Our Blog | Horizons at Carolina Day School

Horizons and CDS Key Learning Center: A Powerful Literacy Partnership

Each summer, Horizons at Carolina Day School works to ensure that every student has the opportunity to strengthen their literacy skills while discovering the joy of learning. One of the most impactful ways we do this is through a unique partnership with Carolina Day School's Key Learning Center (KLC).

The Key Learning Center conducts Orton-Gillingham (OG) training for educators during the same weeks that Horizons Summer Academy is in session. Orton-Gillingham is a highly structured, multisensory approach to reading instruction that is widely recognized as one of the most effective methods for teaching students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

This partnership creates a remarkable opportunity for both Horizons students and the educators participating in the training.

During one week of the summer program, a group of pre-identified Horizons students receives individualized reading instruction from Orton-Gillingham trainees. Working one-on-one, trainees provide intensive literacy intervention tailored to each student's needs. These focused sessions help students strengthen foundational reading skills, build confidence, and receive personalized attention that can be difficult to provide in a traditional classroom setting.

The individualized instruction allows students to practice skills at their own pace, celebrate small successes, and gain confidence as readers. Whether mastering a new phonics pattern, improving decoding skills, or developing greater fluency, students benefit from the dedicated support and encouragement of an instructor focused entirely on their growth.

At the same time, the partnership provides invaluable hands-on experience for educators learning the Orton-Gillingham approach. Trainees have the opportunity to work directly with real students under the guidance of experienced trainers. This practical application deepens their understanding of the methodology while helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to become effective reading interventionists.

At Horizons, we believe that strong literacy skills open doors to academic success. Our partnership with the Key Learning Center reflects the power of collaboration and innovation in meeting students' needs. Together, we are helping young learners become stronger readers while preparing educators to make an even greater impact in classrooms across our region.

The Joy of Growing with Students at Horizons

Over the past three years of teaching at Horizons, I have become such a strong believer in the program. It has been a meaningful learning experience for me as an educator and an opportunity to build truly special relationships with students. I look forward to seeing them each summer and reconnecting during Super STEAM Saturdays.

In my role as a first-grade teacher during the school year, I work closely with students for one year before they move on. At Horizons, however, I have had the unique joy of growing alongside the same group of students year after year—watching them evolve, gain confidence, and develop new skills over time.

My first summer at Horizons, I taught rising fourth graders. Much of that summer focused on building relationships—with students in the classroom, on the basketball court, and during van rides to and from swimming. As an educator, it was both rewarding and challenging to form meaningful bonds in a six-week program while also keeping students engaged in reading and math during summer break.

I quickly learned that the “in-between” moments mattered just as much as formal instruction. Transition times, free moments, and casual conversations became opportunities to connect, build trust, and better understand my students. I also challenged myself to create classroom experiences that were engaging and joyful while still providing the strong academic enrichment that Horizons values.

Each summer, students return a year older and with new strengths, challenges, and interests. That pushes me to observe carefully, adapt quickly, and meet them where they are as learners.

Horizons has helped me grow tremendously as an educator, but the relationships I have formed with students are what I treasure most. I think I look forward to Horizons just as much as the students do—I’m always eager to reconnect, hear updates about their lives, and see how much they have grown.

It has been incredibly rewarding to watch students grow as readers, swimmers, artists, athletes, and young people. I cannot wait to see where their journeys take them, and I feel grateful to play even a small role along the way.