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Overview

Fall 2026 Introduction to Orton-Gillingham: Classroom Educator K -2

Fall 2026 Introduction to Orton-Gillingham: Classroom Educator K -2

The Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach is the underlying foundation of all multisensory, structured literacy instruction. This course provides an overview of the structure of the English language and how to teach it sequentially and systematically. Through it, you will gain a basic understanding of the OG Approach and learn how to design integrated reading and spelling lessons.

In this five-and-a-half-day course, you will gain a basic understanding of the OG Approach and how to develop an OG lesson. You’ll learn about the reading brain and dyslexia, phonemic awareness, handwriting, syllable types, syllable division, spelling patterns, and more. This course focuses on teaching OG in the K–2 classroom and meets the coursework requirements for Orton-Gillingham Academy Classroom Educator Level. You will be given access to an online library of video clips about the OG lesson plan, electronic teaching resources, and optional office hours with the course instructor.

Course description

NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS:
46 hours

In the Introduction to Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator course, you’ll learn how to:

  • Teach phonemic awareness, phonics, and morphology.
  • Teach syllable types.
  • Teach syllable division patterns.
  • Write a decodable text.
  • Deliver OG in small-groups or whole-class settings, with a focus on the K–2 classroom.
  • Use a comprehensive scope and sequence for teaching OG.

Course expectations:

  • Attend all class meetings live online for their entire duration.
  • Download and print the required course binder.
  • Purchase the required course materials (see list below).
  • Complete six hours of assignments before beginning the course to provide you with an overview of 1) the Orton-Gillingham Approach, 2) the science of reading, 3) dyslexia and the reading brain, and 4) the history and structure of the English language.
  • Complete homework assignments between classes.
  • Take a brief final exam.

Practicum:
If you are a K-2 classroom teacher interested in OG Classroom Educator Practicum, please email the Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute, Peggy Price. 

Classroom Educator Practicum includes:
Classroom teachers completing their Classroom Educator Practicum are required to teach approximately four OG lessons a week, depending on grade level. The practicum includes being assigned an OG Fellow or mentor for the school year and five observations.

Are you a classroom teacher in grades 3–12?
We offer an Introduction to Orton-Gillingham for Upper Grades course that runs every January – May. Look for our 2027 offering in the future.

Unable to take this course in the fall? Summer course details can be found here.

Required materials:
All participants will need to purchase the following materials themselves:

  1. Required for all: Basic and Advanced sound deck. Order from wvced.com
  2. Required for all: Equipped for Reading Success. Order from equippedforreadingsuccess.com

Course binder: All participants will be sent a link to the course binder, which they are required to print before the start of class. The binder will be sent approximately three weeks before the course starts.

Payment policy:
Registrations received without payment, or a completed purchase order will not hold a spot for you in the course.

Find our withdrawal policy and other terms and conditions here.

Cancellation date:
The Stern Center reserves the right to cancel any scheduled workshop due to low enrollment ten days prior to each course or workshop.

Ready to register?

  • Spots are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for registrants who submit payment or a purchase order.
  • Please have a credit card or digital copy of your PO on hand when you register.
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Dates

Oct. 2 | Oct. 16 | Nov. 6 | Nov. 20 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 9
Registration closes Sept. 18

 

 

Time

8:00 AM – 3:30 PM EST

Dec. 9: 12:30 – 3:30 PM EST (Half Day)

Course Number(s)

1670

Location and Format

Online (synchronous)

Cost

$1,196
This course is being offered at a discounted price made possible by the generosity of the Hoehl Family Foundation, in honor of Cynthia K Hoehl’s vision of teachers as lifelong learners.

Grade Level

K-2

Audience

Classroom Teachers, ELL Educators, Literacy Coaches, Paraprofessionals, Reading Specialists / Interventionists, School Administrators, School Psychologists, Special Educators, Speech Language Pathologists

Graduate Credit

Three graduate credits are available from Vermont State University for an additional $630. All payments should be made to the Stern Center.

Amy Ducey, M.Ed., Fellow/OGA

Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute

Register Today
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What Teachers Have to Say

I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned in this program to my daily classes. I’m currently using a number of reading comprehension strategies that we focused on in this class, which has been rewarding and motivating to see it in action!

High school teacher in VT

Every part of the course and practicum was well thought-out, allowing me to become a stronger diagnostic and prescriptive literacy teacher. The instructors were so knowledgeable of the OG approach and I always felt supported.

Becky Schaffer, Private Literacy Tutor Montreal, Quebec Canada

This was one of the most organized, engaging, and informative courses I’ve ever taken, and I believe it will be one of the most practical and beneficial for my students.

Intro to OG Classroom Educator Level Participant

I learned a lot of new information that I already started to transfer over to my teaching. My teaching will be much more targeted now.

Professional Learning Participant

I will be using many pieces of this course! A couple things I am already using today are the blending board and the student screens!

Introduction to OG: Classroom Educator K-12 Participant

Thank you so much for giving me the confidence and the know-how to be an effective literacy teacher!

Introduction to OG: Classroom Educator K-12 Participant

The depth of information presented was incredible! I learned so much I didn’t know about the structure of the English language, which is not only helpful for my own understanding but will transform the way I teach reading.

Taryn Colonnese | Elementary School Teacher | Central Vermont Supervisory Union

This was one of the most organized, engaging, and informative courses I’ve ever taken, and I believe it will be one of the most practical and beneficial for my students.

Course Participant

After taking this class and knowing Orton-Gillingham has been around for a really long time, I can’t believe that we, as special educators, aren’t trained to teach reading this way. I feel very fortunate to be in a district where we are implementing a schoolwide Orton-Gillingham Approach to reading. One of our kindergarten teachers, who has been teaching for 13 years, said her students made the most progress she had seen last year using the approach.

Sarah Grunwell | Special Educator | Addison Northwest School District

Coming away feeling super prepared for teaching kids how to actually read. I feel like a totally different teacher!

Introduction to OG: Classroom Educator K-12 Participant

The teacher modeled responsive and relevant instruction. The resources were of the highest quality and relevance, the sessions were engaging, and the video feedback was constructive and actionable. Our teacher also accommodated a scheduling conflict. This was not only generous and inclusive, it resulted in more personalized instruction (and, I think, greater student impact.) Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this excellent program.

High school teacher in VT

This workshop gave me SO MANY ways to include vocabulary, morphology, and sentence structure skills into our instruction to enrich our students’ understanding of language.

Around the Block: Planning Small Group and Whole Group OG Instruction in Your Elementary Literacy Block Workshop Participant

The course offered tons of information and resources to help me do my job better, and provided a thorough review of concepts!

Professional Learning Participant

I am coming away with so many tools I can use for my intervention groups. I have several students who need more of an Orton-Gillingham framework, and now I can use this approach.

Professional Learning Participant

The course was Informative and filled with positive instruction creating a classroom community of respect and support.

Introduction to OG: Classroom Educator K-12 Participant

It was a very engaging and interactive course. The instructor has a warm presence that made me feel comfortable participating!

Professional Learning Participant

I was so excited to walk into my classroom following each class and use something immediately!

Professional Learning Participant

I can say with confidence that the Stern Center Orton-Gillingham Institute has transformed my teaching. The training, practice, feedback, and guidance I received from mentors during the Associate Level practicum helped me learn how to tailor my instruction to each student’s needs and to maintain the principles of Orton-Gillingham instruction so that my students could learn to read and spell with dignity and confidence.

Marisa Thomas, M.S.Ed Literacy Interventionist, Barre, VT

I now have so many new and great ideas for how to improve my teaching. I learned so much in this course and I am excited to keep fine-tuning and improving my teaching.

Professional Learning Participant

Meet the Instructor(s)

Amy-ducey

Amy Ducey, M.Ed., Fellow/OGA

Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute

Amy Ducey, M.Ed., a Fellow of the prestigious Orton-Gillingham Academy, is the Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute. She provides training at the Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator, Associate, and Certified levels, in addition to various literacy workshops and webinars. She teaches graduate-level courses and has created curriculum and assessment materials for universal screening and progress monitoring. […]

Learn more about this instructor
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Supporting Teachers

Hoehl Institute for Professional Learning

The Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence provides high-quality professional learning to educators. Learn more about Cynthia K. Hoehl, whose vision as an educator inspired a powerful legacy.

About Hoehl Institute

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Orton-Gillingham FAQ

What terms and conditions are there for professional learning registrations?

Please read the terms and conditions for our courses and workshops and contact us if you have any questions.

How do I register?

  1. If the course or workshop you’re interested in is on our website, please visit the course or workshop’s page and follow the link to access our online registration form. Complete the form by doing the following:
    1. Indicate whether you will pay with a credit card or a Purchase Order (PO).
    2. Fill out the participant information and workshop information sections.
    3. Read the Terms and Conditions and check the box to confirm your agreement.
    4. Click “Next”
  2. If you are paying with a PO:
    1. Please verify that your PO is complete.
    2. Upload the signed PO when prompted through the registration process. If you have questions please email: proflearning@sterncenter.org.
    3. Click “Next.”
    4. Your information will be sent to us to review. In 1–2 business days, we will confirm your registration by sending you an email with “Registration Confirmation” in the subject line.
  3. If you are paying with a credit card:
    1. Click “Continue.”
    2. On the Payment Method screen Click “Pay with Credit Card” to continue to Authorize.net.
    3. Enter your credit card information and click “Pay now” to complete your credit card transaction.
    4. Your information will be sent to us to review. In 1–2 business days, we will confirm your registration by sending you an email with “Registration Confirmation” in the subject line.
  4. If the course or workshop you’re interested in is not listed on our website, please contact us to learn more.

Can OG be used in the classroom for general education purposes?

The Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator is qualified to apply the principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach to modify and provide literacy instruction in a classroom or small groups. To become an Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, do 30 hours of coursework by a Fellow or a Fellow-in-Training, and 50 hours of supervised practicum over eight consecutive months.

Explore more Orton-Gillingham resources on OGA’s site.

How can I become certified in Orton-Gillingham?

The prerequisites to become certified in OG include earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and satisfactory completion of Associate-level requirements; 100 hours minimum of coursework by a Fellow, or by a Fellow in Training as designated by the Fellow; and 200 hours supervised practicum over two academic years minimum, which includes ten entire 4–60 minute lesson observations of the trainee by a Fellow on-site, unedited video or web-based applications.

 Explore more Orton-Gillingham resources on OGA’s site.

Is Orton-Gillingham a program?

A program is a plan, schedule or procedure to be followed to a specified end. A program provides structure but doesn’t teach and educator how to respond to different student errors and tailor each lesson based on student performance and individual learning needs. 

An approach is the means adapted to tackling an issue. Orton-Gillingham is an instructional approach. It is most properly understood and practiced as an approach, not a method, program, system, or technique. In the hands of a well-trained and experienced instructor, it is a powerful tool of exceptional breadth, depth, and flexibility.

Explore more Orton-Gillingham resources on OGA’s site.

What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?

The Orton-Gillingham Approach is the underlying foundation of all multisensory, structured language instruction. Orton-Gillingham (OG) systematically teaches the structure of the English language by incorporating multisensory modalities in a structured yet flexible approach, ensuring student success. The Stern Center’s Orton-Gillingham Institute is the only organization in Vermont that provides OG training accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy. We offer coursework and practicum opportunities toward three certifications: OG Classroom Educator, OG Associate Level, and OG Certified Level.

Orton-Gillingham Resources

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The Orton-Gillingham Approach

Ensure every child becomes a reader with this powerful, multisensory approach to literacy instruction.

What is Orton-Gillingham?
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Orton-Gillingham Training

View upcoming Orton-Gillingham courses, workshops, and webinars. All of our OG trainings are available online.

OG Courses & Workshops
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OG Certification

We are accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy and offer courses/practicums leading to three OGA certifications.

Explore OG Certification
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Our Reach by the Numbers

2,250+

Teachers Served Every Year

When a teacher takes one of our courses, the positive impact ripples beyond one life, spreading through an entire classroom, school, and community.

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Our Reach by the Numbers

13,891+

Student Services Hours This Year

We offer one-on-one teaching that transforms lives, lifts up voices, and inspires learners to bring forth their unique gifts to a world that awaits them.

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Our Reach by the Numbers

94%

of Vermont School Districts Served

We celebrate the dedication of our school partners and share their commitment to a brighter future for all learners.

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Our Reach by the Numbers

37

States and Counting

We’re a national leader in language and literacy. Our impact currently extends across 37 states and 9 countries through the thousands of educators we reach and students we serve.

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Explore evidence-based resources for teaching structured literacy, Orton-Gillingham, SEL, and more.

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to helping every learner grow and thrive.

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