Our Core Curriculum

Building Strong Minds Through Language and Learning

At Louisiana Key Academy, we offer a full academic program aligned to state standards, ensuring that every student receives a high-quality education across all core subjects. Our instruction is delivered in a meaningful, engaging way—helping students learn academic content while simultaneously strengthening their reading and writing skills. By integrating language development into every subject, we support both academic growth and long-term success for students with dyslexia. 

Math

Louisiana Key Academy implements Eureka Math², a Tier 1 curriculum approved and recommended by the Louisiana Department of Education. Developed with accessibility at its core, Eureka Math² uses clear language, visual models, and consistent routines to ensure that all students—especially those who struggle with reading—can confidently access grade-level math content.


The program minimizes cognitive overload by reducing dense text and emphasizing concise, student-friendly explanations. Through hands-on manipulatives, visual supports, and structured instructional protocols, students develop a strong conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts. This approach not only improves numeracy, but also reinforces essential language and problem-solving skills that benefit learners across all academic disciplines


Structured Language Arts

Our Structured Language Arts (SLA) program provides 90 minutes of daily, intensive instruction for students in grades 1–5. Small groups are carefully formed using testing data, student performance, and curriculum progression to ensure targeted support. Each group is led by a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP)  or a CALT/CALP in training, ensuring expert, individualized instruction.


The SLA curriculum, developed by Neuhaus, begins with sequential, explicit instruction in foundational skills such as phonemic awareness and decoding, and intentionally builds students’ fluency.  Through reading a variety of  rich grade-level texts, students build vocabulary and reading comprehension. This proven, research-based approach is designed specifically for learners with dyslexia.

Physical Education & Student Life

Physical education is more than movement—it’s about developing the whole child. Our PE and student life programs are intentionally designed to foster physical health, confidence, resilience, and teamwork.


Students participate in daily physical activity and may join any of our ROAR teams or other school-based athletics, which build school spirit and promote leadership, discipline, and collaboration. These opportunities help students grow not only as learners but as individuals—strengthening their character, supporting their emotional well-being, and instilling lifelong habits for success.

English Language Arts

Upper school Literature immerses dyslexic students in rich, engaging grade-level texts, emphasizing in-depth discussions to build vocabulary and explore themes.  Our class sizes are much smaller than traditional middle school classrooms- so every child gets more attention and support.  LKA integrates assistive technology like text-to-speech to ensure accessibility and provide targeted support for decoding challenges. The course aims to foster a love of reading and critical thinking, preparing students for high school.  Our teachers receive Professional Development throughout the school year to ensure they have an understanding of dyslexia, of content, and how to differentiate lessons for students with dyslexia. 


Upper school Language Composition empowers students to become confident, skilled writers through a dynamic blend of oral language, structured practice, and creative expression. Building on the emphasis of oral language as a bridge to written expression, this course guides students as they craft original compositions for a variety of purposes and audiences. Along the way, students explore tools like graphic organizers and speech-to-text technology to overcome common barriers dyslexics encounter in the writing process.

Social Studies

In a whole group setting, students engage in social studies topics as paced by Core Knowledge's Bayou Bridges, a Tier 1 curriculum created and recommended by the Louisiana Department of Education. In lower school (1st-5th grade), Social Studies Composition blends rich content with powerful writing instruction using the acclaimed The Hochman Method, a methodology that aims to build student writing ability from sentences to compositions through content embedded strategies. 


As students advance to upper school (6th-8th grade), Social Studies evolves into a problem-based learning experience, an approach where students learn by actively solving complex, real-world issues. Students investigate real-world issues, work collaboratively, and present solutions while simultaneously developing and leveraging oral language. Through research, discussion, and critical thinking, students not only learn social studies—they live it.

STEAM

STEAM education at Louisiana Key Academy fosters a creative and inclusive learning environment where students with dyslexia can leverage their unique strengths in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. We provide a multi-sensory, hands-on approach that ignites curiosity, builds critical thinking skills, and empowers dyslexic learners to become confident innovators and problem-solvers.


Through a partnership through the LSU Cain Center and Code.org District Partners, our middle school students take STEAM courses like Step into Computer Science and STEP into STEM.  Students in 8th grade take Introduction to STEM Pathways and Careers, which is a high school credit course!

Science

Our science instruction and curriculum are designed to spark curiosity, ignite creativity, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning. Rooted in hands-on exploration and discovery-based learning, students actively engage with the world around them—asking questions, testing ideas, and building real-world understanding.