About Orton-Gillingham 

 

Background Information:

In the 1930’s Dr. Samuel T. Orton, a neurologist, and Anna Gillingham, a psychologist, and educator, developed the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction for students with Dyslexia. This theory combines multisensory techniques along with the structure of the English language. Those items taught include phonemes and morphemes, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Common spelling rules are introduced as well. Multi-sensory education incorporates the three learning pathways, which are: auditory, kinesthetic, and visual. This approach is beneficial not only for students with dyslexia but also for all learners.

 

 

The Orton-Gillingham Methodology:

The Orton-Gillingham methodology is based on early research in dyslexia completed by Dr. Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham.  Their research concluded that children who experience difficulty in reading and spelling need a solid phonics approach that is multi-sensory, systematic, structured, sequential, cumulative, and success oriented.  The current Orton-Gillingham program is a research-based multi-sensory program that will enable students, by direct instruction, to review, learn new concepts, practice, and apply new skills. 

Quite often, students may study for weekly spelling tests and perhaps do very well, but when later asked to read or write a particular word from that test, they cannot apply the knowledge in context or on paper. Rather than having your child memorize lists from a spelling workbook to store in their short-term memories, this approach gives students the necessary tools to acquire concepts that will be stored in their long-term memory. 

         Our English language has two components: phonetic and non-phonetic words.  Phonetic words are essentially words that can be sounded out.  As opposed to non-phonetic words, often considered sight words, which must be memorized.  The Orton-Gillingham methodology teaches phonetic skills in a sequential and relevant manner.   Once this is taught, your child will be able to accurately apply the concepts in words, sentences, and stories.  Non-phonetic components are explicitly taught utilizing multi-sensory techniques.

It is evident that this program produces confident, independent, and knowledgeable readers.  Your child will be able to fall back on these strategies in school and in life, helping ensure life-long accomplishments and success.

 

 

Who Benefits from Orton-Gillingham:

Often Orton-Gillingham is interpreted as a methodology only meant for reading remediation. Undoubtedly the multisensory component impacts all children. The uniqueness of this type of instruction is that it allows the educator to capitalize on an individual student’s dominant learning modality while delivering instruction that will strengthen the remaining learning pathways.