Meet Your Orton-Gillingham Specialists

Kristi Perry, M.A., FIT/OGA,
and Beth Reusser, CALT, FIT/OGA

We’re here to walk you through structured literacy, step by step, until it clicks.

Hi! We’re Beth and Kristi,
OG Literacy Specialists

We know the challenges educators face because we’ve lived them. We taught in public schools, private schools, and private practices. We’ve worked with students who needed more than traditional reading programs could offer. And we’ve spent our careers helping teachers, schools, and families feel confident using structured literacy tools that actually make sense.

We lead every Sensible Learning training ourselves. We’re not guest speakers or figureheads. We’ve got the proverbial chalk on our hands, the research in our back pockets, and a serious obsession with making reading instruction make sense.

Kristi Perry, M.A., FIT/OGA

My journey into structured literacy started when my youngest child was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD in third grade. I didn’t just want answers, I needed them. That search led me to Marburn Academy, where I began formal Orton-Gillingham training in 2012. I’ve since spent more than a decade teaching students with dyslexia and other learning differences in public and private schools, and in private practice.

I hold a Master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an Early Childhood credential from the American Montessori Society. I also hold a Bachelor’s from Syracuse University and have studied the Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) approach extensively. Before Sensible Learning, I spent eight years in Olentangy Schools as a Structured Literacy Practitioner.

Beth Reusser, CALT, FIT/OGA

My journey also began as a result of advocating for my son, which led me to Southern Methodist University’s Language Therapy Specialization program in 2011. After completing the program and passing the ALTA exam, I became a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT)—and eventually began my path to becoming a Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy.

Over the years, I’ve worked with students in both public schools and private settings. I’ve served on the boards of the International Dyslexia Association’s Northern and Central Ohio branches, volunteered with the Olentangy Dyslexia Network, and currently serve on the Cabinet Leadership Committee for ALTA–OH.

Cyndi Schultz, M.A., SLP, ATF/OGA

I’m a speech-language pathologist and Accredited Training Fellow with the Orton-Gillingham Academy. I’ve spent decades supporting students and educators across public schools, private schools, nursing homes, psychiatric settings, and private practice. I’m honored to serve as Beth and Kristi’s guide and leader in their literacy education trainings.

I served as Director of the Language Training Institute at Marburn Academy in Columbus and was President of the Central Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. I’ve trained hundreds of educators and presented at conferences across the country. I’m proud to be a former Board of Trustees member of the Orton-Gillingham Academy.

An Orton-Gillingham (OG) specialist is a trained expert in structured literacy—someone who doesn’t just understand how reading works, but knows how to teach it clearly and effectively to every kind of learner.

OG specialists use a direct, structured, and multisensory method grounded in decades of reading science. Our work is all about turning research into real classroom results. As OG specialists, we help you:

What Does an Orton-Gillingham Specialist Do, Anyway?

  • Break down reading and spelling into clear, teachable steps

  • Identify where students are getting stuck and why

  • Design targeted instruction that meets each learner’s needs

  • Use evidence-based tools and routines that actually stick

How the Orton-Gillingham Approach Can Help You

Orton-Gillingham isn’t just for students with dyslexia. It’s also a powerful method for anyone who needs a structured, clear path to literacy success. The key isn’t trying harder—it’s teaching smarter.

We’ve used the OG approach to help:

Educators

who feel stuck teaching reading and want strategies that actually work

Parents

supporting children with reading struggles—and tired of feeling helpless

Administrators

who need PD that’s compliant, targeted, and practical for their teams

Structured Literacy Specialists

who want to go deeper and sharpen their teaching tools

The Orton-Gillingham approach gives you the structure, tools, and confidence to meet every learner where they are and move them forward.

Most PD Gives You Theory.
We Give You Usable Tools.

We started Sensible Learning because we saw what was missing: training that actually helped educators and parents apply structured literacy in real life. We give you theory and usable tools for your toolbox to implement that theory.

We’ll help you know what to do and how to do it well.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Structured literacy is a clear, explicit, and systematic way to teach reading, writing, and spelling—especially for students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences. It breaks literacy into manageable skills and teaches them in a logical order using direct instruction, frequent review, and multisensory techniques.

  • Samuel Orton was a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist who studied reading difficulties. Anna Gillingham was an educator and psychologist who took her findings and developed a methodical way to teach reading and spelling. Together, they created what’s now called the Orton-Gillingham approach—a trusted, science-backed method for structured literacy instruction.

Take the First Step Towards Better Literacy Instruction

Let’s build your confidence, your skills, and your plan, together.