Curriculum
The Gow School’s program of study is based on an in-depth understanding of language-based learning disabilities. At the heart of the curriculum is Reconstructive Language (RL), our core language remediation program, but content-area courses are also designed and redesigned with student success in mind. Multisensory instruction, executive function skills, and study strategies are emphasized throughout. Faculty members receive ongoing training in methods that maximize student learning potential, and they are committed to providing individualized attention and extra help. Gow teachers know that students’ futures depend on this expertise and dedication.
What’s Typical, What’s Required
Gow students attend classes of three to seven students, six days a week. They take at least six academic courses, including RL. A daily 30-minute tutorial period and supervised two-hour evening study hall provide time to complete assignments and receive faculty assistance. Study hall also includes a reading period, when students read books of their choice... for fun. Assistive technology, including our laptop program, is integrated into all courses and plays a central role in supporting student success.
Graduation requirements include English (4 credits), history (3), math (3), science (3, including 2 in lab science), arts (1½), and health (½). Reconstructive Language is required throughout students’ time at Gow, while electives let them customize their course of study.
The Gow School communicates with parents in eight report mailings a year: one-page reports for each class at the end of the four marking periods and one-page advisor reports, summarizing all classes, athletics, and dorm life, sent mid-marking period.
Learning by Doing and by Going
Because Gow understands the strengths of dyslexic students as well as their weaknesses, many courses incorporate hands-on components, especially in the arts, sciences, and technology.
Gow also gets students out into Western New York and beyond to experience real-world applications of what they are learning. Field trip destinations include the local Corning Museum of Glass and New York City for theater and museums (art), Old Fort Niagara and Gettysburg (history), and the Niagara Power Vista and Buffalo Science Museum as part of the annual Science Day. The Spanish Department offers a language-immersion trip.
Here is a brief look at our departments:
