Meet Jill MacNiven, M.Ed.
Jill MacNiven is an Orton-Gillingham tutor, teacher, trainer and presenter in Oldham County, Kentucky. She provides one-on-one tutoring to students in grades K–12 who struggle to read or write, including students with dyslexia or dysgraphia.
Jill is a Kentucky Certified Rank I Teacher who began teaching in Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 2002. Her tutoring is provided in person at her office in Pewee Valley, serving families throughout Kentucky and Indiana.
Tutoring is offered Monday through Thursday, noon to 8:00 p.m. Virtual tutoring is not offered.
A Life’s Mission
to Teach Children to Read
My story began in Lakewood, Ohio. A Cleveland girl at heart, I moved to Versailles, Kentucky, in 2001 to study for my Master’s in Education at the University of Kentucky. I later moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to teach reading and writing to students who struggle in this area.
My life’s mission is to teach children to read at high levels. I was a full-time teacher for 10 years in Kentucky and felt something was missing in teaching students how to learn to read effectively.
I began my Orton-Gillingham tutoring journey while working two summers at the Hindman Settlement School Dyslexia Program. Working at Hindman Settlement School inspired me to become an Orton-Gillingham tutor.
I am an advocate for children. I chose the teaching profession because of my compassion for children who feel disadvantaged, left out or left behind. I took that passion and turned it into a love of teaching children.
Teaching Philosophy
Every student is different, so instruction should be built around the individual student’s needs. Lessons prepared are tailored to each student’s needs from the Orton-Gillingham Diagnostic Assessment.
Each student receives an emailed lesson plan before each lesson. This consists of five pages of Orton-Gillingham instructional materials that can be used at home as well. Genuine care and the comfort of every student are the utmost priority.
Why Orton-Gillingham?
Orton-Gillingham is a structured, explicit and multisensory approach to teaching reading and writing. After discovering the Orton-Gillingham approach while working at the Hindman Settlement School Dyslexia Program, I have since learned three different Orton-Gillingham programs.
Instruction is systematic and individualized, with lessons designed around each student’s assessment results, progress and learning needs.
The Orton-Gillingham Diagnostic Assessment is required before tutoring begins. Families receive a detailed report covering phonemes, graphemes, decoding, blending, Magic E, DIBELS fluency, rote memory words, handwriting, short vowels and grammar. The assessment results are used to create an individualized lesson plan.
Mission
I pledge to tutor students in Kentucky until all children can read.
Education and Training
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Kentucky Certified Rank I Teacher
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Master’s degree in Education from the University of Kentucky
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Began teaching in Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 2002
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Ten years as a full-time teacher in Kentucky
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Orton-Gillingham Trained Tutor with Martha Chiodi, Cincinnati Public Schools
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Orton-Gillingham Level One program graduate of Mayerson Academy
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Experience with three different Orton-Gillingham programs
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Orton-Gillingham tutor, teacher, trainer and presenter
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Training on dyslexia, dysgraphia and the Orton-Gillingham Tutoring Program
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Seminars and educational consulting
Vision
We pledge to provide compassionate reading
and writing tutoring to our students and families. Genuine care and the comfort of our students are the utmost priority.
We pledge to provide the finest service to our students and families in a warm, relaxed and comfortable environment. We strive to be the leading Orton-Gillingham tutoring service in the industry.