Courses, Coaching, and Workshops

I have new ideas I can take back to use with my students immediately, and incorporate into my professional learning with teachers.

“My coach has served as a virtual co-teacher to me. She encourages me, pushes me to dig deeper, and reflects on my lessons with me before, during, and after implementation to assist me in responding to students’ needs. I couldn’t have come this far without her.”

I learned new information and also learned how to improve my practice along with being more diagnostic with what the needs of my students are.

The level of expertise and depth on the subject of vowel teams was invaluable!

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with a large community of educators. I think the networking aspect was vital.

I like that the information taught to us is in-depth and that we are given examples of what the practices look like in a classroom. It is much easier for me to apply a strategy/instructional approach once I see it modeled and explained.

I liked the amount of time that was spent on learning different strategies to enhance vocabulary that we want to present to our students AND then the amount of time to practice our delivery of those techniques. I love how the teacher presents the information we need to know as professionals and then helps us understand how our students will take that information by having us be the students and then flip that on its head by turning us into the teacher to other teachers. Talk about using the OG model!

This course was not only led by amazing instructors who were there to support me every step of the way, but it was also life-changing for me. It helped me understand my students more and the strategies I can use to support their individual needs.

The instructor is so engaging and knowledgeable. Her presentation is streamlined and contains so much great information.

Introduction to Orton-Gillingham for Upper Grades was the most helpful class I’ve ever taken. I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to improve their literacy instruction. You will not be disappointed!

This course has provided me with more organization in my introduction of upper-level morphology. The multisensory resources and various ideas for presenting and teaching bases, prefixes, and suffixes have helped me make my lessons more effective and varied.

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.

The instructors at the Stern Center are stellar with a very clear, organized, and sequential method for sharing the research and strategies of the OG Approach. The practicum puts everything you have learned in class into practice with a master teacher by your side, guiding and supporting your lessons. You are asked to work hard, but once you see the results, you are fueled to work even harder! The team is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and professional. This work has re-enlivened my work with students.

I loved all of the resources! The content and activities shared in the course are invaluable. Thank you.

This has absolutely changed my understanding of early literacy. I feel prepared to teach reading in a way I never have before. I know that I still have lots more to practice and learn but I am so grateful to know about this approach to teaching reading.

Outstanding…It is the best assessment course I’ve taken, and I learned enough to know that I want to know more!

The instructor was knowledgeable, kind, understanding, and effective. She followed every great teaching practice and helped everyone feel confident while learning new and complex information.

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.

The course was clear, easy to understand, and packed with so much valuable information!

Make Sure They Understand workshop was practical – which is always ideal! Creating a lesson plan using comprehension strategies that we can actually use!

I really liked that there were multiple examples and time to practice along with resources shared and activities that can be immediately implemented with my students.

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

The course was very clear and easy to follow. It included good examples, and I liked how we had to create our own lesson.

This course was very informative… The links, articles, video clips, and discussions help focus my thoughts on adolescent literacy, as well as validate some processes I already adhere to and introduce me to new strategies. Some articles can be used with my whole team of instructors to help mould our learning in supporting our middle and high school students.

The instructor is brilliant and has a WEALTH of knowledge. She’s kind and a natural, patient teacher! She takes her time with you but also honors your time. I could talk to her for hours about Orton-Gillingham because I always learn so much from her!

The instructor has such a deep understanding of the English language. She is able to seamlessly break down and explain these concepts, and connect them to literacy skills and instruction. Learning about the layers of the English Language and how it connects to spelling is truly eye-opening for me.

It was very informative and applicable to where I am with teaching OG to my students. This was a top ten presentation for me and I will recommend this presentation to my fellow OG teachers.

My training with the Stern Center has been outstanding. I have learned a ton, but one of the most important things is that there is always more to learn! Thank you!

This is the best teacher training for teaching reading I have ever received!!! The instructor is very engaging and knowledgeable [and] I love collaborating with teachers from other schools.

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

This was an amazing learning experience that has positively impacted my delivery of instruction on a daily basis.

I appreciated the methodical way information was presented. I am currently teaching vowel teams and it was incredibly helpful to start with Level I and move on. Having the opportunity to divide syllables and conclude fairness for reading and writing was a deeply engaging and worthwhile activity. I particularly valued being able to do this work with other educators. I was constantly learning and also felt capable to share some of my own insight.

The instructional materials that were shared have been incredibly helpful. The content was displayed in a sequential and organized manner; it was easy to follow along. The instructor explained the assessment process clearly and thoroughly expressed the importance of analyzing students’ results.

I would recommend this workshop to all educators! The staff and participants are extremely thoughtful and professional. I feel like the entire experience is “next level” OG. I gained deeper knowledge of concepts I have learned but have not yet taught.

The pacing and presentation were great. The content was excellent and the teacher is very knowledgeable.

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

Before Orton-Gillingham, I’m not sure I could answer every question that my students asked about spelling and decoding. OG opened my eyes to the origins of our language, how and why syllables and words fit together, which patterns worked most of the time, and why, and which syllable types were most common and why. This knowledge has absolutely changed my teaching in a positive way.

The professional development I have received including my associate level certification in Orton-Gillingham, as well as multiple OG based courses and workshops have been extremely thorough and informative, as well as engaging. 

I loved that the instructor embraced approaches and programs, such as Orton-Gillingham, Wilson®, and Fundations®, and worked to help us integrate LiPS with what we’ve already learned.

The instructor has such a huge wealth of knowledge to share and is a pro at making it accessible. This course provided so many points to consider.…Very helpful in making sense of what is going on for our students and how we can best serve them.

This course was wonderful! I saved so many links and I know I will be referring back to them often. I also really enjoyed the coaching sessions and hearing from teachers who are working with adolescent students in different areas. It’s amazing to learn from them and hear about what they use in their teaching. Thank you for a fantastic class!

The instructor did a FANTASTIC job of presenting very comprehensive information in an engaging and dynamic way. She was easy to understand even though some of the concepts were incredibly complex.

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.

Best course I have had in a very long time. Organized, practical and up to date helpful research-based information. Monica is AWESOME! Thank you!

I appreciated getting many useful strategies that I could easily begin to implement into my instruction even the next day.

This Orton-Gillingham journey has been tremendously helpful to my practice and my students. I have learned more under the guidance of your instructors over the past years than in my undergraduate and graduate degrees combined.

Learning from the best of the best, Dr. Melissa Farrall. I have led 3 book studies with therapy-level structured literacy practitioners. Hearing Melissa’s perspective was amazing.

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!

My instructional practice improves because my understanding of the concepts deepens. I am better able to execute lessons with confidence and meet student needs.

This course was engaging and the instructors did a fabulous job of organizing and sharing material in a way that made lots of learning possible in a relatively short period of time.

Wonderfully curated resources & materials to use in the classroom, as well as thought-provoking articles and videos. This course has been delightful, and I’ve learned so much. Thank you!

The workshop was clear, easy to understand, and packed with so much valuable information.

My mentor was so supportive and knowledgeable. I learned so many strategies and tools! For one, holding students to a high standard from the beginning regardless of their struggles.

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

We can learn at our own pace. Having our lessons videotaped and critiqued is very helpful. Our Lead to Read instructor is always willing to help.

This course was the most helpful class I’ve ever taken. It taught me how important it is for students to have a great foundation, and to master skills before moving on to new material. I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to improve their literacy instruction. You will not be disappointed!

I loved the format of the course. I appreciated the boatload of resources and supportive feedback (with more resources). The course allowed me to choose my own adventure, which was great!

This OG Associate Level training has greatly improved my skills as a teacher. Most impactful has been learning to be diagnostic and prescriptive—identifying errors, addressing them directly, and planning lessons based on my students’ immediate needs.

The instructors are both so knowledgeable and passionate about their work.

Our  coach was very helpful and supportive throughout the year. She provided us with very useful resources and took the time to explain them. She made sure we felt supported and was willing to work with us and adjust deadlines if needed. Her communication was very effective, and she clearly knows the content!

The teacher is extremely knowledgeable. I like the hands-on practice. I would like to have seen a properly written mock testing report.

The presenter was knowledgeable, warm, flexible, and professional. She was able to present new learning, facilitate discussion, field questions, and respond to participants’ needs with a high level of skill.

Our coach is always so positive and encouraging. She looks for things we do well and offers strategies or tips to help us rise to the next level of instruction.

The presentation was well scheduled with a good mix of interaction & lecture. Lots of great takeaways I can share with my staff immediately!

This was a tremendous course, really a giant achievement for all of you who created it. The resources are so detailed, comprehensive, well founded, and useful! I will be referencing them for years to come. I’m very grateful to you for this educational gift to the world of language/literacy teachers and our students.

The instructors were absolutely amazing and very knowledgeable in all areas of Orton-Gillingham. I would love to continue learning with the Stern Center—it was a great experience.

My teacher encourages me, pushes me to dig deeper, and reflects on my lessons with me before, during, and after implementation to assist me in responding to students’ needs. I couldn’t have come this far without her.

The course included many practical examples that I can use in my teaching right away.

This course has given me concrete steps to move forward in my teaching.

This webinar was easy to follow and packed full of helpful information.  I am never disappointed with the Stern Center classes!

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.

The course was so professionally organized and thoughtful. The instructors made excellent use of the time. They did an incredible job of engaging people in the online environment.

The instructor is very engaging and knowledgeable. I love collaborating with teachers from other schools…It is time well spent.

What I love about the Stern Center is the educator’s willingness to work with us. It’s such a collaboration, which is nice and convenient.

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

Thank you so much for a wonderful course! I learned so much! Not only do I feel more knowledgeable about providing scientific-based reading instruction, I feel re-energized…I can’t tell you how much I appreciated the depth, substance, and quality of the class content and teaching strategies that you provided!

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.

The workshop was an amazing learning experience and helped improve my performance at work. Every teacher and specialist will definitely benefit from taking this course.

Our instructor is AMAZING!!! She is incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, informative, funny, supportive, and simply the best. I would LOVE to take more classes with her!

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

“Our 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. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this excellent program.”

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.