Who We Are
We are a specialised centre for children who are struggling readers or who have dyslexia.
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The Reading Academy started in response to the demand for specialised services by highly trained, qualified specialists to teach children who are experiencing difficulty with reading or who have dyslexia. Our Directors have more than 30 years combined teaching experience at St Oliver Plunkett School, a special reading school for children with dyslexia. They have their Masters degrees in Special Education, are trained in the Orton Gillingham approach and the Wilson reading programme.
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The Reading Academy offers small group, weekly lessons using phonics and learning strategies to teach children to read. The positive and relaxed atmosphere allows children to feel comfortable in a literature based environment. Within each group, every child's individual needs are assessed and addressed on a weekly basis to ensure they are mastering the skills needed to become a fluent and confident reader. |
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The Orton Gillingham Approach is diagnostic and prescriptive. Each lesson is planned for a small group of students. It is not a “packaged” curriculum in which “one size fits all.” The teacher must be adaptable and flexible, understand the learner’s needs and use appropriate teaching strategies. Orton-Gillingham is also direct and explicit, and students are not expected to know anything that has not already been taught and practiced. It is language based. Teachers are trained in the structure of the English language. They teach the language as it is to the students where they are in their understanding of the language. Many programs say that they employ multisensory methods but to be truly multisensory, teachers must make sure that auditory, visual and kinesthetic elements are utilized together to reinforce each element for optimal learning. |
