Test your student before the sessions begin. Using various assessments, test his spelling and reading ability, and give tests that check for visual and auditory awareness of each phoneme. Testing serves two purposes: The first is to identify any holes in the student's reading development, and the second is to have data to measure student progress during the program and at the end of the sessions.
Meet with your student at least three times a week or more for the scheduled 45 minutes (Reference 2). Orton-Gillingham is most beneficial when the teacher is meeting with the student as often as possible. Because Orton-Gillingham builds skills upon other skills and stresses constant review and introduction of new phonemes, meeting often ensures student retention and builds long-term memory more efficiently.
Teach Orton-Gillingham in a one-on-one setting. According to the Orton Academy, "Its focus is always on the student and upon the student's verbal and non-verbal response to the instructional experience. From such feed-back the Orton-Gillingham instructor builds an understanding of where, at any point in time, the student stands in terms of linguistic competency" (Reference 3). In order to attain the necessary flexibility to give this constant feedback, students must be instructed in one-on-one environments.
Follow the prescribed 7 steps each lesson, but tailor each lesson to fit that particular child. According to the Florida Center for Reading Research, "It requires seven steps: (1) review of letters and sounds already learned, (2) introduction of new phonogram (symbol) and its sound, (3) lists of individual words for reading aloud, carefully selected to review previously learned associations, (4) dictation of new and previously learned sounds, (5) dictation of words using only those phonograms and phonemes already taught, (6) dictation of sentences using words made up of phonograms and phonemes previously taught, (7) oral reading from a text controlled for orthography. Although each lesson is paced and structured according to the needs of the individual, the lessons are not programmed (teachers must create the lesson plan material within the structured steps)" (Reference 2).