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Learning Pathways
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Sherrills Ford, NC · 2026
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Our Approach

Learning starts with believing you can.

How we teach isn't a hopeful philosophy — it's a method grounded in research on how neurodiverse minds actually learn best, delivered by teachers who know every student by name.

Growth Mindset Personalized Learning Pathways Research-Backed Classrooms
The foundation

The "Not Yet" Mindset

Our approach is grounded in growth mindset — the research of Dr. Carol Dweck at Stanford. The idea is simple but transformative: ability isn't fixed. It grows.

A fixed mindset says
  • "I'm just not a math person."
  • "I'll never be a good reader."
  • Mistakes mean I've failed.
  • If it's hard, I should quit.
A growth mindset says
  • "I can't do this yet."
  • Challenge is how my brain grows.
  • Mistakes are information, not failure.
  • Effort and feedback move me forward.

Traditional classrooms often reinforce a fixed mindset — labeling kids by where they "should" be. We teach students to embrace challenge, practice self-compassion, and keep going. That one word — yet — is the foundation of how every child here learns to think.
Source: Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning — Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck).

How each child is taught

The Personalized Learning Pathway

Every student at 3 Oaks gets a Personalized Learning Pathway (PLP) — a roadmap built around how they learn, not where a grade level says they should be.

  • We assess where each student actually is in every subject — and find the gaps.
  • We group by learning level, not just grade, so each student gets the right challenge.
  • The plan flexes as the student grows — and parents and students have a voice in it.

Designing each student's PLP — along with consumable materials — is part of what the one-time curriculum fee covers.

For example

A 2nd grader reading at a 5th-grade level reads alongside older students — while getting exactly the right support in the subjects where they need more time.

Why it works

A 9:1 ratio — and small groups within it

Our campus ratio is 9:1. But the real magic is in direct instruction: 2–3 times a week, students work in groups of just 2–5, where a teacher can catch a misconception the moment it happens.

For a student who learns differently, being truly known — by a teacher who sees their strengths and their stumbling points — is the difference between falling behind and finally moving forward.

9:1 campus ratio
2–5 students per group during direct instruction
In our classrooms

Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested

The way our rooms look and feel isn't an accident. Each choice is backed by research on how neurodiverse students focus, self-regulate, and learn.

Flexible Seating

Floor spots, wobble stools, standing, therapy balls — students choose how they sit. Dynamic seating significantly increases in-seat and on-task behavior for students with ADHD and autism.

Movement-Based Learning

Learning doesn't require sitting still. Movement supports self-regulation and sustained attention — so we build it into the day instead of fighting it.

Outdoor & Nature-Based Learning

Time in green, natural settings measurably reduces ADHD symptoms and restores attention. We take learning outside — and all the way out, through Week Without Walls.

Strength-Based by Design

Neurodiversity is natural human variation, not a deficit. We build on each student's strengths using Universal Design for Learning — the opposite of one-size-fits-all.

Full citations are in the research behind our approach, below.

See the approach in action

The best way to understand how we teach is to watch it work.

Explore our signature experiential program, or start a conversation with admissions about whether 3 Oaks is the right fit for your child.

Week Without Walls Learning Pathways Find Your Campus
How we teach

Methods Grounded in Evidence

Beyond the classroom environment, the instruction itself is built on what the research says works for students who learn differently.

Structured Literacy & Explicit Phonics

For dyslexia we use systematic, explicit phonics — the structured-literacy approach the International Dyslexia Association recommends. Randomized-trial meta-analyses find systematic phonics significantly outperforms non-systematic instruction, with the biggest gains for younger and at-risk readers. Our Orton-Gillingham-trained teachers work within this research-aligned framework.

Progress Monitoring

We assess regularly — and then change instruction based on what the data shows. Landmark research found teachers who adjust their teaching from progress data produce gains comparable to one-to-one tutoring (effect size ≈ 0.70). The key is that the data genuinely drives the changes.

Project-Based & STEAM Learning

Hands-on, inquiry-driven projects — including STEAM days — build deeper understanding. A meta-analysis of 30 studies (~12,500 students) found project-based learning produced a medium-to-large gain over traditional instruction, strongest when projects have clear goals and structured support.

Executive-Function Scaffolds

Visual schedules, checklists, task breakdown, and predictable routines help students plan, focus, and follow through. Research shows targeted executive-function support produces real gains, and it's especially helpful for younger learners.

Dual Enrollment

We guide eligible high-schoolers into college courses early. The federal What Works Clearinghouse finds dual enrollment improves college access, credit accumulation, and degree completion — students with dual-enrollment experience finish college at notably higher rates.

Personalized Pacing

Students move toward mastery at their own pace — not a fixed calendar. RAND studies of personalized learning found positive gains, strongest for the students who'd fallen furthest behind. It's how a child can race ahead in one subject while taking the time they need in another.

Extra support, when it helps

Supplemental Services

Beyond the classroom, families can add targeted support. Ask the admissions team about what fits your child.

Tutoring — Core CurriculumOne-on-one reinforcement in core subjects, aligned to your child's learning pathway.
Tutoring — SpecializedTargeted, specialist support for specific skills and learning needs.
Additional ESE SupportExtra personalized support for students with IEPs, 504s, or diagnosed learning differences.
TestingAcademic assessments that pinpoint strengths, gaps, and the right placement.
The evidence

The Research Behind Our Approach

Our classrooms are built on peer-reviewed research into how neurodiverse students learn best.

View the research 19 studies▾
  1. Mahdavi Sadr, N., et al. (2016). The Impact of Dynamic Seating on Classroom Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Therapy-ball seating increased in-seat behavior in 86.7% of students with ASD. PMC5329757
  2. Stages Learning (2025). Flexible Furniture in K–12 Schools: Supporting Neurodiverse and Autistic Students. Movement-based seating supports self-regulation and sustained attention.
  3. Schilling, D., Washington, K., Billingsley, F., & Deitz, J. (2003). Classroom Seating for Children with ADHD: Therapy Balls vs. Chairs. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57(5).
  4. (2025). The Impact of Classroom Environment on the Learning Outcomes of Children with ADHD. Seating, noise, and teacher proximity affect attention (cites Zentall et al., 2011).
  5. Kuo, F.E., & Faber Taylor, A. (2004). A Potential Natural Treatment for ADHD. American Journal of Public Health. Green outdoor play significantly reduced ADHD symptoms.
  6. Frontiers in Education (2018). Impacts of Outdoor Environmental Education on Attention, Behavior, and Learning Outcomes. Front. Educ., 3:46.
  7. (2026). Outdoor Learning Interventions and At-Risk Students: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Consistent with Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995).
  8. Winking, A. The Benefits of Outdoor Education for Students with ADHD. Portland State University Honors Thesis.
  9. Armstrong, T. (2012). Neurodiversity in the Classroom. ASCD. Strength-based models; applied in Universal Design for Learning (Rose & Meyer, 2002).
  10. Anniston Academy (2025). Why Outdoor Learning Boosts Brain Development. Outdoor learning reduces classroom barriers for students with autism, ADHD, and sensory differences.
  11. Camilli, G., et al. (2006) & the National Reading Panel. Systematic, explicit phonics instruction significantly outperforms non-systematic or no phonics (d ≈ 0.27), with stronger effects for younger and at-risk readers. The International Dyslexia Association names structured literacy as the recommended approach for dyslexia.
  12. Fuchs, L.S., & Fuchs, D. Meta-analysis of curriculum-based measurement (21 studies). Using progress-monitoring data to adjust instruction produced gains comparable to one-to-one tutoring (effect size ≈ 0.70) — but only when teachers changed instruction in response to the data.
  13. What Works Clearinghouse (U.S. Dept. of Education). Dual Enrollment. Positive effects on college degree attainment, access, credit accumulation, and high-school completion; students with dual-enrollment experience complete college at higher rates.
  14. Project-Based Learning meta-analysis (30 studies, ~12,585 students). Medium-to-large positive effect on academic achievement (d ≈ 0.71) versus traditional instruction; strongest with clear goals and adequate support.
  15. Tennessee Project STAR & class-size meta-analysis (96 studies). Smaller classes improved achievement (~0.20 SD), with the clearest gains in the early grades and for disadvantaged students.
  16. RAND Corporation (2015–2017). Studies of personalized learning found positive effects, strongest for the lowest performers.
  17. Executive-function intervention meta-analysis. Small positive effects on verbal working memory (d ≈ 0.13) and inhibitory control (d ≈ 0.10); more effective for younger children.
  18. Physical activity & ADHD meta-analysis (10 RCTs). Overall positive (small) effect on attention; cognitively engaging exercise is more helpful than plain aerobic exercise, and complements rather than replaces standard treatment.
  19. Orton-Gillingham meta-analyses (2018; 2021). Evidence is mixed: O-G's structured-literacy principles align with research-supported instruction, though large-scale studies confirming its superiority over other structured-literacy methods are limited.