Why Is Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction So Expensive?

Why Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction is So Expensive and Beyond the Economic Reach of Many Parents

Students who have difficulties with reading experience tremendous difficulties in so many areas of their lives both academically and emotionally. Yet when these same students get the right kind of academic help in reading, amazing transformations can and do happen! Many experts believe that the single most effective reading instruction available today is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to remedial reading instruction.

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a teaching approach that uses multisensory phonics techniques to teach reading to students who struggle with language processing. It is especially helpful for students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, but it can also benefit any student who needs to improve his reading skills. Many studies have shown that students who receive Orton-Gillingham instruction improve their reading skills significantly more than those who receive other types of instruction.

However, there is a big problem with Orton-Gillingham instruction: it is very expensive and beyond the economic reach of many if not most parents.

How Much Does Orton-Gillingham Instruction Cost for Parents?

For many parents who have children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties, finding and accessing Orton-Gillingham instruction can be a daunting and expensive task. The cost of Orton-Gillingham instruction can vary widely depending on several factors, such as:

The level of training and certification of the Orton-Gillingham practitioner. Certified Orton-Gillingham practitioners have to undergo rigorous training and supervision by accredited organizations, which can be costly and time-consuming. Therefore, certified practitioners tend to charge higher rates than non-certified ones. However, certified practitioners also tend to provide higher quality instruction than non-certified ones, so parents may have to weigh the benefits and costs of hiring a certified practitioner.
The location and mode of Orton-Gillingham instruction. The cost of Orton-Gillingham instruction can also vary depending on where and how it is delivered. For example, in major cities with high costs of living, such as New York or Los Angeles, the rates can be higher than in smaller towns or rural areas. Similarly, in-person tutoring can be more expensive than online tutoring because of travel time and expenses.
The frequency and duration of Orton-Gillingham instruction. Another factor that influences the cost of Orton-Gillingham instruction is how often and how long the instruction is provided. For example, some students may need more intensive and frequent instruction than others, depending on their level of reading difficulty and progress. Some students may need one or two sessions per week, while others may need three or four sessions per week. Some students may need 45-minute sessions, while others may need 60-minute sessions. The more frequent and longer the sessions are, the more expensive the instruction will be.
The availability and accessibility of Orton-Gillingham instruction. Another factor that influences the cost of Orton-Gillingham instruction is how available and accessible it is for parents and students. For example, some parents may have difficulty finding a certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner near them or within their budget. Some parents may have difficulty scheduling sessions with their preferred practitioner due to high demand or limited availability. Some parents may have difficulty accessing online resources or materials that support Orton-Gillingham instruction due to lack of internet access or devices.
The fact that it is all but impossible to find an online Orton-Gillingham program that offers instruction directly for the learner. Many courses are available online that offer a path to Orton-Gillingham certification for teachers who desire to be certified as Orton Gillingham instructors. And there are many Orton-Gillingham instructors who offer online instruction for an hourly fee. But what one almost certainly will not be able to find in conducting an online search is an online program that offers a reading course that an individual can enroll in on his own, or enroll his child in, where he can teach himself or his child to read and spell using Orton-Gillingham-based instruction without the need to pay for an expensive, charge-by-the-hour, live instructor.

Based on these factors, the typical rates for Orton-Gillingham tutoring can range from $80 to $200 per hour. Considering that it takes approximately 60 to 100 hours of tutoring to go up one grade level, the total cost of Orton-Gillingham tutoring can be as high as $10,000 or more per year! This is a huge financial burden for many parents who want to help their children succeed in reading.

Why is Orton-Gillingham Instruction So Expensive?

There are several factors that contribute to the high cost of Orton-Gillingham instruction. Some of them are:

The training and certification of Orton-Gillingham practitioners. To become a certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner, one has to undergo rigorous training and supervision by accredited organizations, such as the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) or the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). The certification process can take months or years to complete, depending on the level of certification desired.
The quality and intensity of Orton-Gillingham instruction. To provide effective Orton-Gillingham instruction, practitioners have to follow a structured literacy approach that teaches reading from the simplest to the most complex concepts. They have to use direct and explicit teaching methods, multisensory techniques, individualized instruction, and frequent progress monitoring. They also have to use specialized materials and resources that are aligned with the Orton-Gillingham approach. All these factors require a lot of time, effort, and expertise from the practitioners.
The demand and supply of Orton-Gillingham instruction. There is a high demand for Orton-Gillingham instruction among parents who have children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. However, there is a limited supply of certified Orton-Gillingham practitioners who can provide quality instruction. According to AOGPE, there are only about 2,000 certified practitioners in the United States. This creates a situation where the demand exceeds the supply, which drives up the prices.

We All Can Read is one of the only online Orton-Gillingham programs published on the internet that publishes an online reading course that an individual can enroll in and then on his own teach himself or his child to read and spell using Orton-Gillingham-based instruction. The cost to subscribe on a monthly basis to our program is a fraction of the cost of hiring an Orton-Gillingham-certified tutor for even one hour!

One does not need to be a reading teacher, or a college graduate, or even a high school graduate! Anyone can do this and without spending a fortune to teach yourself or someone else to read and spell!

The We All Can Read Online Program Offers the Following Advantages:

It offers the first 10 online lessons for free, which allows users to try out the program before subscribing.
It publishes 720 online phonics lessons that cover all aspects of reading and spelling, from phonemic awareness to multisyllabic words.
It is accessible on any digital device, such as a phone, computer, or tablet, which enables users to learn anywhere and anytime.
It requires no pretraining to use, which makes it easy and convenient for users to start learning right away.
It is cost-effective, as it charges only a fraction of the cost of hiring a reading specialist or a certified Orton-Gillingham tutor.
It works with students in 3rd grade to 12th grade, adults, and learners of English as a second language, which makes it suitable for a wide range of users with different needs and goals.
It allows individuals to work independently, which gives them more control and flexibility over their learning pace and schedule.
It provides direct, systematic, and explicit phonics instruction that is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach and the science of reading, which ensures quality and effectiveness.
It is affordable! Our monthly subscription price to access all 720 online lessons is just $54 a month which is less than the average cost of a student working with an Orton-Gillingham trained tutor for 45 minutes!

Conclusion

Orton-Gillingham instruction is a proven and effective way to teach reading to students who are behind in reading. However, it is also generally very expensive and beyond the economic reach of many parents who want to help their children succeed in reading. But there is a solution!

The We All Can Read Online Program is an Orton-Gillingham-based, multisensory phonics program published in a format that virtually anyone can afford to purchase and that can be implemented without expensive and prolonged training for teachers, parents, and tutors.

Our online program provides a solution that makes Orton-Gillingham instruction available to virtually anyone who struggles in reading at a price that almost everyone can afford!