Shoreline Reading Inc. understands that specific, systematic intervention is transformative for students with learning disabilities and dyslexia. We use our knowledge of the Orton-Gillingham Approach and the structure of language to teach students and teachers the intricacies of reading, spelling and writing, step-by-step.
As Maryanne Wolf says: “Reading is rocket science,” and we aim to help teachers and students make sense of the complex system of the English language through our various services.
- Orton-Gillingham Training
Orton-Gillingham practitioners are different than typical reading tutors or specialists. Through intensive training and practicums, under the guidance of a Fellow of the Academy, an Orton-Gillingham practitioner gains a thorough understanding of dyslexia and reading disabilities, and an expertise in meeting the diverse needs of their students. Through extensive training Orton-Gillingham practitioners become experts in language development who create individualized lessons to help students strengthen all aspects of literacy including phonemic awareness, reading, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Shoreline Reading offers Orton-Gillingham Academy accredited training taught by Fellow, Beth Stone and her team of Certified and Fellow level trainers.
We offer training in our Madison, Connecticut location as well as at school/district locations upon request.
2. In-School Individualized Instruction
Just as there is no one type of student, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to reading. Orton-Gillingham is an approach, not a program. This means that there are no workbooks or scripts to follow. Every individual Orton-Gillingham lesson is created by the practitioner to meet your student’s specific learning needs. Prior to instruction we administer informal testing to assess a student’s strengths and weaknesses and determine specific areas for instruction. Additionally, because Orton-Gillingham is diagnostic-prescriptive in nature, a student’s daily performance in a lesson informs planning for the next session. In this way the practitioner is consistently endeavoring to meet the student’s learning needs.
Each, one-on-one 50-minute lesson features evidence-based instruction using the philosophy and principles of the Orton-Gillingham approach. All lessons feature direct, systematic, and sequential instruction. Students are taught literacy concepts one at a time, with plenty of review, until they reach mastery in a specific skill. All lessons are multisensory; students are given opportunities throughout the lesson to use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways to strengthen the reading network in the brain. This leads to increased automaticity and accuracy. Finally, every lesson is diagnostic-prescriptive and individualized meaning that teachers are continually planning instruction that is based upon the student’s needs. Lessons are made up of 80% review and 20% new material so that students build automaticity and accuracy in new skills and consistently meet with success, often feeling confident about reading, spelling, and writing for the first time.
3. Reading Evaluations
We provide full-scale reading evaluations that include a parent and school team intake, Educational Record Review and formal report.
We also include a full complement of criterion tests during the evaluation. While most practices offer standardized testing only, Shoreline Reading evaluations include both standardized and criterion testing, as we feel that theses tests are integral to defining the student’s specific skills based needs and providing appropriate recommendations. These skill-based recommendations can be used to inform IEP goals and objectives and provide teams with a step-by-step road map for individualized instruction.