Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator Training

This dyslexia and literacy training, co-taught by Orton-Gillingham Academy Fellows Gabi Guillory Welsh and Keely Rincon, builds educators’ understanding of dyslexia, specific procedures of the O-G Approach, and the underlying principles used to teach literacy skills in the general education, whole-classroom (Tier 1) setting or small group (Tier 2) setting. 

Participants learn both the theory, grounded in the science of reading and learning, as well as the National Reading Panel’s five pillars of literacy instruction (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension), and the practice. Participants will complete the course having rehearsed lesson-planning, lesson procedures, and instructional activities in Tier 1/Tier 2 settings.

This course is intended for general education classroom teachers. An optional and recommended practicum takes place following the coursework. The 50-hour practicum includes five observations over a minimum of 8 months.

We recommend that reading specialists, reading interventionists, and special educators pursue the Associate Level course, as it is designed explicitly for one-on-one intervention with dyslexic students.

The 35-hour course addresses:

• Dyslexia – What it is, how it impacts students, and how/why students with dyslexia struggle in school
• Planning and delivering whole/small-group literacy instruction
• Diagnostic and prescriptive instruction
• The brain and neuroscience of reading
• The principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach
• Phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and handwriting

O-G Classroom Educator (OGCE/OGA) Practicum

The 50-hour practicum includes:

• 50 lessons with a small group (at least two students) over a minimum of 8 consecutive months
• A minimum of five video observations of small group lessons and virtual feedback meetings with the Fellow

Course Prerequisite:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

The practicum provides guidance during the practical application of the coursework. In order to become an Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator, the Orton-Gillingham Academy (OGA) requires a minimum of 50 hours of supervised classroom or group instruction using the O-G Approach over the course of a minimum of 8 months. During the practicum, five observations are completed by a Fellow or Fellow-in-Training, in addition to the completion of some assigned readings. This level of membership prepares a teacher for implementing the O-G Approach within a classroom or group, but not one-on-one tutoring. Horizon Academy strongly encourages those individuals who plan to present themselves as O-G tutors or interventionists to have this practical experience, thus the practicum and observations are included in the price.