Award-Winning Orton Gillingham Tutors
serving Miami, FL
Award-Winning
Orton Gillingham
Tutors in Miami
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.
I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.
I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.
I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.
I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.
I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Orton Gillingham is a structured, multisensory literacy approach designed for students with dyslexia and reading difficulties. Unlike traditional classroom reading instruction that often relies on sight words and guessing strategies, Orton Gillingham teaches the phonetic structure of English systematically—starting with individual sounds and building to words, syllables, and sentences. The method incorporates multiple senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to strengthen neural pathways for reading and spelling.
In a classroom with an average student-teacher ratio of 18.6:1, like many schools across Miami's 479 schools, individual students with reading struggles often don't receive the targeted practice this approach requires. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to pace lessons according to each student's needs, provide immediate feedback, and adjust techniques based on response patterns—critical elements of effective Orton Gillingham instruction.
Orton Gillingham is most effective for students with dyslexia, reading disabilities, or significant phonological processing difficulties. However, it also helps students who are struggling readers due to gaps in foundational phonics, students learning English as a second language, and those who haven't responded well to conventional reading programs.
The method is appropriate for students from early elementary through high school and even adults. If your student consistently reverses letters, struggles to sound out unfamiliar words, has difficulty with spelling, or reads significantly below grade level, Orton Gillingham may be the right approach. An expert tutor can assess where your student is and determine if this structured method will help them build the decoding and encoding skills needed for reading success.
Orton Gillingham can begin as early as kindergarten or first grade, particularly for students showing early signs of reading difficulty or dyslexia. However, many students are introduced to it in elementary school (grades 2-5) once reading struggles become apparent. It's effective at any age, and some students benefit from starting it even in middle or high school if their foundation is weak.
With consistent, personalized instruction, students typically begin seeing improvements in decoding accuracy within weeks and increased reading fluency within a few months. The pace depends on the severity of the student's difficulty and consistency of practice. Students learn to decode multisyllabic words, improve spelling accuracy, and develop the confidence to tackle reading tasks independently—leading to measurable progress in both standardized assessments and classroom reading levels.
Orton Gillingham follows a highly structured sequence: tutors introduce sound-symbol associations (phonemes) in a specific order, moving from simple to complex. Students practice blending sounds into words, then segmenting words back into sounds. Each lesson incorporates reading, writing, and multisensory activities—students might trace letters while saying sounds, write words from dictation, and build words with manipulatives.
This structure is critical because it builds reading skills systematically and cumulatively. Every lesson reviews and reinforces previous learning while introducing new concepts only when the student demonstrates mastery. In contrast, classroom reading programs often move at a fixed pace regardless of individual progress. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction ensures your student spends adequate time on each skill, receives immediate correction, and doesn't develop the gaps that compound reading difficulties.
Many students begin showing measurable improvement—such as improved accuracy in sounding out words or increased confidence reading aloud—within 4-8 weeks of consistent, twice-weekly lessons. More significant progress in fluency and comprehension often emerges within 3-6 months. However, the timeline depends on the severity of the student's reading difficulty, frequency of lessons, and consistency of practice outside tutoring sessions.
Students with mild phonics gaps may see faster progress, while those with significant dyslexia or reading disabilities typically need longer-term support to build strong skills. The key is consistency: students who engage in short daily practice between lessons progress more quickly than those with sporadic instruction. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors experienced in tracking progress and adjusting instruction to maximize your student's growth rate.
Yes, and in many cases, it's ideal. Orton Gillingham tutoring complements classroom instruction by providing the systematic, repetitive, phonetically-structured practice that classroom programs may not offer. A tutor can focus on filling specific gaps while the classroom provides exposure to grade-level texts and reading comprehension strategies.
It's helpful to communicate with your student's classroom teacher about the tutoring approach so they understand the student's reading methodology. Some teachers appreciate coordinating—for example, the tutor might focus on decoding skills while the teacher emphasizes comprehension. For students in Miami attending any of the 170,245 students across the district, personalized tutoring can be the targeted support that helps them keep pace with grade-level expectations while the classroom moves forward.
Look for tutors with specific training and certification in Orton Gillingham methodology—ideally from organizations like the International Dyslexia Association or through completion of formal Orton Gillingham training programs. Experience working with students who have dyslexia or reading disabilities, along with a track record of measurable student progress, matters significantly. The right tutor should also be willing to collaborate with your student's school and communicate progress regularly.
Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors trained in Orton Gillingham and experienced in working with students who have reading difficulties. We match you with someone who understands your student's specific needs, uses proven techniques, and can provide the consistent, personalized instruction that makes this approach effective. You can discuss your student's reading challenges, goals, and learning style to find the best fit.
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