Our Approach

Structured Literacy instruction, rooted in Orton-Gillingham principles.

Cupertino Academy provides daily, small-class literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Children receive focused support in reading, spelling, writing, language development, and comprehension — taught explicitly, sequentially, and in a way that sticks.

A focused partnership

We teach the part that's hardest to teach at home.

At Cupertino Academy, we focus on the part of education that many families find most difficult to provide at home: teaching a child with dyslexia to read, spell, and write with confidence. We teach the complete English language arts curriculum — reading, spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and writing — so no separate ELA curriculum is needed at home. Families oversee math, science, history, and electives, and we offer curriculum suggestions for those subjects. This is a homeschool partnership, not a co-op, and you do not need to be an experienced homeschool family to begin.

A teacher works with a small group of children around a classroom table

What makes it work

Explicit, multisensory, and built on evidence.

The Orton-Gillingham approach teaches reading the way research says the brain actually learns it: directly and systematically, engaging sight, sound, and movement together so that new skills become automatic.

Direct & explicit — nothing is left for a child to simply "pick up."
Sequential & cumulative — each skill builds deliberately on the last.
Multisensory — seeing, hearing, and moving reinforce every concept.
Diagnostic — instruction adapts continuously to each child.

A child traces letters in a sand tray while a teacher guides the lesson, a multisensory Orton-Gillingham technique

A Day at Cupertino Academy

Inside the daily literacy immersion block.

Students participate in a daily structured literacy immersion block designed to meet the needs of learners with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences.

The first hour focuses on foundational reading and spelling. The second hour provides English language arts instruction grouped by stage of learning — early elementary, upper elementary, or middle school — so every student receives their complete ELA curriculum here. See the three Foundations pods.

Instruction includes

Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy instruction
Reading, spelling, and encoding practice
English language arts, grammar, and writing instruction
Read-aloud time to build vocabulary, language comprehension, and a love of learning
Guided reading and literacy activities
A movement-based brain break to help students stay focused and engaged

A teacher points to short-vowel and digraph cards on a classroom board during a phonics lesson

Our small class environment allows instruction to be individualized to each student's literacy needs while building confidence and fostering meaningful relationships.

A child writes a word on a magnetic sound board with a marker

Structured Literacy manuals and lesson materials on a classroom shelf

"We do more than teach reading."

We help children discover that they are capable, intelligent, and fully equipped to succeed. Through evidence-based instruction and meaningful relationships, children with dyslexia become confident learners.

Explore the Programs