Built to Bridge the Gaps
An Approach Rooted in Science & Experience
After years of one-on-one literacy intervention and a background in linguistics, I began developing materials that reflected what my students truly needed.
While our method draws from the research-based Orton-Gillingham approach, it’s also shaped by real learners—older students navigating complex needs, who deserved respectful, developmentally appropriate support.
Orton-Gillingham (OG) was developed by Dr. Samuel Orton and educator Anna Gillingham. It is a structured, multisensory method that helps learners make lasting connections between sounds, letters, and meaning. Today, it remains one of the most widely trusted approaches to reading and spelling instruction.
At Aansen Literacy, this foundation is thoughtfully adapted to better serve diverse learners, especially those who may not see themselves reflected in traditional early literacy resources.
Why Multisensory Learning Matters
Multisensory learning engages more than one sense at a time—such as seeing, hearing, and tracing to stimulate nerve endings in the fingertips—helping students form deeper, more lasting connections and activate both hemispheres of the brain.
This approach supports every aspect of literacy development: reading, spelling, handwriting, grammar, and written expression. Concepts are introduced in a carefully layered sequence, so each new skill builds on the last. This structure ensures learners move forward with clarity, while still allowing space for meaningful review.
When materials are thoughtfully designed and used consistently, this method can strengthen not just literacy skills, but also confidence, independence, and joy in learning.
Respectful Support for Learners of All Ages
Not all beginning readers are five years old. Many are older students, teens, or adults who need a fresh start—without being made to feel small.
From the beginning, I designed these resources to support my own learners with dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, autism, dysgraphia, and more. Materials are developmentally respectful, appropriate for a range of ages, and flexible enough to meet students where they are.
Whether a student is six or sixteen, they deserve materials that honor their mind, preserve their dignity, and invite them in.
A Mission & Method Shaped by Real Students
I’ve had the privilege of supporting learners from age four through adulthood, including teens and college students, each with their own strengths, challenges, and goals. Most began their literacy journey between the ages of ten and thirteen, often continuing for several years as they built confidence and independence.
With more than 4,500 hours of one-on-one structured literacy intervention, I’ve developed these materials to reflect what truly works—not only in theory, but in practice.
Every element has been shaped through real-world teaching and carefully adapted to be as clear, effective, and empowering as possible for both the learners and the adults guiding them.
About Our Founder
Cole Aansen, M.Ed.
Founder of Aansen Literacy
M.Ed., Children’s Literature & Literacies
University of Glasgow
B.S., Linguistics
Northeastern University
- Certified Orton-Gillingham Literacy Interventionist
- 4,500+ hours of 1:1 dyslexia intervention
- Montessori-educated from ages 3.5–17
Cole created Aansen Literacy to make effective, developmentally respectful reading tools accessible to both families and educators. Her work bridges academic rigor with human-centered design—so learners of all ages can build confidence, clarity, and independence.
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