Yes! Because our training satisfies  MDE’s professional development requirements, the allocated literacy professional development funding can be used toward our training.

A primary reason is the practicum: The Reading Center’s O-G trainings are rigorous and include a practicum designed to equip each trainee with lots of hands-on experience providing literacy instruction to students. Trainees work one-on-one with seasoned instructors to develop & deliver tailored O-G lesson plans to real students. Trainees complete the course confident and ready to apply it with their students due to the practicum. 

Our summer training is intense but completed in about 3 weeks.

Read what one teacher said about the difference between LETRS (another approved literacy training) and The Reading Center’s Orton-Gillingham training: “I took LETRS training, and then took Orton Gillingham training from The Reading Center. LETRS taught me why SOR was necessary for teaching new readers, but O-G taught me how to integrate it into my teaching practice. I put my O-G training to use every day.”

The investment into the knowledge & experience of teachers is invaluable and this deeper knowledge can be leveraged to enhance the skills of all teachers in the school.

Yes! To pursue this option, please contact the READ Act Professional Development team and ask for a PD Training Waiver.

Each district makes these decisions differently. We recommend approaching someone such as a Curriculum Coordinator, a Teaching and Learning Coordinator, a staff development committee, or a principal to ask about this possibility. They may not be aware of the recent changes to the MDE’s requirements, so be prepared to provide the relevant information.

Visit this page; relevant information is at the bottom, under “Additional READ Act Training Options.”

Visit this page, which has information as well as registration links.