How long will my students need lessons?

This is a question I receive a lot, and rightfully so! I know Orton-Gillingham lessons can be a huge time, energy, and financial commitment, and you understandably want to know how long your student might need to be enrolled. In this article, discuss the factors that influence how many lessons your child may need.

Foundation –Your child’s foundation determines the starting point. Do they know all the letter sounds? Do they have some decoding (i.e., sounding out) skills? How is their phonological awareness? Do they have fairly fluent reading, but just need support in spelling?

Before starting lessons, I always consider: what is this student’s foundation? And, just as importantly, is it the correct foundation? Many students begin lessons with a foundation built on coping strategies (e.g., avoidance, memorization, distraction) and anxiety. It takes time for me to rework these incorrect strategies and reduce the overall stress and anxiety they cause.

Attention Span – This is a huge factor. The length of each individual lesson is 1 hour for all students; however, not everyone experiences that hour the same way. Attention span and stamina can vary significantly from student to student. This is not a matter of effort or motivation, but instead reflects natural differences in how brains develop and function.

Some students can stay focused and engaged for most of the lesson, which allows them to move through material more quickly and retain skills with fewer repetitions. Other students may need more frequent breaks, additional review, or a slower pace in order to stay regulated and successful. They are still learning just as much, but it often takes more time and repetition for those skills to solidify.

As a result, the number of lessons needed over months or years can vary. Students with shorter or more variable attention spans may benefit from a longer timeline, not because they are less capable, but because their learning process requires a different pace and structure.

Dyslexia Level - Dyslexia can look very different from one student to another. Rather than presenting in a single, consistent way, it is often more accurate to think of dyslexia as a “bingo card,” where each student has a unique combination of challenges. Due to this variability, as well as the challenges caused by different severities of dyslexia, no two students follow the exact same learning path. Some may respond quickly to instruction in certain areas, while others may need more time, repetition, and support to build the same skills.

It is important to understand that these differences are not related to effort, motivation, or work ethic. Some students simply require more time and a more gradual pace to achieve the same outcomes. In all my years of teaching, I’ve never had a student that could not develop fluent reading. It just might take longer for some.

Absences & Day of the Week– If a student misses lessons frequently, whether due to illness, travel, or tiredness, it will take longer for them to reach learning milestones. This isn’t the end of the world, but families should know the process will take longer the more their child is absent. Maintaining realistic expectations of attendance is important, if you are stressing about every missed class, this in turn creates unnecessary pressures which in turn creates more absences. I've noticed my students with higher needs ADHD, and/or struggles with school attendance often go through phases of missing more lessons and then other phases of missing fewer stages, but for the long term success it's just part of the process.

Additionally, the day of the week you choose for their lessons may impact their progress. Consider this: if your child has lessons scheduled on a Monday or Friday, they will likely miss up to 50% of lessons each month due to Pro-D days and STAT holidays that fall on those days. If your child is more prone to burn out, I actually think strategically picking a Monday or Friday can be a good move.

Retention &Memory – Retention and memory play a major role in determining how quickly a student progresses and, as a result, how many lessons they may require. Learning new skills is not just about understanding something in the moment; it also depends on how well that information is stored and how effectively it can be recalled later.

Some students can retain new concepts after only a few exposures and can build on those skills from week to week with relatively little review. Other students may understand a concept during a lesson but have difficulty holding onto it over time. When that happens, more time is needed to revisit, reinforce, and stabilize those skills before moving forward.

Differences in memory and retention are especially common in students with Dyslexia and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. These students often require more repetition, review, and structured practice in order to transfer new learning into long-term memory. This does not reflect a lack of effort or ability; rather, it reflects how their brains process and store information. Students who require more repetition may need a longer timeline to achieve the same level of mastery. The goal is to provide enough consistent practice for skills to become automatic and durable, so that learning can continue to build in a meaningful and lasting way.

Age– As students get older, their cognitive development allows for greater understanding of more complex concepts. They are often better able to make connections, reflect on their learning, and apply strategies more independently. This can support faster progress in certain areas, especially when they begin to understand not just what to do, but why they are doing it.

Motivation can also shift with age. Many older students, particularly teenagers, have had years of experience with academic challenges and may feel frustrated by ongoing difficulties. At the same time, this can lead to a stronger readiness to engage, try new strategies, and put in consistent effort. They are often more aware of their goals and the impact that improvement can have on their confidence and independence.

While younger students may require more time and repetition to build foundational skills, older students may move more quickly once they are engaged and understand the purpose behind their learning. The goal is to match the type of instruction to the student’s developmental stage, supporting both skill growth and motivation in a way that is appropriate for their age.

Conclusion – All of the above factors influence how many Orton-Gillingham lessons your child may need. While some students may progress quickly, others might require a bit more time. Just remember: these lessons are about building lifelong literacy skills, not just helping a student pass a test one week only to forget it the next. Each student’s timeline and milestones might look different; what matters most is finding the pace and structure that works for each individual child.