Banner Year for Teacher Training: 24 Scholarships Awarded!

by Linda Hutchins-Knowles, Scholarship Committee Chair

Rather than taking a well-deserved break this summer, many teachers throughout Northern California went back to school themselves, completing intensive training in multisensory teaching techniques. Research has shown that individuals with dyslexia learn best when taught with a multisensory approach, that is, an approach which carefully integrates the visual, auditory, and tactile-kinesthetic pathways of learning.

This innovative way of teaching was pioneered by Dr. Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham in the 1920s. Since then, several language teaching programs have been modeled upon the original “Orton-Gillingham” approach.
It is critical that enough teachers be trained in these specialized techniques so that the needs of the growing number of students identified as dyslexic can be adequately addressed.

This summer, the Northern California Branch of IDA (NCBIDA) sponsored Orton-Gillingham training at St. Leo the Great School in San José and Slingerland training at the Armenian School in San Francisco. Six other Northern Californian schools also hosted training in the Slingerland adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham approach for classroom use: Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, Chartwell School in Seaside, New Vistas Christian School in Martinez, Stellar Academy in Fremont, Valley Christian School in San José, and Valley Oak School in Turlock. A combined total of 104 teachers were trained this summer through these classes.

Due to a substantial donation of $10,000 from the parents of a dyslexic student, NCBIDA was able to award an unprecedented number of scholarships for multisensory teacher training this summer. A total of 24 educators received partial scholarships, nine for Orton-Gillingham training and 15 for Slingerland training. The Board of Directors of NCBIDA was delighted to be able to award scholarships to so many qualified teachers. This year’s recipients came from all over northern California, including Susanville, Salinas, and Redding. One even traveled from as far as Gardnerville, Nevada, where she teaches for the Washoe Tribe Headstart Center!

We are grateful to the individuals who have, over the years, so generously supported our scholarship program, establishing and contributing to the following funds:

• The Cullen-Martin Fund
• The Tyler Gebhardt Memorial Scholarship
• The Pauline Adams Memorial Scholarship
• The Dr. Leon Whitsell Memorial Scholarship
• Scholarship in honor of Dr. Wilbur Mattison

This year, $14,000 in scholarships were awarded from these funds!

The continued generosity of our members will enable us to maintain this level of support to deserving teachers. Their training will continue to benefit children with dsylexia throughout Northern California. To make a contribution, please call (650) 328-7667.
The Scholarship Committee plans to award scholarships for teacher training during each summer. Please call (650) 328-7667 in February, to request an application.