Friday, February 24, 2017

Orton-Gillingham Excellence in Atlanta

When I read through a stack of resumes, it's almost like watching a reality television show. Some resumes impress me and some force me to get up for a drink of water because I've almost lost my breath laughing.

Here is my story: As I talk to various parents who have problems with their child's reading there are a few questions that they like to have answered. It seems as if they always like to hear what people like for them to hear and it makes me think to myself how too much time on message boards can leave you a little queasy.

Yes, when it comes to education there are certain standards, or (for lack of a less intimidating term) strands. However, just because you buy the certificate does not make you the best person for the job. It also does not mean that if the person's office or tutoring schedule is busy that they will make the biggest impact on your child. (Just because Walmart is busy doesn't mean that it's the best place to shop, right?)

After working with thousands of clients through the years, there are certain things that I am looking for in a client who would like to see their child successful. The first thing is : Commitment. We have spent hundreds of hours preparing for the process of remediating and/or enrichment training for your child and in return, we want to make sure that you, the parent, will know what to do. The other important aspect of our process is: Trust. There are certain benchmarks that each child has. It's almost like being in your Introduction to Philosophy class where you are studying logic: If you have A and B, then C will happen. I've had parents call me after a week and say, "Why have they not learned concept "Z" yet?" All I say is, "Well, we are still on concept "M"... We'll get there, but you need to be patient."

Orton-Gillingham is a great methodology to help teach someone who is struggling with reading how to read and it helps those who already knows how to read a proper framework for orthography. There's more to it than a program. For me, I have spent an additional two years of Graduate School studying educational pedagogy, neuroscience, motivation, and behavior along side with a Professional Development Plan that clocks in over 300 hours a year. What is even more odd is that some "practitioners" with more years of experience than my Grandfather had in taking depositions as an attorney call me for advice or what's even more striking - ask me questions that I thought the certificate would help them answer.

Yes, I have a certificate on the wall at home, but there's knowledge behind it as well. I'm happy to share my knowledge and expertise to anyone who would like to be part of the Learning Ridge Family!


If you or anyone you know is having problems with reading, phonics, or processing, please call me at 404-964-8533 or you can visit our website at www.learningridge.com .


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