Orton-Gillingham Training
in Oregon
Specialized structured literacy training for educators and
tutors serving students with dyslexia.
What Is The Orton-Gillingham Approach?
The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a language-based approach to literacy instruction that is direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, diagnostic, and prescriptive. Developed from the work of Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham, it remains one of the most recognized approaches for teaching students with dyslexia.
The Blosser Center carries forward that legacy: founder Dorothy Blosser Whitehead was a Founding Fellow of the Orton-Gillingham Academy. Currently in Oregon, OGA fellows Lynn Lamping and Elizabeth Johnson prepare educators to teach language in a way that is systematic, individualized, and guided by the learner’s response.
Who It’s For
Teachers, reading specialists, interventionists, tutors, and special educators who are interested in in-depth training and specialization in the Orton-Gillingham Approach
Training pathways include:
- Classroom Educator Level for whole-class and supplemental small-group instruction
- Associate Level for individualized one-to-one or small-group work with struggling readers, including students with dyslexia
- Certified / Clinical Level for advanced preparation to serve students with more complex reading profiles
What You’ll Learn
The Orton-Gillingham Approach:
- Phonology, orthography, morphology, and syllable patterns
- Diagnostic and prescriptive lesson planning
- Instruction that builds decoding, encoding, accuracy, and automaticity
OGA currently lists these minimum requirements:
- Classroom Educator: 30 coursework hours + 50-lesson practicum
- Associate: 70 coursework hours + 100-lesson practicum
- Clinical (formerly Certified): 100 additional coursework hours + 200-lesson practicum beyond Associate
Why Educators Choose OGA
Educators choose OGA for its rigor, history, and standards. Training is grounded in the original Orton-Gillingham tradition and combines coursework, supervised practicum, and Fellow-led mentorship to develop diagnostic, prescriptive teaching that is responsive to the learner.
Educators may choose OGA training when they want a comprehensive, nationally recognized pathway that deepens both their knowledge of language and their clinical decision-making. It is especially well suited for teachers and tutors who want sustained mentorship, extensive supervised practice, and the ability to adapt instruction carefully for students with dyslexia and complex reading needs.
