Orton-Gillingham Training

Swift School is pleased to offer Orton-Gillingham approved courses that follow the guidelines established by the Orton-Gillingham Academy of Practitioners and Educators.

The courses and practicums are led by Mrs. Joan Gerken, an experienced Fellow in the Orton-Gillingham Academy, and Mrs. Natalie Felix, Fellow-in-Training. Courses are held on the Swift School campus, conveniently located near the intersection of Georgia 400 and Holcomb Bridge Road. Please see the following to determine if these course(s) or other offerings meet your particular professional goals, needs or interests.

Past participation in the courses and practicums by educators, parents and other professionals have garnered consistent praise and exceeded expectations. For additional information, please contact Joan Gerken or Natalie Felix. If interested please complete our online registration form.

Register for Orton-Gillingham Courses


Orton-Gillingham Courses

Subscriber Course

The Subscriber Level course is an introduction to the Orton-Gillingham (OG) instructional methodology and the first level of study in the Orton-Gillingham Academy. Participants will receive an overview of the approach and instructional techniques as presented by a Fellow of the Association of Orton-Gilligham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) covering: Introduction to Orton-Gillingham, Characteristics of Dyslexia, Neurological Basis for Multisensory teaching, Phonology, Structure of the English language, and the OG Lesson format. Subscriber members become informed consumers but are not qualified to teach using the OG approach. A Subscriber designation indicates that a member has completed a course of at least six hours duration based on the Academy’s required curriculum at the Subscriber level.

Course Dates:
  • Tuesdays from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
  • September 11, October 9 and November 13

Course work: Satisfies 6 hours of Orton-Gillingham course work

Location: Swift School

Price: $195

Classroom Educator Course

This one-week comprehensive course is designed to satisfy the Classroom Educator curriculum for the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. This course will offer participants exploration of typical milestones in motor, language, and reading development. The class will compare these milestones with those of the student with dyslexia and other language disorders impacting reading and spelling acquisition. Participants will learn to evaluate a student's strengths and weaknesses related to reading and spelling and provide effective multisensory instruction for remediation. The syllabus covers:

  • Characteristics of Dyslexia Related to Typical Development of Reading and Writing
  • The Principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach
  • History and Structure of the English Language
  • How to Teach Decoding
  • Syllable Types and Syllabication
  • Strategies for Reading Comprehension and Written Expression
  • Teaching Strategies and Lesson Planning for Effective Remediation

Course Dates: June 3–7, 2019
(The Classroom Educator curriculum is delivered during the first week of the Associate Level course.)
Tuition: $800*
Course work: Satisfies 30 hours of Orton-Gillingham course work
Time of Class: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Monday - Friday
Location: Swift School

This course is open to all interested individuals who hold a Bachelor's degree in any area of study.

* Cancellation policy: Registration cancellations received by May 1, 2019, will be assessed a $200 cancellation fee. No refunds will be available for cancellations received after May 1, 2019.

Associate Level Course

This two-week comprehensive course is designed to satisfy the Associate level curriculum for the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. The syllabus covers:

  • Characteristics of Dyslexia and Language Processing
  • Historical Perspective on the Orton-Gillingham Approach
  • History of the English Language
  • Phonology/How to teach decoding
  • Syllable types and Syllabication
  • Morphology/Anglo-Saxon, Latin and Greek Elements of our Language
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Written Expression
  • Teaching strategies and Lesson planning for effective remediation

Course Dates: June 3–14, 2019
Tuition: $1,500*
Time of Class: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Monday - Friday
Course work: Satisfies 70 hours of Orton-Gillingham course work
Location: Swift School

This course is open to all interested individuals who hold a Bachelor's degree in any area of study.

* Cancellation policy: Registration cancellations received by May 1, 2019, will be assessed a $200 cancellation fee. No refunds will be available for cancellations received after May 1, 2019.


Certified Level Course

This 100-hour course is designed to strengthen a teacher's knowledge of language development, reading development and written expression. A teacher will learn to work with any age student with various learning differences. The class will investigate basic phonics programs and the development of language skills in children with learning problems. Teachers will study morphology in depth and learn to use their knowledge of language in helping students to broaden and improve their reading and writing skills. Teachers will learn specific strategies to plan lessons, using morphology, to teach reading, writing and vocabulary skills.

Course Dates:
Contact Joan Gerken, AOGPE Fellow, or Natalie Felix, AOGPE Fellow-in-Training
Course work: 100 hours of Orton-Gillingham course work
Location: Swift School