Sarah Fudge, Founder and Director As a student, Sarah Fudge battled dyslexia and ADHD at a time when learning disabilities were poorly understood, and girls were often overlooked in diagnosis. Reading and writing were constant challenges, and she often relied on memorization to keep up. She was frequently placed in the lowest reading group and began to feel embarrassed and helpless.
At the college level, assistive technologies helped her improve and understand the code of English. Today, she holds two master’s degrees and has completed more than five years of Orton-Gillingham training.
Building on her own journey of overcoming dyslexia, Fudge founded Saybrook Reading, a place where she builds rapport and emotional trust with students to help them decode, read and write independently.
“Helping the students in my practice is truly my purpose,” says Fudge, founder and director. “It makes all those years of struggling worth it.”
How does Saybrook Reading collaborate with families and schools to support student progress?
Learners typically come to Saybrook Reading through referrals from families or schools. Rather than working outside the school system, it collaborates with parents and teachers, sharing data to support classroom progress. It supports sustained outcomes by involving and training parents in understanding assessment data. In turn, families feel confident advocating for their children and engaging with schools.
As a public school teacher for 14 years, Fudge understands the pressure of an outside team member becoming involved in a student’s journey. Recognizing that schools account for most of a child’s day, they are included through individualized education program meetings to report progress.
Helping the students in my practice is truly my purpose. It makes all those years of struggling worth it.
Saybrook Reading relies on nine criterion-reference assessments that examine core components, including phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency and comprehension. The Gallistel-Ellis Test of Coding is used to assess decoding, encoding and letter-sound knowledge. DIBELS is paired with Rasinski’s Fluency Rubric to evaluate reading fluency and pace. The CORE and San Diego Quick Assessment from the book Assessing Reading gather grade-level readability.
Phonological awareness is tested through the Phonological Awareness Screening Test from Equipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick, while the Qualitative Reading Inventory and Basic Reading Inventory test comprehension ability. A handwriting evaluation is conducted to observe pencil grip and letter formation.
Assessment performance is used as data to develop reports and recommended plans tailored to each learner, rather than a service pitch. Every lesson is multi-sensory, diagnostic and prescriptive, with instructors analyzing student errors and adjusting instruction accordingly. With systematic and sequential instruction, it introduces new skills only when students demonstrate readiness to learn.
In what way does emotional safety influence student confidence and long-term literacy outcomes?
Emotional safety is central to Saybrook Reading’s instruction, delivered through its practitioners, each certified in special education and trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach. Fudge prioritizes character and passion when hiring. Educators build trust through everyday interactions, like coloring, playing games or talking, helping children take more risks with reading and writing. It supports families nationwide, responding to queries within 24 to 48 hours through in-person and remote sessions via Zoom.
Students at Saybrook Reading build competence and confidence in their abilities over time. In one instance, a child who was several grade levels behind was supported by Saybrook Reading for many years. His mother later shared that she saw him teaching his younger sister to read, marking a turning point from struggling to read to helping peers.
Saybrook Reading is now launching the OG Learning Lab, a private school in Portland centered on Orton-Gillingham instruction. It offers small class sizes with individualized attention, alongside close parent-teacher collaboration to support progress. Flexible half- and full-day options are complemented by science and social studies labs, while encore classes in music and visual arts nurture talents often overlooked in traditional classrooms.
Recognizing that timely support significantly influences a child’s academic future, Saybrook Reading emphasizes early, specialized literacy instruction. By prioritizing access to instruction and fostering collaboration, it aims to improve reading ability early and change a child’s academic trajectory.
