Schools are being asked to do more than ever: accelerate learning, address rising mental health needs, rebuild belonging, and ensure every student—especially those historically marginalized—has access to meaningful opportunity. The good news is that we don’t have to guess what works. The science of learning and development (SoLD) offers a clear, optimistic message: students’ growth is malleable, shaped by relationships and environments, and strengthened through intentional design.
In 2021, the Learning Policy Institute and Turnaround for Children published Design Principles for Schools: Putting the Science of Learning and Development Into Action. It outlines five integrated elements of equitable whole-child design:
- Positive Developmental Relationships
- Environments Filled With Safety and Belonging
- Rich Learning Experiences and Knowledge Development
- Development of Skills, Habits, and Mindsets
- Integrated Support Systems
At TinyEYE, we partner with schools to deliver online therapy services (including speech-language and occupational therapy) that fit into real school schedules and real student needs. What we appreciate about these design principles is that they don’t treat “support” as a separate program. They treat it as part of how schools are built—so students can learn, heal, communicate, and participate fully.
1) Positive developmental relationships: the “active ingredient” in learning
Strong relationships aren’t just nice to have—they are a primary driver of learning, motivation, and resilience. The report emphasizes that “developmental relationships” combine care and connection with guidance that builds competence, confidence, and student agency.
What this looks like in schools is not a single initiative, but structures and routines that make it possible for adults to truly know students:
Advisory systems so every student has a consistent adult advocate.
Looping (keeping students with the same teacher(s) for more than one year) to deepen trust and reduce anxiety.
Smaller learning communities within larger schools so students don’t become invisible.
Family connection practices like student-led conferences, home visits (virtual or in-person), and regular two-way communication.
Where TinyEYE fits: therapy works best when it’s relational. When schools have consistent touchpoints—advisories, case conferences, and family partnerships—online therapists can coordinate goals, reinforce strategies across settings, and help students generalize skills beyond the therapy session.
2) Safety and belonging: learning can’t thrive under threat
The report is direct: when students feel unsafe—physically, emotionally, or identity-wise—the brain shifts toward vigilance and stress. That stress consumes working memory and attention, making learning harder. Conversely, predictable routines, fair expectations, and culturally affirming environments reduce cognitive load and open the door to curiosity and risk-taking.
Schools can strengthen safety and belonging through:
Co-created norms framed as “do’s” (respect, responsibility, kindness) rather than “don’ts.”
Consistent routines (greetings, classroom meetings, predictable transitions).
Restorative practices that repair harm and restore community rather than pushing students out.
Trauma-informed and healing-oriented supports including calming spaces, counseling access, and staff training to ask “What happened?” instead of “What’s wrong?”
Where TinyEYE fits: many communication, sensory, and self-regulation challenges show up most intensely when students feel unsafe or misunderstood. Teletherapy can support schools with strategies that are proactive (skill-building) and responsive (de-escalation, coping tools), especially when aligned with restorative and trauma-informed practices.
3) Rich learning experiences: deeper learning for diverse learners
Students learn best when they can connect new ideas to prior knowledge and lived experience. The report highlights inquiry-based learning, authentic tasks, and performance assessments as powerful ways to build deep understanding—especially when paired with scaffolding and culturally responsive teaching.
Key structures and practices include:
Inquiry and problem-based learning that is meaningful and relevant.
Scaffolding for success (chunking tasks, modeling, guided practice, strategic feedback).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) so students can access content and show learning in multiple ways.
Formative assessment that informs next steps, not just final grades.
Where TinyEYE fits: UDL and inclusive instruction are easier when students have the tools to communicate and participate. Therapy goals can directly support classroom success—articulation and language for presentations, executive function for planning, fine-motor or sensory strategies for writing tasks, and social communication for collaboration.
4) Skills, habits, and mindsets: learning is integrated, not siloed
The report underscores a critical point from neuroscience: there is no “academic brain” separate from self-regulation, social connection, or emotion. Executive function, metacognition, growth mindset, collaboration, and self-management are not extras—they are part of how students access content and persist through challenge.
Schools can develop these skills through:
Dedicated time and curricula for social, emotional, and cognitive skill-building (e.g., advisory, morning meetings).
Integration into daily instruction so skills become habits, not isolated lessons.
Modeling and “think-alouds” that make learning strategies visible.
Structured collaboration where students learn how to work in groups effectively.
Where TinyEYE fits: therapy is often skill instruction—self-advocacy, self-monitoring, planning, language for emotions, pragmatic communication, and strategies that help students participate. When schools treat these as whole-school priorities, therapy aligns naturally with classroom expectations rather than feeling like a separate “pull-out service.”
5) Integrated support systems: tiers of support without stigma
Even the strongest classroom practices won’t remove every barrier. Students experience changing needs over time—academic, social-emotional, health-related, and family-related. The report advocates for integrated supports that are coordinated, culturally responsive, and organized in tiers (often through MTSS):
Tier 1: universal supports for all students (UDL, relationships, belonging, fair discipline, strong instruction).
Tier 2: targeted supports when needed (small groups, tutoring, counseling check-ins, short-term interventions).
Tier 3: intensive individualized supports (special education services, mental health services, wraparound supports).
Importantly, the report emphasizes: interventions are tiered, not students. Support should not become a label or a track.
Where TinyEYE fits: online therapy can strengthen Tier 2 and Tier 3 capacity, especially when schools face staffing shortages or rural access barriers. Teletherapy also supports continuity—students can keep services even when recruitment is difficult, schedules shift, or specialists are hard to find locally.
Bringing it all together: design beats “add-on” programs
The most powerful takeaway from the report is integration. These five elements are not meant to sit in separate departments or separate binders. When schools design for relationships, belonging, rich learning, skill development, and integrated supports together, the environment becomes “greater than the sum of its parts.”
For school leaders and support teams, a practical starting point is to ask:
Do students have at least one consistent adult who knows them well?
Are safety and belonging built through routines, restorative practices, and culturally affirming environments?
Do learning tasks invite inquiry, relevance, and multiple ways to engage and show understanding?
Are executive function, collaboration, self-regulation, and growth mindset taught and practiced daily?
Are supports coordinated across tiers so students get help early, without stigma, and with family partnership?
When schools can answer “yes” more often, therapy services—whether in-person or online—become more effective, because they are embedded in a coherent system designed for student thriving.
For more information, please follow this link.
