Teacher Training

Teacher training courses provide instruction in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, a phonetic, rule-based, structured and multisensory method for teaching reading and spelling. It is a systematic and cumulative approach involving intensive reinforcement. All courses include supervised clinical practice teaching with testing procedures and data collection to evaluate student progress. Each course participant practices for a total of 18 hours with a student while under the supervision of a master teacher. Graduate credit is available through Hamline University.

Comments from past classes:

"I would encourage anyone who works with children to take this training. It is a concise, brilliant development for teaching students. I experienced immediate success and it has boosted my confidence as a teacher. The instructors are excellent! The material was presented in an easy to understand manner. I received great coaching throughout and all my questions were answered.” Reading Specialist, Grades 1-5, Minneapolis, summer 2010.

"This has been one of the best classes I have taken—on any subject! The course was well-organized, the instructors were excellent, and it was loaded with good information.” Reading Specialist, Grades K-6, Minneapolis" summer 2010

"I would definitely recommend this training to others. It was professionally very informative and stimulating. I found it most valuable to finally find a method of helping struggling readers and the use of a multisensory approach.” First Grade Teacher, Chanhassen summer 2010.

"I started using O-G last year. I have seen my most struggling students use tracing to help when reading. All my students made huge gains on the CRST Assessment, which I gave at the beginning and middle of the year. They are applying these skills to their daily work. Reading levels all went up, too. The best part is seeing the smiles on my students’ faces because they are feeling successful.” Second Grade Teacher, Edina summer 2010

"The practicum was invaluable. Having that experience with instructors close by was the very best approach for me. I am confident that this method will help all students, not just those with special needs.” Third Grade Teacher, Chanhassen summer 2010

"This training is essential to the reading success of many of our students who lack phonological awareness. It is a great tool! The instructors are very capable and very patient!” Third Grade Teacher, Minneapolis summer 2010

"Over the past two years I have been so impressed with the OGM organization. They do a wonderful job of preparing teachers and tutors to work with students. The instructors come with practical experience. They were so willing to share ideas and strategies. I have so many new skills and ideas to use with my students. I know that learning OG from another organization would not have been of such high quality." summer 2009, Parent and Tutor.

"I feel very capable and excited to start practicing. In addition to learning the method, I feel the class has improved my overall teaching..." summer 2008, Teacher.

"The OG program has opened a new world of learning and has given me tools to teach children with LD, and I can make a difference in their lives." summer 2008, Tutor.

"The Orton-Gillingham classes both level 1 and 2 have changed my teaching style...Level 2 will make me more effective, organized, and successful with the middle schoolers with whom I will start working this fall." summer 2008, Teacher.

"Moreover, before this class, I don't think I ever made the vital, and probably, obvious connection between reading and spelling... In light of this, how I teach spelling will change in my classroom. Because I teach in a first grade classroom, beginning spelling is a daily part of writing, and I know that not only is this a vital link in developing phonemic awareness [one of the building blocks for reading], it is also a large part of developing the ability to write thoughts fluently." summer 2008, First grade teacher.

"As a teacher, my entire approach to reading will change. I also now understand better the struggles LD students have. This class gave me the tools to teach them...to use throughout their lives." summer 2008, Teacher Trainer.

"One of my best professional development courses!" fall 2005, Teacher.

"A proven way to help kids to be successful at reading." fall 2005, teacher.

"The best part is the hands-on with students." fall 2005, teacher

"This has been one of the _best_ teaching classes I have taken! (and I have my MA)." Special education teacher, fall 2005

"I have started using this approach with two students who are both reading at the second grade level. The skills they have picked up in decoding in the short time I have worked with this approach have gone above anything that has happened in reading instruction prior to this. This is the first time they have not relied on teacher cues to sound out words...These two students have always been resistant to reading, but have enjoyed the instructional time." Middle school special education teacher, fall 2002

"Orton-Gillingham is the first training that I have been given that taught me how to directly teach reading. I feel much more confident in my ability to help poor readers and to be able to say to parents what it is that I am doing in the classroom with their children." Middle school special education teacher, fall 2002.

"What am I going to do with this new knowledge? Make a difference... I am willingly and passionately going to put into practice [what I learned] in order to reach as many students as I can, so they will not become another statistic, but a success story. Teacher, Summer 2009

I feel better prepared to enter the classroom and understand fully what I am teaching; why I'm teaching it and I will become more aware of the pattern in which I introduce the material. Teacher, Summer 2009.

See class descriptions for more information or email us or call 763-951-2379.