Associate Coursework (Virtual) - Fall 2026
Virtual Training | Available
The Orton-Gillingham Associate Level Course is a 60-hour, comprehensive, 9-month-long course. The class is intended for practitioners working with struggling readers of all ages, including those with dyslexia, in individual or group settings.
Course description
This 60-hour course, along with the 10-hour OGA subscriber-level course meets the 70-hour coursework requirement at the Associate Level of certification with The Orton-Gillingham Academy
- Prerequisite: 10-hour OGA subscriber level course LINKED HERE *$49 non-refundable fee paid directly to the Academy*
- Course Dates: Tuesdays, September 1, 2026 - May 4, 2027
- Course Times: 8:00 am to 9:45 am EST
- Location: Delivered Virtually
- Instructor: Jen Burch F/OGA
- Cost: $2,400 ($300 deposit + $2,100 tuition; payment plans available)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS: 60 Hours (6 CEUs)
Specific topics covered in the class include:
- Dyslexia and related brain research
- General history and structure of the English language
- Phonological and phonemic awareness
- Sound/symbol relationships for reading and spelling
- The six syllable types and seven ways to divide words
- An introduction to morphology
- Spelling generalizations and suffixing conventions
- “Learned” or non-phonetic words
- Advanced decoding skills
- Designing and teaching an OG lesson
- Administering informal diagnostic assessments to inform instruction
Course Expectations:
All participants will be asked to:
- Attend all class meetings live online for the entire duration of the course.
- Download the required course manual and all visual drill decks and have them accessible for the course.
- Complete OGA Subscriber coursework (10 hours), which counts toward the total number of hours before the course begins to gain an overview of:
- The Orton-Gillingham Approach
- The Science of Reading
- Dyslexia and the reading brain
- The history and structure of the English language.
- Complete homework assignments between classes.
- Read assigned required readings and reading reflections.
- Take a brief final exam.
Attendance Policy:
Any and all absences will need to be communicated to your instructor via email.
For a 60 hour course, 4 absences (8 contact hours) will be accepted to receive a certificate.
We know course fees can sometimes be confusing, so here is a simple breakdown of what you will pay and how checkout works.
1. Fee Breakdown
$49 Prerequisite Fee: Paid directly to the Orton-Gillingham Academy via this link for the 10-hour Subscriber Course.
$2,400 Course Tuition: Paid directly to us for the 60-hour Associate course.
Total Investment: $2,449
2. Important Note About Checkout When you check out, you will see a line item called "Additional Fee."
This is NOT an extra charge. It is simply your $300 course deposit broken out separately.
If you pay in full, this $300 goes directly toward your $2,400 total.
If you select a payment plan, paying this $300 deposit secures your spot in the class.
3. Payment Plan Option If you choose to split up your tuition, you can use our 9-month payment plan:
Due at Registration: $300 deposit
Remaining Balance: Split into 9 equal monthly payments of $233.33, charged automatically on the 15th of each month (September 2026 – May 2027).
Required at Checkout: You must check the boxes for "Save this Card" and "Allow Recurring Charges" so your installments process correctly.
Course manual and all visual drill decks: The course manual and visual drill decks will be sent to all participants via a link in your confirmation email. While it is not required to print these materials before the course begins, you may find it helpful to print the manual for taking notes. There is also no requirement to read the manual before the course begins.
Materials to purchase on your own: these materials are not required but are highly suggested:
- Equipped for Reading Success, $60, order from here.
- Unlocking the Power of Print, Dorothy Whitehead, $35, order from here.
Jen Burch
Jen has worked at Readsource for seven years, as an outreach program coordinator to remediate students in an underserved elementary school in Atlanta, a teacher trainer, and now as the Director of Academic Programs. Jen began her career as a molecular biologist at Emory University. It wasn’t until 2013, when her then second grade daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, that she began her training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to better understand her child’s needs. Since then, Jen has become a Fellow with the Orton Gillingham Academy. She believes that the ability to read is a basic human right, and literacy is the great equalizer. In her role as Director of Academic Programs, her goal is to help ALL students read on grade level by strategically working to bring high-quality instruction based on the Orton Gillingham methodology to more teachers across the US and around the world.
Jen Burch
Jen has worked at Readsource for seven years, as an outreach program coordinator to remediate students in an underserved elementary school in Atlanta, a teacher trainer, and now as the Director of Academic Programs. Jen began her career as a molecular biologist at Emory University. It wasn’t until 2013, when her then second grade daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, that she began her training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to better understand her child’s needs. Since then, Jen has become a Fellow with the Orton Gillingham Academy. She believes that the ability to read is a basic human right, and literacy is the great equalizer. In her role as Director of Academic Programs, her goal is to help ALL students read on grade level by strategically working to bring high-quality instruction based on the Orton Gillingham methodology to more teachers across the US and around the world.