Thoughts from Teachers, Scholarship Recipients

Last summer, The Northern California Branch of IDA awarded partial scholarships to 24 educators to complete intensive training in Orton-Gillingham and Slingerland teaching methodologies. Here is what a few recipients had to say about this training:

“One of the most important lessons I came away with from Slingerland training was just how much can be accomplished, one letter and one sound at a time. Many of the third grade students we worked with began summer school not being able to write cursive at all or read very well. By the end of the four weeks, many of them could write every letter in the alphabet in cursive and began reading with more confidence.” — Carla Brooke, La Honda

“Slingerland training brought me together with brilliant, passionate and experienced colleagues who have instructed me thoroughly in how to teach dyslexic and learning-challenged students of all ages. I learned the hows and whys to teach strategies related to reading, writing and spelling using Slingerland’s simultaneous multisensory approach. To our delight when we finished our class, each teacher trainee had a month’s worth of progressively-sequenced Slingerland-based lesson plans for use in future instruction and a toolbox replete with teaching methodology and theory to draw from for future reference.” — Bonnie McMurry, San Francisco

“I learned so many things during the Slingerland training. I especially appreciated what I learned about teaching students how to spell words with ambiguous sounds in them and how to teach the spelling of sight words. I also learned a great deal about structuring and guiding reading lessons to support the students and to integrate all of the skills and sensory modalities involved in reading. I now have a very structured and sensible way of using the students’ strengths to help them read in context.” — Amy Aldrich-McAfee, Salinas

“The Orton-Gillingham method of auditory and visual drills, the spelling methods taught, and the syllabic rules are priceless to me. The principles and importance I learned of phonemic awareness, how to teach it and when, are vital tools that I will be bringing into our Head Start classrooms. As an employee of the Washoe Tribe, I thank you for the opportunity to better teach the youngest and most “at-risk” members of the community.” — Stacey Francois, Gardnerville, NV

“As the Coordinator of the Susanville Library Literacy Program, I have attended several workshops and conferences concerning the teaching of dyslexics to read, write and spell. The Basic Orton-Gillingham training class that I attended in San Jose in June was the most rewarding class that I have taken on the subject.” — Virginia Wilson, Ph.D., Susanville
“Orton-Gillingham training gave me a lot of ideas. It has a very practical and straightforward approach. I now have some concrete ways to work with my students who struggle the most.” — Paula Alli, San Jose

Our IDA branch will offer scholarships for teacher training next summer. Applications will be available in February. If you would like an application or would like to donate to our scholarship fund, please call (650) 328-7667.