Sacramento Private Dyslexia School
Where students who learn differently thrive.
A full-time day school for students in grades 2 through 12 with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and executive function challenges.
A full-time school where every subject is specialized
READ Academy is a full-time private day school in Sacramento for students with dyslexia and related learning differences. Your child spends the entire school day in an environment where every subject is taught the way a learning brain actually works, in small classes, by certified specialists.
Four students to one teacher, giving your child the individualized attention required to make real progress.
Grades 2 through 12, full-time. We teach the entire span, second grade through high school graduation, every subject, every day.
Accredited by ACS WASC. Coursework, grades, and transcripts transfer cleanly to other schools, colleges, and universities.
- Doctor of Education in Reading, Literacy, and Assessment
- Master of Education, Dyslexia Specialist
- Certified Dyslexia Therapist
- Certified Special Education Advocate
Mother of five sons, four of them dyslexic. Dr. Skinner founded READ Academy and personally oversees the school and every admission today.
We do not ask the child to try harder in a system designed for a different brain. We change the instruction to fit the child.
Want to know more about what makes us Sacramento's best private dyslexia school?
About READ AcademyOne method runs through every subject
Whether it is reading, writing, math, or science, the instruction is built the same way. Explicit, structured, and multisensory, so students learn how things work instead of learning to guess.
Explicit
Every sound, rule, and step is taught directly. Nothing is left for a student to discover on their own.
Systematic and cumulative
Skills build in a deliberate sequence, simplest to most complex, each one resting on the last.
Multisensory
Students see it, say it, hear it, and move it at once. This is the Orton-Gillingham approach, and it makes the learning hold.
Individualized
A four-to-one ratio means teaching is paced to the child, with the direct feedback these learners need to build reliable skills.
Want the reading method in depth? See how structured literacy works.
READ Academy is an exceptional learning environment built around highly qualified specialized educators who bring unmatched passion, expertise, and commitment to students with learning differences.
Every teacher is certified in dyslexia-specific instruction, from Wilson and Orton-Gillingham to Barton, Making Math Real, and the Institute for Excellence in Writing.
Meet the TeamEvery core subject is taught with a specific, recognized, evidence-based program chosen for students who learn differently. This is what separates a real specialized school from a classroom that simply means well.
Wilson Reading System & Orton-Gillingham
Our core reading program is a research-validated, multisensory application of Orton-Gillingham. Students decode and encode the full structure of English, phonology, morphology, syllable types, and spelling rules, step by step. We pair it with Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI), which teaches from speech to print and weaves reading, spelling, and writing into one sequence. Reading becomes a skill built on logic, not a guessing game.
Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing is broken into clear, structured steps so students organize their thinking before they are asked to produce a paragraph or essay. They learn to build a sentence, develop an idea, and revise their work without getting stuck on the page. Ideas come first, and structure makes them land.
Making Math Real
Students build math concepts physically before moving to the abstract. They touch, move, and see the math in front of them, so they understand what they are doing instead of memorizing steps they cannot explain. When the foundation is concrete, the reasoning that follows holds up.
Moving Beyond the Page
Science and social studies are taught through hands-on, project-based work, so a student's grasp of history, biology, and civics is never capped by their reading level. Concepts come through experiment, discussion, and building, not just the textbook.
Built for the students traditional classrooms aren't equipped to teach
Each of these affects how a student takes in or expresses information, and many students have more than one.
Dyslexia
A language-based difference that affects decoding, word recognition, and spelling. Intelligence is not the issue. Instruction is.
Dysgraphia
A writing difference that affects handwriting, spelling, and getting thoughts onto the page. Not laziness, a difference in how writing is processed.
Dyscalculia
A math difference that affects number sense, calculation, and reasoning. A child can understand the concept and still lose the answer in the symbols.
ADHD & Executive Function
Difficulty with attention, planning, and self-monitoring. We treat it as wiring to design around with explicit strategy instruction, not behavior to correct.
Most of our students arrive years behind in reading, writing, or math. That is exactly who we are built for. Grade level is not a barrier to admission.
What your child actually walks away with
These are the outcomes every READ Academy student works toward. Not just a reading score, but the skills and confidence to carry their own learning forward.
Academic progress you can measure
Documented growth in literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking, paced to your child. Most students arrive years behind and close the gap once instruction finally fits how they learn.
The ability to self-advocate
Students learn to understand and explain their own learning needs, so they can ask for the right support and resources for the rest of their lives.
Social and emotional growth
Emotional resilience, self-confidence, and real social skills, so students can handle setbacks, build friendships, and take part in their community.
Independence and life skills
Problem-solving, time management, and personal responsibility, the practical skills that carry into adulthood, work, and life beyond the classroom.
Fluency with assistive technology
Students become comfortable with the digital tools and assistive technology that help them keep pace and adapt to future school and work environments.
He told me he learned more about reading in two months at READ Academy than in all seven years at our public school.
Does this count? Will colleges recognize it? Yes.
READ Academy is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), the same body that accredits public and private schools across California.
That means your child's coursework, grades, and transcripts are recognized by other schools, colleges, and universities. Students transfer cleanly, meet California graduation requirements, and apply to college without disruption. Your child stays on a fully recognized academic path.
What families ask first
Honest answers to the questions parents ask before they decide. If yours is not here, call us and we will answer it personally.
Students in grades 2 through 12, in a full-time private school setting.
No. We serve students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and executive function challenges, and many have more than one. The model is built for students whose brains process information differently, whatever the specific label.
Yes. The 4:1 ratio, multisensory instruction, and a structured daily schedule with movement breaks support students with ADHD alongside learning differences. Our teachers are trained in executive functioning and positive behavioral approaches, so ADHD is treated as a wiring difference to design around, not a behavior problem to correct.
READ Academy maintains a 4:1 ratio with small class sizes, which allows for individualized instruction and the direct feedback students with learning differences need to build reliable skills.
The Wilson Reading System with Orton-Gillingham, Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction, the Institute for Excellence in Writing, Making Math Real, and Moving Beyond the Page. All instruction is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory.
Yes. READ Academy is fully accredited by ACS WASC, the same body that accredits public and private schools across California. Coursework, grades, and transcripts transfer cleanly to other schools, colleges, and universities, so your child stays on a fully recognized academic path.
There are multiple paths into READ Academy, and full-time day school tuition is only one of them.
Annual Day School Tuition
$26,000 per year, structured to give families flexibility. Tuition is paid in 10 no-interest monthly payments from August through May, with first and last month due August 1. Mid-year enrollments are prorated, and there is no annual contract.
If Private Tuition Isn’t Within Reach
Public districts are responsible by law for providing every student a Free Appropriate Public Education. When that responsibility has not been met for your child, there may be a path for the district to fund placement at READ Academy. Dr. Leah Skinner is a Certified Special Education Advocate and has guided many families through this process.
Beyond Day School
If full-time enrollment is not the right fit right now, students can receive specialized one-on-one instruction through our sister organization, READ Learning Center. Many families start there and grow into day school when the timing works.
Families travel from across the greater Sacramento region, including Natomas, Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, Davis, Granite Bay, Citrus Heights, Rocklin, Lincoln, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, West Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Vacaville, Lodi, and Stockton.
For the full enrollment process and funding pathways, see our admissions page.
Come see it for yourself.
The best way to understand READ Academy is to walk the halls and watch how we teach. Book a tour, or tell us about your child and we will help you find the right next step.
