Any student in grades 4th through 6th who struggles with reading at grade level and excels in visual-spatial and hands-on tasks.  Students must be at least a year behind in their reading skills for their grade.  They should be reading at a level no lower than 2nd grade to qualify.  Your student does NOT need to have a formal diagnosis, though.   

Targeted Students:  Geared toward students with moderate deficits in decoding and spelling who have not mastered foundational skills.  
Focus:  Explicitly teaches English word structure, including syllable types and Latin roots, to build automaticity in reading and spelling.  
Pace:  An accelerated, concentrated study of word structure, delivered at a faster pace than the Wilson Reading System.  
Instructional Approach:  Uses multi-sensory techniques, structured lesson plans, and a systematic, sequential approach to instruction.  
Underlying Research:  Based on the research validated Wilson Reading System (WRS), which uses Orton-Gillingham principles.
Purpose:  To help students achieve word-level reading and spelling proficiency so they can access and master grade-level texts.

Your student will learn math, writing skills, grammar, and Literature each week, in addition to their reading-specific program work.  They will spend 3 hours per day on these academic skills acquisition.  The remaining part of their day will be spent in hands-on project work and exploration of math, science, technology, engineering, and art through our partnership with S.M.I.L.E. Camp.

Most students with reading deficits are extremely intelligent.  They think differently and learn differently from the average student, though.  They often excel when given hands-on, visual-spatial presentations and tasks.  We maximize their strengths and support their struggles so they can excel.  We also come alongside parents and help navigate this difficult but rewarding journey together, relieving stress at home within the family for those homeschooling.  Most public and private schools, unless specializing in this spectrum, are ill-equipped to handle and provide adequate instruction for students to be successful and maximize their potential.  Schools that specialize in dyslexia often cost upwards of $25K per year!  We are providing an affordable, collaborative solution for homeschool families!

Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:45 am – 3:00 pm for 34 weeks.  The location will be at S.M.I.L.E. in Raleigh, off Hillsborough Street, approximately 4 miles from our current location.

Students will work on math, art, technology, engineering, and sciences.  They will complete multiple projects annually, touching on these various areas and academic concepts.  

Yes, students will spend their first 30 minutes of the day memorizing and reciting Biblical concepts and verses, and engage in discussion about virtues and the Kingdom of God.  We encourage students to grow in their faith and make it their own.  We reinforce the Biblical concepts that grow students for God’s glory and their good.

SGCA staff includes reading specialists and administrative support.  S.M.I.L.E. staff consists of the owners, both retired educators and those they employ (primarily students from N.C. State).

We take the ESA+ grants for students who qualify.  We are not a school; we offer educational services to homeschool families, so we do not take Opportunity Scholarships.

Yes, there is a small number of books/workbooks that will be required.  Writing, Grammar, Math, and Literature purchases, in addition to the Wilson Language System (Just Words) or an ELA curriculum, cost depending on placement level.