Overview
The Schenck School has always been committed to teacher training and requires its in-house teachers to take a year-long training class in the Orton-Gillingham Approach.
The teacher-training program, Roadrunners, was inaugurated many years ago by former School Director, Marge Tillman, to formally teach the highly successful teaching method. Rosalie Davis, Associate Head of School, now teaches the classes. Rosalie is a Fellow in The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, and she serves on that board. She is a past president of the Georgia branch of The International Dyslexia Association. Rosalie taught middle school-aged children for several years, and she has screened hundreds of children who have made application to The Schenck School. Rosalie is dedicated and committed to educating others about dyslexia and how to teach children who need special help in learning to read and spell.
In the fall of 2001, the School opened its doors to provide that same level of training to teachers in numerous other schools – both private and public. Rosalie Davis, Associate Head of School, directs the teacher training and is responsible for teaching on and off campus. Rosalie travels to many schools locally and state wide. Schools represented include Woodward Academy, The Westminster Schools, Trinity School, Christ The King School, Providence Christian Academy, Alpharetta Methodist Christian Academy, Sophia Academy, Oconee Christian Academy, Mill Springs Academy, and Mt. Pisgah Christian School, The Walker School, and various public schools.
The curriculum of the class begins with a general history and structure of the English language. Teachers also learn about dyslexia and its impact on reading, spelling and written language. Teachers are instructed in phonology, sound-symbol relationships for both reading and spelling, syllable types and syllable division, morphemes (Anglo-Saxon prefixes, roots, and suffixes; Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes; and Greek word elements), reading and spelling rules and generalizations and accenting patterns. Teachers have an opportunity to develop and teach some lessons. They also learn how to administer an informal assessment of reading and spelling. This Roadrunner training class enables teachers to develop a wealth of language materials along with a “jewel box” of decks that they can drill with their students. The course is for 32 weeks, and runs from mid-August until mid-May. Upon completion of the course, participants meet the 60 hour course requirement for application at the Associate level to The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. An additional requirement for certification with The Academy is a supervised, 100 hour practicum.
Rosalie strongly encourages Roadrunners to begin tutoring students upon completion of the class. It is only through working one-on-one with students that the material the teachers have been exposed to is truly learned. Observations and mentoring by Mrs. Davis is also a critical component of the program. The Schenck School offers a Roadrunners II course for a second year of training to provide continuing expansion of skills.
