We Open Doors to Learning!

What We Do

S.M.A.R.T. Learning Strategies help students to incorporate successful learning techniques which, when practiced overtime, become habits for success. Students learn to increase their productivity, gain confidence and independence, and contribute to a positive academic environment. This is accomplished by helping students develop strategies that improve focus, develop organizational skills, perfect time management, study strategies, and goal setting abilities. These skills are essential for success throughout life. Executive Functions are the cognitive processes that allow a person to plan, organize, make decisions, pay attention, regulate behavior, problem solve, and, evaluate the decisions we make.

The process begins by identifying a learner’s strengths as well as abilities in which there is a delay. Next, a learning plan with goals for improvement is created. These goals are attained by modeling strategies to be put into practice. Over time these actions become automatic – a habit. Utilizing strategies that encourage the development of executive function skills, one can develop the proficiency to manage all kinds of tasks in life such as completing a project, conducting research, plan a trip, get a job and manage a home.

Why the emphasis on strategies? Strategies are active ways to engage behavior change and when used successfully, become tools for motivation. Research shows that learning strategies not only improves achievement for a particular task, the acquired skill is applied to other areas in life as well. Let S.M.A.R.T. Learning Strategies help your child incorporate good learning habits for life! We work with students from elementary school through college to open doors to learning!

Successful learning behaviors replace poor habits…

  • Practices that promote task initiation replace procrastination.
  • Systems for keeping track of, and completing, assignments are used to ensure work gets turned in.
  • Breaking down projects into manageable steps assists a student to independently (when appropriate) complete schoolwork.
  • Purposeful planning replaces anxiety.
  • Attentive behaviors are developed to help a student achieve a necessary goal.
  • Development of a pratical sense of what can be accomplished replaces unrealistic expectations.
  • Strategies that help a person to process, and produce, new information help improve comprehension.
  • Writing assignments reflect the use of an organized, structured approach that promote clarity of thought.

Ms. Burk’s ability to work with students of all ages and levels of functioning was the panacea which allowed our son to persevere through his last year of college. Her support and encouragement, with just the right amount of accountability, was crucial to his success.

Paul G.

Terese Burk recently did an Executive Function presentation at our Middle School to all three grade levels . It was very obvious that she not only knows the material but is also very good at engaging students in the topic! We would definitely have her back. I would highly recommend her.

Dominica Davis, LCSW, CADC

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