Course Overview
Introduction to Orton-Gillingham: Classroom Educator Level
Introduction to Orton-Gillingham: Classroom Educator Level
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 covers teaching the OG lesson in K–2 classrooms 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 office hours with the course instructor.
Course description
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:
- Purchase the required course materials.
- 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.
- Attend all class meetings live online for their entire duration.
- Complete homework assignments between classes.
Practicum:
There is no practicum option for this introductory course unless you are part of a school district with a contract for the OG Classroom Educator Practicum.
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. If you wish to pursue this practicum, you are required to take the summer course and practicum within the same year. Please note that we are only able to offer the OG Classroom Educator Practicum as part of a school district contract. You can contact the Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute, Peggy Price, with questions.
Required materials:
All participants will need to purchase the following materials themselves:
- Required for all: Basic and Advanced sound deck | $25 | Order from wvced.com
- Required for all: Equipped for Reading Success | $50 | Order from equippedforreadingsuccess.com
- The Gillingham Manual is only required by those taking the course for graduate credit: The Gillingham Manual, 8th edition | Approximately $75 | Order from EPS
Course binder: All participants will be sent a link for the course binder, which they are required to print before the start of class. The binder will be sent approximately three before the course begins.
Are you a classroom teacher in grades 3–12?
Please see our Introduction to Orton-Gillingham for Upper Grades course that starts in January 2024.
Registration/Application Info:
When you register for the course, apply for grant funding—which can reduce tuition by 20%.
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.
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.
To be put on the waiting list, please email proflearning@sterncenter.org.
Dates
This class is full. Our next Intro to OG Classroom Educator course will launch in the summer of 2024. Sign up here to receive notifications about upcoming courses. You can also check out our Intro to OG for Upper Grades course for classroom teachers.
Course Number(s)
1414
Location and Format
Cost
$1,320
When you register for the course, apply for grant funding—which can reduce tuition by 20%.
Grade Level
Audience
Graduate Credit
Amy Ducey, M.Ed., Fellow in Training/OGA
Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute
Peggy Price, M.Ed., Fellow/OGA
Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute at the Stern Center
What Teachers Have to Say
Meet the Instructor(s)
Amy Ducey, M.Ed., Fellow in Training/OGA
Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute
Amy Ducey, M.Ed., a Fellow in Training 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 […]
Peggy Price, M.Ed., Fellow/OGA
Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute at the Stern Center
Peggy Price, M.Ed., a Fellow of the prestigious Orton-Gillingham Academy, is a literacy and special education expert who leads the Stern Center’s teacher training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading. She provides training at the Orton-Gillingham (OG) Classroom Educator, Associate, and Certified levels. Price oversees a talented team of OG Fellows who assist her with […]
Supporting Teachers
Grants for Professional Learning
The Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence awards grants to individual educators and school cohorts seeking better outcomes for students through our programs. Learn more about Cynthia K. Hoehl, whose vision as an educator inspired a powerful legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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I want to apply for tuition funding. When and how do I do this?
The Stern Center’s Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence (CKHIE) provides grants to reduce the cost of our programs for educators, helping to make vital professional learning more readily accessible. When you register for a course or workshop, we’ll ask if you want to apply for grant funding. Select “Yes,” and we’ll ask how the grant will help your work as an educator. You will be required to submit a paragraph or two about your professional learning goals.
After you apply for funding, we’ll calculate the amount of your grant and subtract it from the cost of the course or workshop. Most grants provide 20% off of tuition.
You can read more about applying for grant funding here.
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.
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.
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.
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
The Orton-Gillingham Approach
Ensure every child becomes a reader with this powerful, multisensory approach to literacy instruction.
Orton-Gillingham Training
View upcoming Orton-Gillingham courses, workshops, and webinars. All of our OG trainings are available online.
OG Certification
We are accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy and offer courses/practicums leading to three OGA certifications.
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