Explicit & Systematic
Every lesson is intentional. Skills are taught directly, sequentially, and with the right level of scaffolding for each learner. I never assume prior knowledge.
Laura Gabow, M.S. Ed.
NY State Certified · IMSE Orton-Gillingham
About
A Specialist Who Sees Your Child
I am a dedicated K–5 literacy specialist with over ten years of experience working with children with language and learning variations. I hold a Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education (4.0 GPA) — one of the nation's most rigorous graduate programs for child-centered learning — alongside New York State certifications in Literacy, Special Education, and Childhood Education.
My instruction is deeply rooted in the Science of Reading. I am trained through the IMSE (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) in Orton-Gillingham methodology with fidelity certification, and have completed the AIM Institute's Pathways to Proficient Reading professional development. These are not credentials I collect — they are frameworks I actively apply in every session.
Beyond foundational decoding, I specialize in helping students bridge the gap between word recognition and deep comprehension — empowering learners to move past frustration, build lasting skills, and discover what it feels like to love reading.
- M.S. Education Bank Street College · 4.0 GPA
- Orton-Gillingham IMSE Certified + Fidelity
- AIM Institute Pathways to Proficient Reading
- NY State Certified Literacy · SpEd · Childhood Ed
- 10+ Years K–5 Literacy Instruction
The Science Behind the Work
Grounded in Research, Not Trend
The Science of Reading is not a program or a fad — it is the cumulative body of research from cognitive science, linguistics, and education that tells us how the brain learns to read. My instruction is built on these evidence-based foundations.
The Goal
Reading Comprehension
The ultimate aim — understanding what is read with accuracy and fluency.
Strand 1
Decoding
Phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition — the ability to translate print to sound.
Strand 2
Language Comprehension
Vocabulary, syntax, background knowledge, verbal reasoning — what the reader brings to the text.
The Simple View of Reading — Gough & Tunmer (1986) · Scarborough's Reading Rope (2001)
Six Pillars of Structured Literacy
Phonological Awareness
The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken language — the bedrock of decoding. Includes rhyme, syllable segmentation, and phoneme manipulation.
Phonics & Word Study
Explicit, systematic instruction in the alphabetic code — grapheme-phoneme correspondences, syllable patterns, morphology, and spelling rules taught in a logical sequence.
Fluency
Reading with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression. Fluency frees cognitive capacity so the reader can focus on meaning rather than decoding individual words.
Vocabulary
Deep knowledge of word meanings — including morphological analysis (roots, prefixes, suffixes) — which is essential for comprehension and academic language development.
Reading Comprehension
Active strategies for constructing meaning: inference, visualization, text structure awareness, summarizing, and monitoring for understanding.
Written Language
Reading and writing are deeply connected. Composition, spelling, sentence-level grammar, and handwriting reinforce and extend the same neural pathways that support reading.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach — What It Really Means
Multisensory
Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways engaged simultaneously — the way the brain builds durable neural connections.
Explicit
Nothing is left to discovery or chance. Every skill is directly taught, modeled, and practiced with immediate corrective feedback.
Systematic & Cumulative
Concepts are introduced in a carefully planned sequence. Each new skill builds on mastered material — no gaps, no leaps.
Diagnostic & Prescriptive
Ongoing informal assessment drives instruction. What a child does and doesn't yet know shapes every session.
My Approach
What Every Session Looks Like
Each lesson is intentional, individualized, and structured — but never rigid. I meet each student where they are, every single time.
Multisensory Learning
Orton-Gillingham methodology engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways simultaneously — meeting students where their brains are and building durable memory.
Data-Driven Progress
Regular informal assessment and progress monitoring ensure instruction adapts to each student's evolving needs — not a fixed curriculum on a fixed schedule.
Comprehension & Meaning
Decoding is the foundation — but the goal is understanding. I build word recognition and language comprehension in tandem, from phoneme to paragraph.
Strengths-Based
Every child has strengths. I start there — building confidence and momentum before tackling the hard stuff. Reading frustration is real; I work to dismantle it.
Family Partnership
Parents are not bystanders. I keep families informed, explain what we're working on and why, and equip you with simple strategies to reinforce learning at home.
Who I Help
Is This the Right Fit for Your Child?
My students range from children with diagnosed learning differences to typical learners who simply haven't unlocked reading yet. If your child is struggling, there is a reason — and a path forward.
Students with Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a phonological processing difference — not an intelligence issue. Orton-Gillingham was specifically designed for dyslexic learners and is the gold standard intervention endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association.
Language Processing Differences
Children with auditory processing disorders, language delays, or mixed receptive-expressive language differences benefit from the explicit, multisensory scaffolding at the heart of my approach.
Students with IEPs & 504 Plans
I work closely with IEP and 504 goals, provide written progress documentation, and can consult with school teams. Tutoring that aligns with your child's school plan is far more effective than tutoring in isolation.
Struggling Readers (K–5)
Many children who haven't been formally diagnosed are still reading significantly below grade level. Structured, explicit instruction accelerates growth for any student who hasn't cracked the code with whole-language or leveled-reader approaches.
Comprehension Challenges
Some students can decode accurately but struggle to make meaning from text. I address the language comprehension strand directly — vocabulary, inference, text structure, and verbal reasoning — not just decoding.
Early Intervention (PreK–K)
The earlier, the better. Phonological awareness and print concepts are foundational. Early targeted support prevents the compounding reading gap that widens significantly by third grade.
Signs Your Child Might Benefit from Support
- Avoids or resists reading aloud or independently
- Struggles to remember common high-frequency words
- Reads slowly with significant effort
- Difficulty distinguishing similar sounds (b/d, p/q)
- Guesses at words rather than decoding them
- Struggles with phonemic awareness tasks (rhyming, blending)
- Inconsistent spelling; doesn't apply phonics rules
- Reading fluency below grade-level expectations
- Comprehension suffers even when decoding improves
- Family history of reading difficulties or dyslexia
Not sure? A free consultation is the best place to start — no pressure, no commitment.
Services
How We Work Together
Individualized support for every stage of your child's reading journey — from assessment through ongoing instruction and family coaching.
1:1 Orton-Gillingham Literacy Tutoring
The core of my practice. Each session is individualized to your child's specific literacy profile — not a packaged curriculum applied universally. I draw from IMSE Orton-Gillingham methodology with fidelity, meaning every lesson includes warm-up phonological drills, phonics instruction, word work, fluency practice, and passage reading, adjusted dynamically as your child progresses. Ideal for students with dyslexia, reading delays, IEPs, or anyone who needs structured, explicit instruction.
Informal Literacy Assessment
Before we can make a plan, we need a clear picture. My comprehensive informal literacy assessment spans 1–2 sessions and examines phonological awareness, phonics knowledge, decoding and encoding patterns, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. You receive a detailed written summary with specific findings and a targeted action plan — a road map you can use with tutors, teachers, and specialists alike. This is not a formal diagnostic evaluation, but it is far more actionable for instructional planning.
Parent Coaching & Education
Informed parents are the most powerful advocates for their children. These sessions help you understand the Science of Reading, demystify your child's specific learning profile, and equip you with practical strategies to support reading at home. We can also work through IEP literacy goals together, discuss what to ask for in school meetings, or simply help you feel less alone in navigating this process.
School Consultation & Advocacy
Bridging the gap between home support and school instruction. I can review your child's current school literacy program, advise on IEP literacy accommodations and goals, attend CSE meetings with families, or consult with classroom teachers and reading specialists. Many families find that alignment between tutoring and school instruction dramatically accelerates their child's progress.
What to Expect
Getting Started Is Simple
From your first message to your child's first breakthrough — here is how we work together.
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Free Consultation Call
We start with a 30-minute phone or video call. Tell me about your child — their grade, their reading challenges, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping for. I'll share whether I think we're a good fit and what I'd recommend as a next step. No pressure, no sales pitch.
30 minutes · Free · No commitment -
Informal Literacy Assessment
Before instruction begins, I need to understand your child's specific literacy profile. Over 1–2 sessions, I administer a range of informal assessments across phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This tells me exactly where to start — not at grade level, but at the right level.
1–2 sessions · Includes written report -
Customized Instruction Plan
Based on assessment findings, I build an individualized plan that targets your child's specific skill gaps in an evidence-based sequence. I share this with you in plain language, connected to any existing IEP goals, and explain what mastery at each level looks like.
Shared with family · Aligned to IEP when applicable -
Weekly 1:1 Sessions
Each Orton-Gillingham session follows a consistent structure: phonological drills, phonics review and new instruction, word work (decoding and encoding), fluency practice, and connected passage reading. Consistency matters — twice-weekly sessions produce faster results for most students, particularly those with significant gaps.
45–60 min · In-person or virtual · Once or twice weekly -
Progress Monitoring & Family Updates
I conduct informal progress monitoring regularly and share updates with families — what your child has mastered, what we're working on next, and how they're growing. You are never left wondering whether it's working. I also share simple home activities that reinforce what we're building in sessions.
Monthly progress summaries · Home strategy guides
What drives this work
The science of reading isn't new. The research has been settled for decades. What's still catching up is implementation — and that's the work I'm most passionate about.
Families
What Parents Say
★★★★★
"Laura changed my daughter's relationship with reading. Before working with her, my daughter cried every time we opened a book. Six months later, she's reading chapter books by choice. Laura's patience and expertise made all the difference."
— Parent of a 2nd-grade student with dyslexia
★★★★★
"What sets Laura apart is how much she understands the science. She could explain exactly why my son was struggling and exactly what we needed to do about it. His school had been telling us to 'wait and see' for two years. Laura got him moving in six weeks."
— Parent of a 3rd-grade student with an IEP
★★★★★
"Laura's assessment was the first time anyone actually mapped out what my child could and couldn't do. The written report she gave us opened doors in our school meeting that we'd been unable to open for years."
— Parent of a 1st-grade student
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what parents ask most often before we work together.
The Science of Reading (SOR) is the comprehensive body of research — from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and education — that tells us how the brain learns to read. Decades of research converge on a clear finding: most children learn to read best through structured, explicit, systematic phonics instruction, not through guessing from context or exposure to "leveled" books.
The SOR has strong implications for instruction. Methods like balanced literacy and three-cueing (using pictures, context, or word shape to guess at words) are not supported by evidence and actively interfere with the development of accurate decoding. Every lesson I teach is grounded in what the research actually says.
Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a structured, multisensory, explicit, and systematic approach to literacy instruction developed in the 1930s by neurologist Samuel Orton and educator Anna Gillingham. It is widely regarded as the gold standard intervention for students with dyslexia and reading difficulties, and is endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association.
OG differs from general tutoring in that it is diagnostic and prescriptive — instruction is driven by what each individual student knows and doesn't yet know. It is also deeply sequential: concepts are introduced in a specific order, each building on the last, with no gaps. I am trained through IMSE (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) with fidelity certification, meaning my sessions follow the approach with rigor, not loosely.
No. Many of my students do not have a formal diagnosis. If your child is struggling to read — regardless of label — structured, evidence-based instruction is likely to help. My informal literacy assessment will give us a clear instructional picture regardless of whether a psycho-educational evaluation has been completed.
That said, if you suspect dyslexia or another learning difference, I am happy to discuss whether a formal evaluation might be worth pursuing and can point you toward resources.
An OG session follows a consistent structure, which is itself a key feature of the approach — consistency reduces cognitive load for the student, letting them focus on the content rather than the format.
A typical 45–60 minute session includes: (1) phonological awareness warm-up drills, (2) review of previously taught phonics concepts, (3) introduction of a new phonics concept with explicit teaching, (4) word-level practice — decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling), (5) fluency work with connected text, and (6) passage reading with comprehension discussion. The exact balance shifts based on each child's needs on that day.
There is no honest one-size-fits-all answer to this. It depends on the size of the skill gap, the frequency of sessions, how much practice happens at home, and the child's specific learning profile. I am transparent about this from the start.
What I can say: students who come twice a week consistently typically progress significantly faster than those who come once a week. Most families see meaningful gains within 3–6 months of consistent, twice-weekly work. Progress monitoring every 6–8 weeks gives us concrete data to assess growth.
Yes. I offer both in-person sessions in New York and fully virtual sessions via video. OG instruction translates well to virtual delivery — I use digital manipulatives, shared screen tools, and structured materials that maintain the multisensory experience online. Many families find virtual sessions more convenient and just as effective.
For very young children (PreK–K) or those with significant attentional challenges, in-person is often preferred, but we can discuss what's right for your child.
I believe tutoring is most effective when it is not siloed from the school environment. With family permission, I am happy to communicate with classroom teachers, reading specialists, and special education teams. I can also attend IEP/CSE meetings as a family advocate, review current school literacy programs, and help you understand what to ask for in school planning meetings.
I provide written progress summaries that can be shared with schools to demonstrate growth and inform future service decisions.
Get in Touch
Let's Talk About Your Child
Every child's reading journey is different. In a free consultation, we'll discuss your child's needs and how I can help — no pressure, no commitment.