Since 1926, in the same valley in South Wales, New York
The original.Still changing lives.
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.
Photo: a student reading aloud with a teacher, small class, natural light
"For the first time in years, he wanted to go to school."
Parent of a Gow student, Class of 20XX Sample copy: replace with an approved, consented quote
One hundred years, one mission
Select a year to read more
1926: Peter Gow, Jr. turns a farm in South Wales, New York into a school for bright students who struggle to read.
1926Peter Gow, Jr. founds the school in South Wales, New York
1920sGow begins working with Dr. Samuel T. Orton, pioneer of dyslexia research
1986Orton Hall opens
1990The Summer Program begins
2012Gow becomes coeducational
2026Our centennial: the original, still changing lives
1926The first of its kind*
4:1Students to faculty, in small classes
100%College acceptance
[XX]Countries our students have come from
125Acres in a beautiful valley
Trusted for a century:IMSLEC accreditedALDSNYSAISTABSSBSANAISJohns Hopkins follow-up research
Part one
The original.
The original school, the original method, the original place. A century ago, in a valley in Western New York, a school began for students no one else knew how to teach.
Our story
Others Followed. Gow Was First.
In 1926, after twenty years of teaching, Peter Gow, Jr. saw that many capable students could not read or spell, and that ordinary schools did not know how to help them. He turned a farm in South Wales, New York into a school built around them.
Shortly after opening, he began working with Dr. Samuel T. Orton, the neurologist whose research shaped how the world teaches dyslexic students. From that work came Reconstructive Language, refined in our classrooms for 100 years.
The ideas many schools use today were first put to work here.
Photo: archival image of early Gow students, paired with the same building today
A sense of place
The Original Place.
Gow began in an old horse barn in a beautiful valley in South Wales, New York. A century later, students still find their footing on the same ground: 125 acres of woods, fields and nature all around, far from the pressures that weren't working.
Now: the same valley, 30+ buildings
Then: the horse barn, 1920s
Placeholder: pair an archival photo of the original barn with a photo taken from the same spot today
1922Peter Gow, Jr. buys an old horse barn in South Wales and opens a summer camp for boys
1926The camp farm becomes a school, on the same ground where it stands today
30+Buildings have grown from that one converted barn
125Acres of woods and fields in the Great Lakes region
Autumn color across the valley
AutumnThe valley at its most beautiful, and soccer on the fields.
Winter Carnival
WinterSnow, basketball season and Winter Carnival, a tradition since 1986.
Spring on the water
SpringLacrosse, rowing, tennis and long evenings on the trails.
Summer Program
SummerFive weeks of learning in the morning and adventure in the afternoon.
"When we drove into the valley for the first time, our son went quiet. Then he said, 'I could think here.'"Parent, Class of 20XX Sample: replace with a real, consented quote
Getting here
Buffalo-area airportsAbout an hour
New York, Philadelphia, BaltimoreAbout an hour by air
Reconstructive Language, in Every Class, Every Day
At most schools, help for dyslexic students happens in a separate room. At Gow, it is how every class is taught. Reconstructive Language is a structured, multi-sensory program that rebuilds reading, spelling and writing from the sounds of the language up, in English, math, science and history alike.
Understand each student
Every student is assessed on arrival so we know exactly where to begin.
Group by skill
Students learn with peers at the same level, in small classes with a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Rebuild language daily
RL is woven into every subject, so practice happens all day, not once a week.
Reassess and regroup
Each year we measure growth and regroup students as their skills advance.
Build independence
Executive-function coaching teaches planning, organization and self-advocacy.
Launch to college
Personalized college advising and an optional post-graduate year.
The original, refined for 100 years. Reconstructive Language was developed at Gow with input from Dr. Samuel T. Orton. Many of today's structured-literacy programs share the same roots. Ours has had a century of daily classroom practice, taught by faculty trained to IMSLEC-accredited standards. Confirm the IMSLEC wording with the Academic Dean
A 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio, so every teacher knows how each student learns.
Classes of about [X] students, grouped by skill rather than age. Confirm average class size with the Academic Dean
Nowhere to hide, and no need to. Every student takes part, every day.
The same teachers in class, on the field and at dinner.
4:1
Four students to every teacher. It's the heart of how Gow works.
Part two
Still changing lives.
Every year, new families come to the same valley, from across the country and around the world, and find their turning point here. These are their stories, and this is the life they find.
Video: one family's story, 2 minutes, captioned with a transcript
Lives changed
Where the Story Turns
Before GowYears of tutoring. A bright boy who called himself stupid and dreaded every school morning.
The turning pointReconstructive Language in every class, teachers who understood, and a first book finished in November.
After GowA college of his choice, a degree in engineering, and a career he loves.
"Gow didn't just teach our son to read. It gave him back to us." Parent, Class of 20XX
Sample story structure: replace with a real, consented family story
Still changing lives
A Century of Turning Points
Portrait
Entered in grade 6
"I stopped hiding my homework."
[Student name] arrived two years behind in reading and is now reading for pleasure.
Portrait
Entered in grade 10
From failing English to the honor roll
[Student name] found the structure and the teachers to rebuild, one class at a time.
Portrait
Post-graduate year
One more year, a different future
[Student name] used a PG year to build the skills that carried him through college.
Portrait, then and now
Class of 1966
Fifty years on, still grateful
[Alumnus name] on how Gow shaped a life in public service.
Portrait, then and now
Class of 2002
From student to advocate
[Alumnus name] now speaks for students with learning differences nationwide.
Portrait
A parent's view
"We finally had a plan."
[Parent name] on the first semester, and the phone call she'll never forget.
All stories are placeholders. Use real, attributed stories with signed consent (from a parent or guardian for students under 18).
If you're a student reading this
You're Not Lazy. You're Not Behind. You Learn Differently, and Here That's Normal.
Everyone at Gow has been where you are. The classes are small, the teachers get it, and nobody has to hide. Come see for yourself.
Boarding at Gow means living, learning and growing up together in a beautiful valley in South Wales, New York. Your dorm mates, your classmates, your dorm parents and your teachers become your Gow family, and these become some of the most important years of your life.
Dorm parents at evening check-in
Dorm parents
Teachers and their families who live in the dorms, there for homework help, a late-night talk, or a birthday cake.
Dorm mates on a Saturday
Dorm mates
Friends from down the hall and around the world who understand exactly what you've been through.
Classmates in a small class
Classmates
Small classes where everyone is known, everyone takes part, and no one has to hide.
A coach on the sideline
Teachers and coaches
The same adults teach you in the morning, coach you in the afternoon and sit with you at dinner.
BreakfastWith dorm parents and friends
Reconstructive LanguageSmall groups, every morning
ClassesRL built into every subject
Athletics and the outdoorsTeams, trails and the valley
DinnerFamily-style, with faculty
Study, then the dormTeachers on hand, then time with friends
Sample schedule: confirm times with the Academic Dean
Every student can play. Every season brings something new to try, against schools across the region and in the valley right outside the door.
SoccerFall afternoons on fields ringed with autumn color
LacrosseFast, physical and a Gow favorite
RowingEarly mornings on the water
BasketballWinter games with the whole school in the stands
TennisCourts open from spring into fall
Hiking and the outdoorsTrails, woods and four seasons of the valley
Confirm current team list and seasons with Athletics
The gorge at Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park
Trips to the "Grand Canyon of the East": waterfalls, gorge trails and a day the students talk about all year.
A weekend outing to the city
Nearby cities
Weekend outings to Buffalo and other nearby cities for games, museums, food and a change of scene.
An evening at a concert
Cultural events
Concerts, theater and exhibitions, on campus and across the region.
Hands-on in the science lab
Science
Labs built for hands-on learning, where students who think in pictures and experiments thrive.
The library and learning technology
Learning resources
A library, assistive technology and specialists who help every student find the tools that work for them.
Class outdoors in the valley
Nature as a classroom
Woods, fields and streams on 125 acres, used for science, art and simply clearing your head.
Name specific labs and facilities with the Academic Dean
Alumni from across the decades, back for the centennial, 2026
Friends for life
The friendships last a lifetime.
When Gow celebrated its centennial, alumni came back from across the country, around the world and across the decades. They walked the same valley, found their old rooms, and picked up with classmates as if no time had passed. Friendships made here stay dear for life.
"Forty years later, my Gow roommate is still the first person I call."Alumnus, Class of 19XX Sample: replace with a real quote from a centennial guest
For decades, families from many countries have trusted Gow with their children. Students arrive from around the world and from across the United States, and they leave with friends on every continent and a valley they will always call home.
[XX]Countries our students have come from
[XX]States represented this year
[Country]
[Country]
[Country]
[Country]
[Country]
[Country]
[Country]
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Use Admissions records: countries and states represented over the decades and this year
Many families find us after years of trying everything else. If several of these sound familiar, let's talk. There's no obligation, just a conversation with someone who has seen this before.
Confirm wording and Luke's photo with the Head of School's office
Questions families ask
Good Questions, Honest Answers
How small are classes at Gow?
Very small. Gow has a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and students are grouped by skill so every teacher knows how each student learns. Add average class size from the Academic Dean
Does my child need a formal diagnosis to apply?
A recent psycho-educational evaluation helps us understand how your child learns. If you're still waiting for one, call us anyway. We can talk through where you are in the process. Confirm policy with Admissions
How is Reconstructive Language different from Orton-Gillingham?
They share the same roots in Dr. Samuel T. Orton's work. The difference at Gow is how RL is used: it is built into every class, every day, and refined by our teachers over 100 years, rather than offered as a separate tutoring session.
Do international students attend Gow?
Yes. Gow has welcomed students from many countries for decades, and our boarding community is home to students from around the world. Add countries, visa support and English-language details from Admissions
Day or boarding: which is right?
Most Gow students board, and the structure of boarding life (supervised study, faculty close by) is part of how students make progress. Day students take part in the same program. We'll help you decide what fits your family.
What does Gow cost, and is financial aid available?
See our tuition and aid page for current figures. Many families also explore funding through their school district or other sources, and our team can talk you through the options. Link to the current tuition and aid page