The Orton-Gillingham Podcast

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode of the Orton-Gillingham Podcast, we are taking the time to honor some prominent Black figures for Black History Month. We tasked Katie and Esther with providing three people they would like to talk about with their listeners.    But first, today is Valentine’s Day! Did you know that Frederick Douglass’s birthday was on Valentine’s Day? Well, it was assume...

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode, we are discussing a story that has been all the “buzz” in the education world. But first, Katie and Esther shared what they did for New Years and their New Year’s Resolutions. Also, make sure to stay clear of spilled salt, cracks in the cement, and black cats. It’s Friday the 13th!   So, what is the “buzz” in the news? There’s a podcast out there that is...

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode, we are talking all about the Science of Reading. But before we get to that, we talk briefly about the “Queen of Halloween” contest, and Katie and Esther share their favorite books in honor of Author’s Day, which was on November 1st.     Katie: Roald Dahl (She also likes the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls)  Esther: EM Forster, who wrote A Room...

Hello and Happy Halloween! Today our hosts came prepared with their Halloween costumes to discuss their plans for this spooky season.    Katie came dressed as the Grammar Police; a costume inspired by Esther because she does NOT like bad grammar. Esther has arrived in her spookiest witch getup!   Katie loves Halloween and scary movies, but you won’t be catching her in any haunted houses! Esther ex...

Hello and welcome back! In today’s episode, our hosts are talking all about dyslexia, in honor of October being Dyslexia Awareness Month. Before getting into the topic, Katie and Esther announce the “Funniest Back to School Story” contest winner. Congrats to Shannon! Shannon won a Free Self-Paced Refresher course and a $50 gift card to the Brainspring store. Our hosts also shared an honorable ment...

Hello and welcome back! On this episode, our hosts are speaking with homeschooling expert, Laura Seymore, about her experience teaching her kids at home and how exactly she did it. But first, “Talk like a Pirate Day” is September 19th and Katie and Esther share their best pirate accents and jokes!  Joke #1: Why does it take a pirate so long to learn the alphabet? They spend years at “C”!  Joke #2:...

Welcome Back! - Show Notes The Orton-Gillingham Podcast is back after a hiatus just in time to start the new school year! Katie and Esther reintroduce themselves by sharing three fun facts about each other.  Three things Esther shared about Katie:  She is a compassionate educator of the deaf  She is a great leader (and mom!)  She is freakishly organized… And always uses a pencil when writing notes...

In this episode, Esther and Katie discuss ways parents can turn practicing literacy skills into playing with their kids over holiday breaks! ----- Head to our website ( www.brainspring.com ) to learn more about bringing the Orton-Gillingham approach to your school or district.   

Today we’re joined by Isabella Martin, a Broadcast Journalism student at Michigan State University and Brainspring’s Marketing and Editorial Intern. Isabella is passionate about multisensory education because she has Dyscalculia and ADHD. She joins us to share her perspective as a student with a learning difference. ----- Head to our website ( www.brainspring.com ) to learn more about bringing the...

In this episode, Elizabeth Coller from the Kinderhearted Classroom joins us. Elizabeth has taught at the elementary and high school levels and is currently teaches kindergarten at a private Christian school in California. She is here to chat with us about social-emotional learning and student relationships. --- Head to our website ( www.brainspring.com ) to learn more about bringing the Orton-Gill...

Our guest for today's episode is Dr. Salli Lewis, the Director of the Research Division for CReATE . Founded in 2007 by Dr. Lewis and her partner, Dr. Daniels, CReATE specializes in providing evidence-based evaluations and implementing applied clinical research. Dr. Lewis is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in evidence-based treatments and in assessing, identifying, and treating soc...

In this episode, we’re chatting with Cheryl Garner, an educator from Florida with 30 years of classroom experience. After graduating from the University of Central Florida, Cheryl initially taught high school English for two years. Due to budget cuts, she was moved to second grade and, like many of us, found herself looking for resources on how to teach reading. She found Brainspring and the rest...

Today we’re chatting with Calvin Mann, the President and Founder of Encourage Me, I’m Young, a non-profit mentoring organization based in Detroit, Michigan. Encourage Me, I’m Young has served more than 20,000 children nationwide through its initiatives, including Good Fathers Only, Smash Suicide, Respect Day, and regular mentorship programs. Calvin and his team are currently working on their next...

This episode introduces our new host, Sam Brooks! Listen in to get to know Sam, hear some relatable education stories, and understand why she loves Orton-Gillingham.    Connect with us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrtonGillingham/ Twitter: @BrainspringOG Instagram: @brainspringortongillingham Our blog, Orton-Gillingham Weekly: https://brainspring.com/ortongillinghamweekly/index.php   Hea...

Today we’re chatting with Marianna Ciampi, a School Psychologist with more than 20 years of experience. We’ll be discussing what’s involved in psychoeducational evaluations and the unique vantage point inherent in the School Psychologist's job.  Marianna received her B.A. from Bowdoin College in Sociology, her Master’s in School Psychology, and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Literacy Ed...

For our first Q&A episode Angelina, Esther & Katie tackle why encoding matters in a world filled with spellcheck and provide insight into integrating a phonics program like Phonics First® in your overall reading program. Enjoy! --- Head to our website ( www.brainspring.com ) to learn more about bringing the Orton-Gillingham approach to your school or district. 

We're chatting with Jacquie Moreno about the process of becoming a certified Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia Specialist (OGDS). Jacquie has worn many educational hats in her career before starting her current role as Brainspring’s certification practicum supervisor. She has a wealth of knowledge regarding what's necessary to become a certified Brainspring OGDS, potential career benefits to achieving thi...

In this episode, we’re talking with Alana, Jacob, Julia, and Rueben, the co-founders of KidsRead2Kids, a non-profit organization that provides free literacy aids to children. These siblings produce video-audio books of other kids reading, chapter-by-chapter lesson plans, a magazine, a book club for teens to mentor younger students, and a community scavenger hunt to encourage literacy. We chat abou...

Today we’re speaking with the Vice President of Brainspring’s Educator Academy, Laurie Wagner! Laurie is the 2020 recipient of IMSLEC’s Etoile DuBard Award of Excellence. She is also the creator of Brainspring’s doubly-accredited Orton-Gillingham programs, Phonics First and Structures.  Laurie joins our hosts to discuss how she first learned of Orton-Gillingham, why it became the focus of her 30-y...

In this episode, Kristen Kossover joins us from Arkansas where she currently serves as the Elementary Dyslexia/RtI Specialist for the Bentonville School District. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist, Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist & Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia Specialist & has written & provided training in the science of reading. We chat about the impact of dyslexia legislation...

Angelina, Esther & Katie interview two educators, Jeanine Cyrwus & Chad Hodgkins about adapting multisensory lessons to virtual platforms. Jeanine is the Academic Coordinator for Language Arts at Oakwood School, a private school for students with language-based learning differences in the D.C. area. On the other end of multisensory spectrum, Chad is a high school physics teacher with a lot of tric...

In today's episode, we're chatting with Dr. Pamela McCaskill! Dr. Pam is a licensed psychologist and owner of McCaskill Family Services in the Metro Detroit area. She has more than 25 years of experience specializing in comprehensive evaluations for Dyslexia and ADHD. Dr. Pam joins us for our first Q&A segment to answer a listener question regarding dyslexia and math.  Head to our website ( www.br...

Our hosts, Esther, Angelina & Katie, introduce themselves and also introduce listeners to the importance of Orton-Gillingham and multisensory education.  Head to our website ( www.brainspring.com ) to learn more about bringing the Orton-Gillingham approach to your school or district.