Megan Balcom - Private Orton Gillingham Practitioner

I try to be really honest on this page, and the truth is… sometimes I doubt myself.

Sometimes a student walks through my doors, I complete the initial diagnostic assessment, and I sit there wondering how I’m going to help them. Not because I don’t believe they can be helped — I absolutely do — but because I care so deeply about getting it right for them.

Then my training kicks in.
I trust the process.
I follow the child’s lead.
I follow the Orton-Gillingham approach.

Sometimes that means reinventing lessons, trying brand new ideas, scrolling TikTok for inspiration, or completely changing my plan halfway through a session. Because every child learns differently, and every child deserves someone willing to keep trying until something clicks.

And then one day… it happens.
The breakthrough.
The confidence.
The reading starts to come together.

Those are the moments that remind me why I do this.

The truth is, when I’m your child’s Orton-Gillingham practitioner, I care about them the same way I care about my own children. I never want them to feel defeated, overlooked, or incapable.

So yes, I doubt myself sometimes.
Because I care that much.

But I will keep showing up, keep learning, keep adapting, and keep fighting for every child to learn to read with confidence and joy. ❤️

Some lessons are filled with huge breakthroughs, confident reading, and smiles that come easily. ✨

Some lessons feel hard. There are tears, frustration, and moments where learning seems impossible.

And sometimes lessons look like singing “The Duck Walked Up to the Lemonade Stand” 15 times while we figure out how to spell the words together. 🎶🦆🍋

Every single one of those lessons matters.

Learning to read — especially for children with dyslexia — is not a straight line. As we strengthen and build new pathways in the brain, there will be challenging days. There will be moments where progress feels slow. That doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening.

Sometimes the biggest progress is simply showing up, trying again, and building confidence through connection and trust.

I always try to meet my students where they are, stay flexible, and make learning feel safe — even on the hard days. Because those hard days are often part of the process that leads to the breakthrough moments later on. ❤️

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing moms in my community. 💛

To the moms who drive to lessons week after week, practice spelling words at the kitchen table, wipe away tears of frustration, celebrate every little win, and advocate endlessly for their children — I see you.

Your patience, support, and dedication make such a difference in your child’s journey. The progress they make is not just because of tutoring, but because they have someone beside them cheering them on every step of the way.

I hope today you feel appreciated for everything you do. 🌸

Tonight during a lesson, my student was absolutely crushing their reading. I said, “My gracious, look how good you are getting at breaking those words apart!”

Without missing a beat they replied, “Migration!! That’s a great word. I’m going to use that more often.” 😂

Not quite the word I said… but honestly the confidence, enthusiasm, and quick thinking made my whole night.

These moments are exactly why I love what I do. My students keep me laughing and constantly keep me on my toes. ❤️📚

Talking is natural.

Walking is natural.

Reading is NOT.

The brain has to be taught how to connect:
✔ sounds
✔ letters
✔ words

Some children need that taught more explicitly—and that’s exactly what structured literacy does.

✨ Helping children learn to read with confidence and joy

Some of the best moments happen in the middle of a lesson ❤️

Tonight, my student and I were working on decoding the word “yum.” Afterward, we drew a picture to help lock it into memory. So of course I asked him, “What’s your favourite food?”

Without missing a beat… “Steak!”

I laughed and said, “A boy after my own heart.” Then I asked how he likes his steak…

His response?

“Premium, Megan. Nothing but the best.” 😂😂😂

Safe to say… we’re building strong decoding skills and high standards over here.

🚩 guessing at words
🚩 avoiding reading
🚩 struggling with spelling
🚩 losing confidence

These are not phases.

They are signals.

And the earlier we support them, the easier it is to build strong reading skills.

✨ Helping children learn to read with confidence and joy

The child who is avoiding reading…

The child who says “I can’t”…

The child who shuts down…

They are not being difficult.

They are overwhelmed.

When reading feels impossible, kids protect themselves the only way they know how.

Our job is to make it feel possible again.

✨ Helping children learn to read with confidence and joy

You will always find me telling my students how amazing they are!