One of the most frequently delivered and commonly accepted interventions for dyslexia is the Orton-Gillingham (OG) method. Parents of students with reading disabilities as well as advocacy groups often recommend Orton-Gillingham instruction. In fact, there have been 64 cases in which parents sued districts in order to provide OG-based instruction to their children.
Orton-Gillingham is an approach, not a program or curriculum, to teaching those with dyslexia how to read. The OG approach is what is known as a systematic, explicit, multi-sensory, sequential, synthetic, and phonics-based way of teaching reading. OG instruction is often referred to as the Language Triangle, meaning it is multi-sensory instruction involving auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities.
The Orton-Gillingham approach originated from a curriculum described in the manual Remedial Training for Children with Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling and Penmanship created by Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman in 1960. Anna Gillingham was a psychologist and educator who understood language. Her curriculum was based on Dr. Samuel Orton’s ideas about reading instruction. Dr. Samuel Orton was a pathologist and neuropsychiatrist interested in what caused reading failures and language-processing difficulties. He believed that reading instruction should teach students the “phonetic equivalents” of printed letters and how to blend these sequences to form the spoken word. Prior to creating this curriculum, Dr. Orton and Gillingham worked together to create an approach to reading that taught the elements of language and promoted automaticity in the ability to decoding and encoding language. The manual from 1960 is considered the backbone of current OG programs, but Gillingham’s first set of instructional materials based on this approach was created in the mid-1930s.
Orton-Gillingham has many distinguishing features. Instruction is provided systematically and requires mastery or overlearning of concepts prior to moving on to new components. OG instruction is also individualized to students’ specific needs. Instruction also must be provided by a trained professional such as a teacher, tutor, or reading specialist. Intensive training is required to become an OG instructor.
Orton-Gillingham lessons are systematic and have a clear scope and sequence. Students are taught specific rules for spelling, and lessons are based on how students performed in the previous lesson. Traditional OG instruction is based on phonics and phonological awareness and does not have specific reading fluency and reading comprehension instruction. It is important to supplement these components during reading instruction.
Here are some of the benefits of Orton Gillingham instruction:
It is multi-sensory to engage different types of learners
It is differentiated, which means that it can be tailored to the individual needs of each student
It is a systematic and sequential approach to learning, which helps students to build on previously learned skills
It is a research-based approach to teaching reading and writing
There are many curriculums and programs that are considered Orton-Gillingham based. There are both branded Orton-Gillingham and unbranded Orton-Gillingham programs. Branded OG is a commercial program developed based on the multi-sensory and sequential principles of Orton-Gillingham. Well known branded OG programs include Alphabet Phonics, The Spalding Method, S.P.I.R.E. and the Wilson Reading System. Unbranded OG are individualized OG-based lessons created by individuals certificated by professional organizations such as the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education.
Orton-Gillingham has been considered the “gold standard” of reading instruction and intervention. If your child or student struggles with reading, Orton-Gillingham instruction is an excellent, research-based option.
Sources:
Ritchey, K.D., & Goeke, J. L. (2006). Orton-Gillingham and Orton-Gillingham-based reading instruction: A review of the literature. Journal of Special Education, 40(3), 171–183.
Rose, T. E., & Zirkel, P. (2007). Orton-Gillingham methodology for students with reading disabilities: 30 years of case law. Journal of Special Education, 41(3), 171–185.
Sayeski, K. L., Earle, G. A., Davis, R., & Calamari, J. (2019). Orton Gillingham: Who, what, and how. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(3), 240–249.
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