Continuing the Legacy of Mary Ann Key

You probably know that Fort Worth’s Key School and Training Center is one of the area’s top schools for students with a variety of learning differences. But did you know that the school began as a summer program to help children with dyslexia?

I recently sat down to talk about the Summer Program with Leslie Vasquez, M.Ed, Key School’s Director of Education.

“The Summer Program is the foundation of Key School,” said Vasquez. “It’s how we got started.”  In 1966, Mary Ann Key and Mildred Garner began to tutor children with dyslexia over the summer using techniques they learned at the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children’s Language Therapy program. “The goal at both Key School and Key Summer Program is to continue the legacy of Mary Ann Key,” Vasquez said.

In this spirit, Key School offers three categories of summer classes: Hallmark, Enrichment, and Fun classes for kindergarten through 12th grade students. The Summer Program runs from June 10 through June 28.

Photo courtesy of Key School

The Hallmark classes are designed to help close learning gaps for children who learn differently. “Key Summer is best known for our Reading, Phonics, and Spelling class.  We use a curriculum designed by Mrs. Key and taught by Certified Academic Language Therapist. Both the Reading Phonics and Spelling Class as well as the Math Fundamentals class are ideal for students who struggle in Math or Reading or would benefit from an academic boost headed into the new school year.”

Enrichment classes provide more academic support over the summer to avoid the dreaded Summer Slide. Children who don’t engage their brains over the summer take longer to get back into the swing of school once vacation is over. These classes include a kindergarten readiness program for students getting ready to enter kindergarten who might need a little extra support before the school year starts, and a financial literacy program for middle and high school students that teaches kids how to budget, pay taxes, save money, purchase a vehicle, all while concentrating on math concepts and decision-making skills.

Photo courtesy of Key School

The Fun classes are, well, fun! From Connections, where kids work with the Key School counselor on social-emotional learning in a safe and fun environment, to art and coding, to a digital animation video production, these classes engage the imaginative side of kids’ brains.

Vasquez said, “All of our classes are very multi-sensory. We individualize. Yes, they’re academic, but we try to present the material in a way to make it fun for all types of learners.”

Photo courtesy of Key School

What makes Key School’s Summer Program so special is that most of the students are returning students from previous summers. “We do have some Key School students who attend our Summer Program, but the majority of Summer Program students come from surrounding public and private schools throughout Dallas/Fort Worth.” Vasquez said. “Families stick with us. They know and trust us. “I love knowing that each summer our new faces quickly become part of our Key family.”

Students can take individual Summer Program classes, or Key School is happy to help you and your student build a comprehensive summer program. New for Summer 2024, in-between-class care is available for all students. Also new is Sawyer, Key School’s registration partner. Sawyer partners with many children’s programs, so you can easily register for and schedule your family’s activities from one account. “It’s really easy,” said Vasquez. “It’s sort of like shopping on Amazon!”

Photo courtesy of Key School

Finally, Vasquez said, “Over the years, we have added new programs to meet the needs of our students, but we continue to keep hold of the legacy of the work started by Mrs. Key.”

To check out what Key School’s Summer Program can offer your student, follow this link or call 817-446-3738.