Orton-Gillingham Tutoring in NYC, From an Accredited Associate Fellow
Central Park Tutors is one of the only NYC tutoring agencies run by an accredited Orton-Gillingham Associate Fellow. Our co-founder, Susana Kraglievich, is accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy — the discipline’s oldest and most rigorous credentialing body. This is not a shallow claim. Associate Fellow status is earned through years of case-based training, supervised teaching hours, and rigorous examination.
Every NYC tutor we assign to dyslexic and struggling readers is trained and supervised within this framework. When you hire Orton-Gillingham tutoring from us, you are hiring the real thing.
What Orton-Gillingham Actually Is — And Why the Distinction Matters
Orton-Gillingham is the original structured literacy method, developed in the 1930s by Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham. It is a diagnostic, prescriptive, multisensory approach to teaching reading and writing — meaning the tutor continuously assesses where a student is, prescribes the next lesson accordingly, and teaches using sight, sound, touch, and movement simultaneously.
What you should know: “Orton-Gillingham” is not a trademarked term. Anyone can claim to use “OG methods.” The difference between a generalist tutor who has read an article about Orton-Gillingham and a trained Associate or Fellow is the difference between someone who has heard of a surgical technique and someone who performs the surgery daily under expert supervision.
The Orton-Gillingham Academy recognizes three levels of practitioner certification:
Classroom Educator — basic training for classroom teachers applying OG principles to groups.
Associate — trained for one-on-one intervention with students; the minimum credential for serious tutoring work.
Fellow / Associate Fellow — the highest level, trained to teach and supervise other OG practitioners. This is Susana’s credential.
When hiring an OG tutor in NYC, it is worth asking what specific training the tutor has completed, and whether their work is supervised by an accredited Fellow. For our students, the answer is yes.
How We Use Orton-Gillingham With NYC Students
Every OG engagement begins with a diagnostic. We do not skip this step. A good OG lesson requires knowing exactly where a student’s current reading and spelling skills sit — phonogram by phonogram, syllable type by syllable type, morpheme by morpheme. Without that starting map, a tutor is guessing.
From the diagnostic, we build a lesson sequence. In OG, sequence is not optional — it is the method. A student learns closed syllables before open syllables, consonant digraphs before vowel teams, one-syllable words before two. Each lesson builds precisely on the last. A student is never asked to decode something they have not been explicitly taught.
Sessions are one-on-one, in your home or online, typically 60 minutes, one or two times per week. Every session includes phonemic awareness work, direct instruction on a new phonogram or spelling pattern, reading application, and writing application — with a focus on what the student just learned rather than a scattered review.
This is not how most tutoring works. Most tutoring is content-oriented (help with this book, review this homework). OG tutoring is skill-oriented and sequenced. It is slower at the start and much faster at the end.
Timeline and Cost
Meaningful Orton-Gillingham progress requires sustained instruction. For a student with a dyslexia diagnosis or significant reading difficulty, we typically recommend two 60-minute sessions per week over 12 to 24 months. Results accumulate slowly for the first three to six months, then begin to compound. Parents who stick with the program almost always see their child transform from a struggling reader into a fluent one.
Our rate for Orton-Gillingham tutoring is $200 per hour, reflecting the level of training and supervision involved. All materials are included. We do not require prepayment.
We work with students from across NYC — from kindergartners whose phonological awareness is delayed, to adolescents whose early gaps have compounded into reading avoidance, to adults returning to literacy instruction. We have prepared students for applications at Windward School, Churchill School, Stephen Gaynor, and other NYC dyslexia-specialist schools. We also work extensively with students attending mainstream independent and public schools who need outside structured literacy support that their schools cannot provide.
Our experience is that the right Orton-Gillingham tutor, sustained over 12-24 months, can change the trajectory of a child’s academic life. We have seen this again and again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Orton-Gillingham and other reading programs?
Orton-Gillingham is the original structured literacy method and the foundation from which most other structured literacy programs (Wilson, Fundations, Barton, Slingerland) are derived. Those programs are “OG-based” and prescribed. OG itself is the diagnostic-prescriptive approach — the tutor adapts lesson content to the specific student rather than following a fixed scripted program. A well-trained OG tutor can teach more flexibly across a wider range of student needs than a scripted program allows.
Does my child need a dyslexia diagnosis to benefit from Orton-Gillingham?
No. While OG was developed for dyslexic students and remains the gold-standard intervention for dyslexia, the method benefits any student who is struggling with reading, spelling, or writing. We have worked with students who were never formally diagnosed but who clearly needed structured, sequenced instruction that their schools could not provide.
What are the levels of OG certification?
The Orton-Gillingham Academy recognizes three levels of practitioner credential: Classroom Educator (basic classroom-level training), Associate (trained for one-on-one intervention), and Fellow or Associate Fellow (the highest level, qualified to teach and supervise other OG practitioners). Our co-founder Susana Kraglievich is an Associate Fellow.
Can OG tutoring be done online?
Yes. While in-home sessions are our default, OG works well online when the tutor is trained in the method. We have delivered successful remote instruction to students across NYC and beyond. What matters is the training and sequencing, not the medium.
How long does Orton-Gillingham tutoring typically last?
For students with dyslexia, expect 12 to 24 months of consistent twice-weekly sessions. Students with milder reading difficulties may see meaningful results in 6 to 12 months. This is not a quick-fix method — but it is the method that produces durable, lasting fluency for students who cannot intuit reading on their own.
What is the difference between OG and “science of reading” instruction?
The science of reading is the body of research documenting how children learn to read. Structured literacy — including OG — is the instructional approach aligned with that research. OG is the original structured literacy method; “science of reading” instruction broadly refers to any instruction consistent with the research base, which includes OG, Wilson, Fundations, and other programs.
Is OG only for young children?
No. We work with students of every age, including adolescents and adults. The method adapts to the student’s age and the gaps they need to close. Older students who have avoided reading for years can rebuild their foundation with the right tutor and sufficient time.
What should I ask an OG tutor before hiring?
Four questions worth asking any tutor who claims OG expertise: (1) What level of OG training have you completed? (2) Are you supervised by an accredited OG Fellow? (3) How do you conduct the initial diagnostic? (4) How do you sequence instruction? Generalist tutors typically struggle with questions 3 and 4. Trained OG tutors answer them immediately.
Every child’s reading profile is different. Call us at (917) 502-9108 and we will take the time to understand your child’s needs, review any recent evaluations, and match them with a tutor trained in the method.
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