Orton-Gillingham for the K-2 Classroom Educator, Price, Spring 2020

Course Description

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a biologically and linguistically sound, diagnostic and prescriptive, yet flexible approach to structured literacy. This course is designed for K-2 classroom teachers who will customize instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners in a classroom or small group setting to address foundational skills within the Common Core State Standards.  Teachers who will use the OG approach must have knowledge of brain structure and function relative to language learning.  Teachers must also have knowledge of the history and structure of the English language and be able to utilize a systematic approach to multisensory structured language instruction. The OG teacher must be able to select and develop instructional materials to facilitate successful learning outcomes and sufficient practice leading to independent literacy learners. Teachers will learn how to bring a structured literacy approach into the mainstream classroom. During the course, teachers will write and practice teaching OG lessons and decodable text, participate in hands-on applications, engage in small and large group discussion, readings, and practice with instructional procedures and lesson planning.

This course meets the requirements for the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators Classroom Educator level. Instructional hours include 35 hours of direct instruction eligible for three graduate credits. Kindergarten and first grade teachers from Addison Northwest Supervisory Union will further their OG training with a 50-hour practicum during the 2020-21 school year, which includes five observations. This practicum is eligible for two graduate credits.

Topics:

• The history and principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach

• The biological and neurological processes underlying this approach
• The history of phonology and basic speech production
• Language processing as information processing – receptive and expressive
• The history and structure of English and basic understanding of morphology
• Developing student lessons and maintaining student records
• Elements and procedures within an Orton-Gillingham lesson and the why behind each section of the lesson

Course Objectives

Goal 1: The Classroom Educator in training (trainee) understands the rationale for selecting the OG Approach for classroom reading and spelling instruction.

Objectives:

1. The Classroom Educator trainee demonstrates an understanding of the stages of normal reading development.
2. The trainee is able to explain why the principles of OG are an effective teaching methodology.
3. The trainee is able to explain why OG is a primary approach of choice for all learners.

Goal 2: The Classroom Educator trainee has knowledge and skill to provide instruction working under the supervision of a Fellow of the Academy.

Objectives:

1. The trainee demonstrates a general understanding of reading acquisition and knowledge of the needs and nature of all learners.
2. The trainee has basic knowledge of the English language, history, and structure.
3. The trainee demonstrates knowledge of the following principles of instruction as essential components of the Approach:
   • diagnostic and prescriptive
   • synthetic- analytic
   • sequential, structured, systematic, and cumulative
   • multisensory (VAKT)
   • teaching toward automaticity
   • teaching for integration and application of principles
4. The trainee's lesson plans provide evidence of clear goals that match a sequence of OG concepts.
5. The trainee demonstrates awareness of formal and informal assessment measures.

Goal 3: The trainee adheres to the Academy’s Code of Ethics and understands the privileges and responsibilities of the Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator.

 Course Expectations: include complete attendance, active participation, and homework which includes assigned readings and lesson creation.

Required Readings

All required readings are either accessible online or will be given the first day of class.

For additional course, registration and payment information

Peggy Price
(802) 878-2332

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