Course Description
Course Description: The Orton-Gillingham Approach is the underlying foundation of all multisensory, structured language instruction. This introductory course will provide an overview of the structure of the English language and how to teach foundational literacy skills systematically. In this 46-hour course, participants will gain a basic understanding of the OG Approach and how to develop an OG lesson. Participants will learn about phonology, phonological awareness, syllable types, syllable division, spelling patterns, handwriting, the history of the English language, morphology, and dyslexia and the reading brain. Specifically geared for grades K-2, this course focuses on the flexibility of the OG Approach for small group and whole class instruction. This course meets the requirements for the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (OGA) Classroom Educator coursework for those continuing with the practicum.
Audience: Classroom teachers K-2, literacy coaches, school administrators, paraeducators, reading specialists, special educators, speech language pathologists, & school psychologists.
Session Information
1. Friday, October 2, 2026 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(6.5 hours synchronous)
2. Friday, October 16, 2026 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(6.5 hours synchronous)
3 .Friday, November 6, 2026 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(6.5 hours synchronous)
4. Friday, November 20, 2026 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(6.5 hours synchronous)
5. Friday, December 4, 2026 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(6.5 hours synchronous)
6. Wednesday, December 9, 2026 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
(3 hours synchronous)
Instructors
Amy Ducey, M.Ed.
Amy Ducey, M.Ed.
Amy Ducey, M.Ed., a Fellow of the prestigious Orton-Gillingham Academy, is the Assistant Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute. She provides training at the Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator, Associate, and Certified levels, in addition to various literacy workshops and webinars. She teaches graduate-level courses and has created curriculum and assessment materials for universal screening and progress monitoring. She is the lead author of Orton-Gillingham for the K–2 Classroom: Weekly Guide and Universal Assessment, Second Edition.
Amy speaks regularly at national conferences about effective district-wide training and the importance of aligning classroom assessment and instruction. Amy was instrumental in adapting the Stern Center’s Orton-Gillingham Institute to be a leader in online OG training. Amy has worked as a literacy coach, reading interventionist, and a kindergarten teacher for over a decade. She also has extensive experience as an early education provider. Amy holds a master’s degree in Education from Southern New Hampshire University. Her bachelor’s degree is in Elementary Education from Johnson State College.
Amy is passionate about helping teachers understand the importance of explicit, systematic, and sequential reading instruction.