Why Grayson?
The Grayson School is the only PreK through grade 12 independent school in Pennsylvania designed specifically to meet the intellectual needs of gifted children.
A Gifted Education
Our program is based on research-based best practices and reflects an understanding that gifted students seek meaning, depth, and complexity in their learning. Our community offers students the opportunity to learn alongside—and from!—other children like themselves, sometimes for the very first time. Grayson is one of only a few such private schools for gifted students in the United States.
Every child deserves to learn something new every day. We teach without preconceptions about a student’s existing knowledge or how much they can learn in a school year. Our experienced teachers are trained to understand how to help gifted students discover what they are truly capable of.
At Grayson . . .
- we strive to develop in each student the ability to pursue independent, authentic scholarship
- we embrace failure as an expression of effort towards a difficult goal and one of the best ways to learn
- we guide our students to take intellectual risks, try new things, and stretch themselves
- we continuously respond to students’ abilities & interests to cultivate their passion for learning and fully engage them in their education.
- we provide students a community of true intellectual peers and supportive adults.
Best Practices in Gifted Education
Research and classroom experience suggests that the best educational programs for gifted students provide differentiation, ability grouping, enrichment, and flexibility, with increasing levels of advanced, abstract, and complex curriculum that respond to each student’s needs. In the hands of highly-trained teachers leading small classes, these elements create a challenging and fulfilling learning environment.
Differentiation
Flexibility
Grayson’s differentiated curriculum is highly flexible, allowing each student to pursue their gifted strengths as far and as fast as they wish, regardless of grade or chronological age.
Ability Grouping
We do not rely on age-based or grade-level curriculum to determine which courses are best suited to a particular student. Classes are grouped by subject and ability levels with age-appropriate peers.
Enrichment
Due to the pace of our academic program, we are able to integrate meaningful enrichment in our classes every day, responding to the needs and passions of our students.
Acceleration
At Grayson, all classes offer rigorous and challenging content that is significantly accelerated. For most students, Grayson itself is the acceleration they need to thrive.
“We love the educational environment you’ve created where my kid’s unique gifts are understood, valued, and nurtured. It’s very important to us that she works at her own pace—whatever that is—and that she’s given work at her ability level.”