned his undergraduate degree in English from USC and his Master's degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Previously, he worked as the lead tutor in an after school program for Native teens at the American Indian Center in Oakland, specializing in writing and SAT math prep. In addition to his tutoring duties in the LSP at Drew, he is also the school's JV soccer coach for both the boys and girls teams as well as the assistant coach for the boys' varsity basketball team.

Rachel Nowak earned her B.A. in Anthropology at UC Davis and is currently working on her Masters of Education. She has taught primary through high school students from a variety of backgrounds in Sacramento, East Oakland, and on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico. Rachel learned to speak Spanish fluently in Costa Rica, where she also picked up her favorite hobby, salsa dancing. She has recently stepped out of the classroom to spend time raising her baby, Ernesto.