In 1926, Gow became America's first school for students with dyslexia. A century later, bright students from across the country and around the world still find their turning point here, in small classes, in grades 5 through a post-graduate year.
"For the first time, my child doesn't feel different – she feels understood, accepted, and supported."
Gow Parent- 4:1Student-to-faculty ratio, in small classes
- 100%College acceptance
- 17Years, average faculty tenure
- 80%Boarding students
- 125Acre campus
- 25Minutes from Buffalo, NY
How We Teach
The Gow Method of Reconstructive Language
Every Gow student learns early on that they are capable students who offer the world something powerful: original thinking. Our students are poised for extraordinary lives, not in spite of the way they learn, but because of it.
The Gow Method of Reconstructive Language is our proprietary reading program. It is a highly structured, multisensory approach that breaks words into clear, manageable patterns. Every teacher, in every subject, is trained in it. With an average class of four, no one gets lost, and no one hides.
Confidence here is not a pep talk. It is what happens when reading finally works. Independence is what happens when you manage your own day in a boarding community that expects it of you. Strength is built when the right support is in place for these to become habits.
How The Gow Method WorksSmall Classes
Small classes. Every student known.
- A 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio, so every teacher knows how each student learns.
- Classes of about four students, grouped by skill rather than age.
- Nowhere to hide, and no need to. Every student takes part, every day.
- The same teachers in class, on the field, and at dinner.
Four students to every teacher. It's the heart of how Gow works.
Lives Changed
Where the Story Turns
- Before GowYears of tutoring. Bright students calling themselves stupid and dreading every school morning.
- The Turning PointGow Method practices woven into every class, teachers who understand students as individuals, and a first book completed with confidence in November.
- After GowColleges of their choice, degrees in fields they care about, and careers they love.
"Gow didn't just help me learn – it changed what I think I can do."
Gow Graduate
Programs
Entry Points to Transformation
Middle School
Catch reading up early, before the workload grows.
Grades 9–12Upper School
College-preparatory courses taught by teachers trained in The Gow Method.
After grade 12Post-Graduate Year
A focused year to build skills and confidence for college.
Five weeksSummer Program
Academics in the morning, adventure in the afternoon.