Award-Winning Orton Gillingham Tutors
serving Long Beach, CA
Orton Gillingham
Tutors in Long Beach
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.
I have been an elementary and middle school teacher for the past 14 years, and enjoy working with all ages of students. My focus over the last few years has been to delve deeply into the science behind learning to read. As a result, I have become a Certified Orton Gillingham Instructor through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). The Orton Gillingham (OG) approach consists of multi-sensory instruction that is direct, explicit, and systematic. Lessons are based on the individual needs of the student. It has been proven over time to be a very effective way to teach students with reading difficulties, including dyslexia, to read. I look forward to help you or your child experience the joy of learning to read.
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Cardiff University, and have a Masters in Counseling from Monash University. Trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy, I am passionate and experienced in using a multi-sensory approach to tutoring students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Having worked in an educational setting for over 11 years in Hong Kong, I am experienced in working with students from kindergarten all the way through to primary school.
I received my degree in Elementary Education from York College of Pennsylvania. I then attended McDaniel College where I received a masters degree in reading and became a Reading Specialist. My love for teaching reading continued and I furthered my education at Mount Saint Mary's University for training in Reading Recovery. I started my career teaching kindergarten and currently am a reading specialist in my school district, where I work one on one and in small groups with struggling readers. My passion is for tutoring early learners to help them gain the skills they need to grow as readers and writers. In my tutoring sessions I love to get to know my learners interests and personalities. I incorporate manipulatives, sight word games, leveled texts, and writing into sessions to make sessions more engaging. I love to build confidence in my learners by focusing on their strengths in order to get the most amount of growth out of my learners. My hobbies include exercise, spending time with my family, and going to the beach.
Hi there! I'm Derek and I'm passionate about helping students like you achieve their goals through engaging, customized learning experiences. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of a subject, improve your grades, or master a particular skill, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. With a PhD in Curriculum Design and Educational Technologies and 17 years of experience in education, I bring a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise to every session. But what sets me apart is my commitment to understanding your unique learning style. I don't believe in one-size-fits-all approachesevery student is different, and I tailor my lessons to meet your individual needs, pace, and interests. I take pride in creating a comfortable, supportive environment where questions are encouraged, and learning is both challenging and fun. I strive to build a rapport with my students, so they not only understand the material but also develop the confidence to apply it in real-world situations. Together, we'll work toward your academic or professional goals, and I'll be there to celebrate every success along the way. If you're ready to take the next step in your learning journey, I'd love to connect with you. Let's create a plan that works for you!
I am a graduate of Bachelor in Elementary Education with a major in Special Education. Currently, I am pursuing my graduate degree in Special Education. I am a licensed teacher, and I have 9 years of teaching experience, both in-person and virtually. I am most interested in helping students with learning difficulties achieve their highest potential. I am fun, creative, and passionate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Orton Gillingham method is a structured, multisensory approach to reading instruction that teaches students to understand the alphabetic principle—how letters represent sounds. It's particularly effective for students with dyslexia or those who haven't responded well to traditional reading instruction, as it breaks down phonics into explicit, sequential steps and engages multiple senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to reinforce learning. Students typically see measurable improvement in decoding skills, fluency, and reading comprehension when working with tutors trained in this evidence-based approach.
With an average student-teacher ratio of 24:1 across Long Beach's 118 schools, classroom teachers often can't provide the individualized attention that struggling readers need. Orton Gillingham tutoring offers personalized 1-on-1 instruction tailored to your child's specific learning profile, pace, and gaps—whether they're in elementary, middle, or high school. Tutors can diagnose exactly where decoding breaks down and adjust lessons in real time, rather than following a one-size-fits-all curriculum designed for whole classrooms.
The first session focuses on assessment and building rapport. Tutors will evaluate your student's current reading level, identify specific challenges (like phoneme awareness, blending, or sight word recognition), and discuss learning history to understand what approaches have or haven't worked. This foundation allows tutors to create a personalized Orton Gillingham plan that targets your child's exact needs and learning style from day one.
Many students show noticeable progress in decoding accuracy and confidence within 4-6 weeks of consistent tutoring, though the timeline depends on the severity of the reading difficulty and frequency of sessions. More significant gains in fluency and comprehension typically emerge over several months of regular practice. Consistency is key—students who work with tutors 2-3 times per week and practice between sessions generally see faster, more sustained improvement than those with sporadic sessions.
Orton Gillingham can be effective for students from early elementary through high school and beyond. It's most commonly used for students in grades 2-6 who are struggling with foundational phonics, but it also benefits older students who missed these fundamentals or have dyslexia. Tutors adapt the curriculum and pacing to match each student's developmental level, so a high schooler working to improve reading fluency will have a very different experience than a second grader learning letter-sound correspondence for the first time.
Look for tutors who have completed formal Orton Gillingham training through an accredited institute and ideally hold certification from organizations like the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE). Experience working with students who have dyslexia or reading disabilities is valuable, as is familiarity with assessment tools and the ability to track progress with data. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors in Long Beach who have the training and experience to deliver structured, evidence-based reading instruction.
The multisensory component—using sight, sound, touch, and movement together—helps strengthen neural pathways for reading by engaging multiple learning systems at once. For example, a student might trace a letter while saying its sound, then write it from memory. This approach is especially powerful for students with dyslexia, whose brains process phonological information differently. Research shows that multisensory instruction leads to stronger, more durable memory of letter-sound relationships and faster automaticity in decoding.
Home practice is essential to reinforce what students learn in tutoring sessions and build automaticity—the ability to recognize letters and decode words without conscious effort. Tutors will assign specific, structured activities (usually 15-30 minutes daily) that align with what's being taught in sessions. Consistent practice between sessions accelerates progress significantly, so families should expect to dedicate time to these assignments and support their child's learning at home.
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