Practicum

At the Classroom Educator level, the practicum involves teaching a minimum of 50 hours of OG lessons to a classroom or small group over at least eight months. Participants will submit at least five recorded OG submissions, which will be reviewed and discussed throughout the mentorship. Required readings are also a part of the practicum. After completing the practicum, educators will apply to the Orton-Gillingham Academy for Classroom Educator certification.

At the Associate level, the practicum involves teaching a minimum of 100 hours of OG lessons to a classroom or small group over at least eight months. Participants will submit at least 10 recorded OG lesson submissions, which will be reviewed and discussed throughout the mentorship. Required readings are also a part of the practicum. After completing the practicum, educators will apply to the Orton-Gillingham Academy for Associate-level certification.

Cost & Scholarship

Each observation includes written feedback and a 45–60 minute Zoom discussion with next-step recommendations. A fee is charged per observation and is due at the time of the Zoom session.


Financial assistance may be available through Boon Philanthropy (see the Orton-Gillingham Academy website for details) or through your local IDA branch.

Dr. Jennifer Rogers, EdD
Kindergarten Teacher

“This course and the practicum is an amazing program to be a part of. Each week, I would learn new concepts that were easily applicable to try with my students. I fully implemented the OG approach with my kindergarten class. I was astounded at how much growth each student made, even my students who struggled with identification and letter recognition at the beginning of the year. Vanessa’s ongoing feedback was critical to my success. It was so meaningful to have her watch my lessons and then meet to discuss and implement her suggestions and corrections. The following year, the first-grade teachers remarked on the level of competence with which my students came to their classrooms.”

Dr. Jonathan Schaefer ET/P, A-OGA
Executive Director, LA Mindworks

“Vanessa mentored me as I learned the ropes of the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach, helping me from my initial Orton-Gillingham Association (OGA) Associate Level course through my successful application to be an Associate member of the OGA. I worked with four different students over two years, so it certainly qualifies as complex work numerically.

Vanessa also helped me grow from a complete novice, having never worked in early childhood literacy, to a point where I’m confident helping to remediate a broad range of needs for my clients with dyslexia. Vanessa’s extensive experience was an asset as I worked with clients with unique needs. Vanessa patiently helped me to learn which variations of the OG approach are effective and which are not, as well as the reasons behind these classifications.

The two courses I took with Vanessa were well organized, and the practicum, where she served as my mentor, left me capable and confident that I could succeed at writing an intricate application package for Associate membership in the OGA.

After my mentorship with Vanessa, I can now think critically about the evolving presentations of my clients with dyslexia, crafting structured lessons that address the breadth of their needs. The skill set Vanessa helped me learn has developed into an expansion of my educational therapy practice with a new office and additional staff.”