Dyslexia
Orton-Gillingham is a highly effective instructional approach. O-G focus is on students who have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing associated with dyslexia. The Orton-Gillingham (O-G) is an approach to teaching reading, spelling, not a method, program, system or technique. It is a powerful tool of exceptional breath, depth, and flexibility when provided by our trained staff.
The essential curricular content and instructional practices that characterize the Orton-Gillingham approach are from two sources. O-G is based on a body of time-tested knowledge and practice. The O-G‘s validation has been ongoing for over the past 80 years. O-G’s development is based on scientific evidence on about how students learn to read and write. There are a significant number of students that have difficulty learning to read and write. Dyslexia makes achieving literacy skills more difficult. The Orton-Gillingham approach includes instructional practices. O-G is best suited for teaching students with Learning Disabilities to read and write.
Orton-Gillingham Approach Name
Orton-Gillingham’s name is from the contributions of Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham. Samuel Torry Orton (1879-1948) was a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist. He was a pioneer in focusing attention on reading failure and related language processing difficulties. He brought together neuroscientific information and principles of remediation. As early as 1925 he had identified the syndrome of Dyslexia as an educational problem. Anna Gillingham (1878-1963) was a brilliant educator and psychologist with a superior mastery of the language. Encouraged by Dr. Orton, she compiled and published instructional materials as early as the 1930’s. These instructional materials provide the foundation for student instruction and teacher training. Because of these contributions is why it is known as the Orton-Gillingham Approach.
Teachers and therapists began using the O-G Approach from its initial development by Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham. The Orton-Gillingham is a tried and proven approach based upon scientific evidence of how children learn to read. It has helped many people learn how to read and spell. The approach is multi-sensory, O-G uses sight, sound, touch and movement to teach students specific skills. This multi-sensory approach helps activate the brain and aids in retention. O-G separates the English language sounds and skills into their smaller component skills. Then the smaller component skills will be exactly taught to each student.
O-G Approach is High Structure & Sequential.
The O-G approach contains high structure and is sequential. The student will master each skill before moving on to the next skill. Most of our language is predictable. Once a student learns the consistent rules and patterns of our language. Then they are able to read words that were previously unknown. The same skills we learn for reading is also the same skills we learn for spelling. This enables the student to become a stronger and more accurate speller.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach is most often with a one-to-one, teacher-student instructional model. O-G is also in small group instruction. Reading, spelling, and writing difficulties have been the dominant focus of the approach.
O-G Approach Focus
The O-G Approach focuses upon the learning needs of the individual student.
O-G practitioners design lessons and materials to work with students at their level. The O-G practitioners present information by pacing the instruction. This means that introduction of new materials will be at level to match the student’s individual strengths and weaknesses.
Students with Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia need to master the same basic knowledge about language. They need to master its relationship to our writing system. Just as all of us who seek to become competent readers and writers need to do. Students with Dyslexia need more help than most people, when they are sorting and recognizing the raw materials of language. With that help then they can combine the these materials for thinking and use.
Bainbridge Academy staff training in Orton-Gillingham is through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education [IMSE]. ISME’s O-G training gives our staff new ways to help our students learn in the ways that they learn best. After learning the O-G approach, our staff has new ways to develop individual learning plans to educate our students to read.