By Jorge Valentine, EdD | Executive Director
We are nearing the completion of our Orton-Gillingham Spanish Pilot, scheduled to conclude in May 2026.
That is great news for our constituents and community, since the final stage of implementation of a project that began three years ago is on the horizon.
The pilot was designed not only to introduce an evidence-based structured literacy model in Spanish, but also to observe how core instructional components function in real classroom contexts, refine instructional practices, and build sustainable local capacity. As the pilot advances, it is providing clear insights into instructional quality, teacher learning, and the supports required for long-term success.
During this reporting period, our work concentrated on strengthening one of the most critical components of the model: Controlled Reading (Lecturas Controladas). Through classroom video observations, structured observation checklists, individual coaching sessions, and a facilitated group reflection space, we gathered evidence on how teachers are implementing this practice. These activities allowed us to identify consistent patterns across classrooms, document instructional growth, and pinpoint areas where additional guidance supports deeper student comprehension and independence.
Between October and November 2025, our instructional team conducted a comprehensive observation and reflection process with participating teachers. This included the review of recorded Controlled Reading sessions using structured observation tools, one-on-one coaching meetings focused on instructional decision-making, and a group reflection session where teachers discussed shared challenges, strategies, and insights. Compared to the previous year, teachers showed clear growth in confidence, structure, and reflective practice when implementing Controlled Reading within the Spanish Orton-Gillingham framework.
The primary challenges identified during this phase relate to advanced instructional skills that continue to develop with practice. Teachers are refining how to precisely match texts to students’ instructional reading levels, maintain an appropriate balance between decoding, fluency, and comprehension, and determine when to gradually remove instructional scaffolds to promote student independence. In some cases, teachers tended to over-support students during inferential questioning, which can limit opportunities for independent meaning-making. These challenges reflect a natural progression from foundational implementation toward more nuanced instruction rather than a lack of readiness or commitment.
To address these challenges, we are providing targeted instructional coaching, clearer shared criteria for instructional-level text selection, and focused modeling of inferential questioning grounded in textual evidence. Professional development sessions emphasize strategic scaffold use, timely scaffold removal, and deeper integration of visual supports as active instructional tools. Teachers continue to receive individualized feedback and participate in guided reflection to support steady, sustainable improvement as the pilot moves toward completion.
At the same time, we are developing and adapting our teacher training for an online learning environment, a key component of the pilot’s final phase. This transition will allow us to prepare future Orton-Gillingham teachers more efficiently and consistently, while maintaining rigor and fidelity to the model. Moving training online significantly expands our outreach capacity, enabling educators beyond the original pilot cohort to access high-quality preparation in Spanish structured literacy.
Collectively, these efforts are laying the instructional and organizational foundation for the launch of Spanish-language reading clinics, which will provide direct, structured literacy intervention to students with persistent reading difficulties. Teachers participating in the pilot are demonstrating stronger instructional intentionality, improved use of comprehension strategies, more effective emotional support during challenging reading tasks, and greater confidence in reflective practice. Students are benefiting from more consistent, intentional reading instruction in learning environments that support both academic growth and emotional safety.
In the next phase of the project, we will finalize the Orton-Gillingham Spanish Pilot, complete the transition of teacher training to an online format, and prepare for the launch of Spanish-language reading clinics. Instructionally, we will continue deepening support for advanced Controlled Reading practices, including instructional-level calibration, inferential comprehension, and scaffold withdrawal, ensuring that quality and sustainability remain central as the program scales.
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