At a Glance
A tiny Brooklyn elementary built from the ground up for dyslexic and language-different learners, where Orton-Gillingham is the whole architecture, not an add-on.
Best suited for
A family whose child has been identified (or strongly suspected) with dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia, and who wants a full-day school organized around evidence-based remediation rather than a general classroom with pull-out support.
What stands out
- A 2.7:1 student-teacher ratio — among the lowest in any NYC private school — driven by the need for intensive individual reading instruction.
- Daily 1:1 or 1:2 Orton-Gillingham sessions are built into the schedule, not reserved for kids who fall behind.
- On-site speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling are integrated into the school day.
- Sequential, evidence-based instruction means progress is measurable and reported, not a vague promise of "support."
- The school's identity is so specific that parents almost always arrive having already done their research on dyslexia remediation.
Things to consider
- Tuition is $75,000 with no published sliding scale — the price tag is real and the financial aid picture should be asked about directly.
- With only 46 students across PK–5, the social world is small and the graduating cohort each year is tiny.
- The mission is narrow by design: this is the right school for a child with a language-based learning difference, and likely the wrong school for a neurotypical child who simply wants small classes.
- There is no published high school placement record — families will need to think ahead about where their child transitions after 5th grade.
Identity
A nonsectarian, coed elementary school serving PK through 5th grade, founded specifically for students with language-based learning differences including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. The entire academic program is built on the Orton-Gillingham methodology — an evidence-based, sequential, multisensory approach to reading, writing, spelling, and language arts. This is a purpose-built remediation school, not a traditional independent school that tolerates learning differences.
Community
Enrollment is intentionally tiny at 46 students, which means families typically know every other family within a term or two. The student body is racially diverse — roughly 28% Black, 24% Hispanic, 39% White, and 4% Asian — reflecting a wider range of backgrounds than most specialized private schools in NYC. Families generally arrive seeking specific intervention for a diagnosed or suspected learning difference rather than a traditional college-prep pathway.
Neighborhood
The school sits in the Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill area, where median household income is around $150,000 and about 73% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — a heavily professional, well-resourced corner of Brooklyn. The block has a residential feel even as downtown Brooklyn's density presses in around it, and the area is well-served by transit for families coming from across the boroughs.
Three subway stops are within easy reach: Bergen St (F, G) about 4 minutes on foot, Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts (A, C, G) about 4 minutes, and Hoyt St (2, 3) about 6 minutes.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Extremely positive - parents describe life-changing transformations, teachers who deeply understand dyslexic learners, small class sizes, and gratitude for Ruth Arberman and staff going above and beyond. Multiple reviews praise the school's impact on reading ability and confidence
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is STERLING SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for STERLING SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill.
- What grades does STERLING SCHOOL serve?
- STERLING SCHOOL serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into STERLING SCHOOL?
- STERLING SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is STERLING SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- STERLING SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is STERLING SCHOOL in?
- STERLING SCHOOL is in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.