Award-Winning Orton Gillingham Tutors
serving Des Moines, IA
Orton Gillingham
Tutors in Des Moines
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
Orton Gillingham is a structured, multisensory approach to reading instruction that's particularly effective for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Unlike classroom reading programs that often rely on sight words and guessing from context, Orton Gillingham teaches the foundational connection between sounds and letters through explicit, sequential steps. This method engages multiple senses—students see letters, hear sounds, and physically write or trace them—which strengthens neural pathways and builds reading skills from the ground up.
Orton Gillingham works best for students who struggle with phonics, have been diagnosed with dyslexia, or haven't responded well to traditional classroom reading instruction. It's also valuable for students who reverse letters, struggle with word decoding, or have difficulty connecting sounds to written symbols. While it's often used with elementary students, older students and adults can benefit too, as the method builds reading confidence at any age by addressing the specific gaps in foundational skills.
In a typical Des Moines classroom with an average student-teacher ratio of 14.7:1, teachers have limited time to provide individualized attention to struggling readers. Personalized Orton Gillingham tutoring allows a tutor to work at your student's exact pace, repeat lessons as needed, and adjust the sequence based on their specific learning style. Tutors can also diagnose exactly where reading skills break down—whether it's letter-sound correspondence, blending, or decoding multisyllabic words—and target instruction precisely, leading to faster progress and greater confidence.
Many students begin showing measurable progress within 4-8 weeks of consistent tutoring, particularly in letter-sound recognition and basic blending skills. More significant improvements in fluency and comprehension typically emerge over 3-6 months of regular sessions. The timeline depends on the student's starting point, frequency of tutoring, and how consistently they practice between sessions—students who work with a tutor 2-3 times weekly and practice daily often progress faster than those with less frequent instruction.
Orton Gillingham is specifically designed to tackle phonemic awareness gaps, letter reversals (like b/d confusion), difficulty blending sounds into words, and weak decoding skills—all foundational issues that prevent fluent reading. Students often struggle with multisyllabic words because they haven't mastered the systematic rules of sound-symbol relationships. The method also helps students who've memorized sight words but can't apply phonetic strategies to unfamiliar words, which limits their ability to read independently and understand new material.
Orton Gillingham is a foundational reading method that complements most school curricula rather than conflicts with it. Tutors can coordinate with classroom teachers to ensure tutoring reinforces what students are learning at school while filling in gaps in phonetic understanding. Since Orton Gillingham builds core decoding skills systematically, students often catch up to grade-level expectations and can then engage more successfully with whatever reading program their school uses.
The best Orton Gillingham tutors have formal training in the method—ideally certification from an accredited Orton Gillingham academy or extensive professional development in structured literacy. Look for tutors with experience working with students who have dyslexia or reading disabilities, and those who can explain their approach clearly and track student progress with specific metrics. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have verified expertise in Orton Gillingham and a track record of helping students build reading confidence and skills.
The first session typically involves assessment and relationship-building rather than jumping into lessons. A tutor will ask about your student's reading history, current challenges, and what they've already tried, and may conduct informal assessments to pinpoint exactly where skills break down. This diagnostic work is crucial—it allows the tutor to determine whether to start with phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondence, or blending, ensuring the tutoring sequence matches your student's actual needs rather than a generic starting point.
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