Areté Orton Gillingham Studio

Parents often ask us: "If my child is already in school all day, why do they need an Orton-Gillingham practitioner?"

The truth is, standard schooling and OG aren’t competing, they are the perfect partnership.

🏫 The Standard Classroom is a fast-paced environment. It gives your child social connections, a broad curriculum, and exposure to incredible topics like science, history, and the arts. But because it moves quickly and caters to the majority, reading and spelling are often taught with a "one-size-fits-all" approach.

🧠 Orton-Gillingham is thought of as a specialized key that unlocks that classroom. We slow things down and teach the how and why of the English language using structured, multisensory techniques. We rewire the brain for reading and spelling so that when your child goes back into their standard classroom, they have the independent skills to tackle that science textbook or write that history essay with confidence.

School provides the map; OG provides a turn-by-turn navigation for the kids who need a different route!

Contact us for a consult on how we can help your child at https://areteog.ca/contact/

Did you know the English language isn't just random memorization? It’s actually full of secret codes!

If your child struggles with spelling, they could be relying entirely on visual memory. Here’s a favorite Orton-Gillingham mini-lesson you can try at home with your child to solve a very common spelling mystery: When do we use 'C' and when do we use 'K' at the beginning of a word?

Many early spellers just guess, but there’s a dependable, easy-to-learn rule!

The C vs. K Rule:
✨ K takes I and E. (Think: kite, keep, kid)
✨ C takes the other three: A, O, and U. (Think: cat, cot, cup)

Grab a piece of paper and write out the rule for your child: K with i/e, C with a/o/u.

Explain the "secret code" to them.

Say a simple word out loud (try: cob, kit, cab, keg, cut).

Have them isolate the vowel sound they hear.

Ask them to use their new rule to tell you if the word starts with a C or a K!

In the Orton-Gillingham approach, we explicitly teach these phonetic rules instead of relying on rote memorization. For a child with dyslexia or reading struggles, understanding the why behind spelling removes the guesswork, reduces anxiety, and builds their confidence.

🔗 Reach out today to connect with us and learn more about our tailored, one-on-one sessions: https://areteog.ca/contact/

Ever wonder why we use sand to teach reading? 🏖️

If your child struggles with reading or spelling, standard worksheets might not be enough to make the concepts "stick." That’s where the magic of Areté Orton-Gillingham Studio comes in!

In this photo, you see a child drawing an "ing" sound using a sand tray. This isn't just for fun, it's a core OG technique called Multisensory Learning.

Visual: They see the letters on the card and in the sand.

Auditory: They say the sounds out loud as they write ("i - n - g says /ing/").

Tactile: They feel the texture of the sand and use muscle memory to form the letters.

By engaging multiple senses simultaneously, we create stronger neural pathways in the brain. It takes reading from a purely visual task and turns it into a whole-brain experience, especially highly effective for dyslexic learners!

🏠 Mini-Lesson to Try at Home:
You don't need fancy blue sand to try this! Grab a baking sheet and spread a thin layer of salt, sugar, or even shaving cream on it. Call out a letter sound or a short spelling word, and have your child trace it with their index finger while repeating the sound out loud. Gently shake the tray (or add more shaving cream!) to "erase" and try another!

Is your child feeling frustrated with reading? Discover how personalized, multisensory Orton-Gillingham instruction can unlock their potential and rebuild their confidence.

Connect with our team: https://areteog.ca/contact/

Lets try the Orton-Gillingham "Finger Tapping" method! 🖐️✨

Sometimes, sounding out words can feel overwhelming for growing readers. That’s where Finger Tapping comes in!

Here’s a mini-lesson using the word C-A-T:

1. Have your child hold up their non-writing hand.
2. Have them say the first sound (/k/) while tapping their index finger to their thumb.
3. Have them say the middle vowel sound (/a/) while tapping their middle finger to their thumb.
4. Have them say the final sound (/t/) while tapping their ring finger to their thumb.
5. Have them slide their thumb smoothly across those three fingers while saying the whole word aloud: "CAT!"

At Areté Orton-Gillingham Studio, we know that reading isn't just about looking at letters. Our approach is explicitly multi-sensory. By pairing a physical touch (tapping) with the auditory sound (phoneme), we are helping the brain build a stronger, physical connection to the word. This turns abstract letters into a tangible experience, making decoding and blending easier!

Try this tonight with other three-letter words like dog, sun, or pig.

We are here to help your child build confidence and fundamental skills. Reach out to us today to learn more about our personalized sessions: https://areteog.ca/contact/

Dyslexic brains aren't broken, they are brilliant. 🧠✨

We see the struggle first: jumbled letters, messy spelling, and the avoidance of reading. What’s hidden behind chaos is a powerful mind that is wired for creativity, complex problem-solving, and BIG thoughts.

Their challenge isn't intelligence; it's decoding the world to their own brain. The code of the English language is often invisible to them.

At Areté Orton-Gillingham Studio, we don't just teach. We provide the scaffolding your child needs to learn. With a multisensory, explicit approach to take the tangled mess of letters in their mind and gives them tools to build a clear and logical path to success.

Shall we work together to see your child's true potential? Book your consultation with Areté today: areteog.ca/contact/

We don’t just ask students to look at a word; we ask them to feel it. This is called tactile reinforcement, and it’s a saving grace for those who have dyslexia or are struggling readers.

At Areté Orton-Gillingham Studio, we use multisensory techniques to make these words stick. Grab a cookie sheet and some flour, and we can show you an easier mini lesson to teach your child!! 🌾✨

USE "TWO-FINGERS" ✌️
Have your child use their pointer and middle fingers held together to write. This larger surface area of skin contact sends a stronger signal to the brain, helping lock in the letter shapes!

🗣️ As they write, they must say the letter names out loud: S-A-I-D.
Crucial Rule: Do NOT use letter sounds for sight words. We want the brain to memorize the spelling sequence as one single unit.

Once the word is written, have them draw a horizontal line from left to right underneath it. As they sweep their fingers, they say the whole word: "Said."

🔄Gently shake the tray to "erase" and do it again!
Repeat this all 3 times. This will build muscle memory so their hand eventually knows how to write it without the brain having to overthink.

If your child is struggling with reading or spelling, we want to help.

🔗 Click the link in our bio to book a consultation or visit: https://areteog.ca/contact/

Contact – Areté Orton-Gillingham More than a business, my mission is to change lives and give hope. To change self-doubt into confidence. To guide and empower students to discover their unique gifts and strengths. Your excellence is my mission. – Avril Wessels

Dyslexia doesn't have to be a barrier. At Areté, we turn it into a blueprint for learning.

You see it every single day: your child is incredible at solving complex problems, building masterpieces, and telling vivid stories. But when they open a book, their confidence vanishes.

We call this the "Dyslexia Paradox."

Children with dyslexia are often high-intelligence, "outside the box" thinkers, but their brains are wired differently for language. At Areté Orton-Gillingham Studio, we don't try to change how they think. Instead, we change how they are taught.

Dyslexia-Specific instruction:

- Direct Mapping: We help the brain connect sounds to symbols in a way that "sticks."

- Building the 'Reading Circuit': Through multisensory tools, we create the neural pathways that don't come naturally to dyslexic learners.

- Restoring Self-Esteem: We give them the "why" behind the words, so they stop feeling behind and start feeling empowered.

Dyslexia is just a different way of processing the world. Let’s make sure reading isn't the thing that holds them back.

✨ Take the first step toward their confident reading today.
👉 Contact us for a consultation: https://areteog.ca/contact/ (Link is also in bio!)

Tutoring vs. Intervention: What exactly is Orton-Gillingham? 🔍

When a child is falling behind in reading, standard tutoring or homework help usually isn't enough to close the gap. Children who struggle with literacy need intensive intervention. But what does that actually mean?

Orton-Gillingham isn't a curriculum or a quick fix. It is a highly structured, evidence-based approach to teaching reading and spelling. Here is what makes our Areté sessions different:

- Explicit & Direct: We don't leave anything to guesswork.

- Sequential: We start with the simplest concepts and systematically build up to complex ones. No gaps left behind!

- Multisensory: We use sight, sound, touch, and movement simultaneously to lock information into long-term memory.

- Diagnostic: Every lesson is customized based on how your child performed during their previous lessons.

If your child is struggling, the right method makes all the difference. Give them the tools to finally feel confident in the classroom.

🔗 Learn more about our studio and book an assessment today: https://areteog.ca/contact/

Does your child struggle with spelling words like bridge or cage? Why is there a 'd' in one but not the other? 🧐
In Orton-Gillingham, we teach the Soldier Rule: -dge should be used only after a short vowel. The 'd' acts like a soldier protecting that short vowel!

Examples: badge, edge, bridge, dodge, judge.

Use -ge after anything else (long vowels or consonants).

Examples: cage, huge, barge, cringe.

English doesn't have to be a guessing game. At Areté, we don't teach memorization; we teach decoding. Let us give your child the tools they need to read and spell with CONFIDENCE. Contact us through our bio or at www.areteog.ca

Why is "bull" spelled with two Ls, but "pig" only has one G? Enter the FLOSS Rule! 🦷🐂

In Orton-Gillingham, we teach rules, not just memorization. The FLOSS rule states that if a one-syllable word has a short vowel and ends in F, L, S, or Z, you double the last letter.

Think: a bull eating grass, or giving a container of floss a good sniff! (These are all FLOSS words!)

Are there exceptions? Of course... it's English! 😉 But instead of leaving kids to guess, we explicitly teach the rule-breakers, too. The most common exceptions are a handful of everyday words like gas, bus, yes, us, and if. (And words like is, his, and was don't double the 's' because it actually makes a /z/ sound!)

When children understand the why behind spelling, the English language stops feeling impossible. Want to learn more about how our structured literacy lessons can help your child decode the English language?

Follow our page or drop our team a line! ➡️
https://areteog.ca/contact/