What is Orton-Gillingham?
There are few things more important than ensuring that children receive the education they need to properly pursue their dreams and reach their full potential. However, this can be a tremendous challenge even under the best of circumstances. Researchers and educators alike are continually looking for new and better ways to achieve their educational goals in ways that provide better outcomes for all students – including those that may suffer from learning deficits such as dyslexia.
One educational methodology has been gaining in popularity in the last few decades: the Orton-Gillingham method. How does it improve educational outcomes?
Orton-Gillingham is a multisensory reading methodology used to educate children with dyslexia and similar learning disabilities. It is also sometimes used in small-group educational settings where its structured, adaptable, and sequential approach can provide optimal benefits to students. The Orton-Gillingham approach relies on several foundational principles:
A recognition that children require a personalized approach to education. We’ve long understood that some children require different teaching approaches. Those with learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADD, or ADHD, for example, can experience social challenges that may impact learning. Orton-Gillingham recognizes those challenges and enables the one-to-one interaction that these students often need.
A Language-Based Approach. The Orton-Gillingham system focuses on the fundamental nature of language, and the processes by which students learn that information.
A Multisensory Approach. Orton-Gillingham is designed to engage every learning pathway, including sight, emotions, hearing, and motion to ensure that the brain is fully engaged in learning. This ensures that each student receives the information in a way that he or she can digest and learn.
Structure, Sequence, and a Cumulative Effect. Orton-Gillingham helps teachers introduce their students to language elements in a structured way. This includes the basics of phonetics, as they learn individual sounds and elements like consonants and vowels. The sequential approach leads to learning more advanced language elements like syllables, nouns, verbs, and more. The goal is to provide cumulative results, as each lesson builds on every lesson before it in a structured, sequential way.
Cognitive thinking. The system also enables teachers to teach children how to think about language, its rules, structure, and application.
Flexible and adaptive. The Orton-Gillingham approach allows for flexibility as teachers diagnose student needs and adapt their approach to fit those needs.
Who Uses the Orton-Gillingham Approach?
Today, many classroom instructors utilize Orton-Gillingham techniques to teach children fundamental reading and language skills, and the methods are even more common in classrooms where teachers are instructing children with learning disabilities. In addition, there are independent reading programs like the Wilson Reading System that incorporate many of the Orton-Gillingham principles, and specialized tutors often rely on these principles when teaching these reading skills.
For parents whose children struggle with basic language and reading skills, it is vital to know which type of education program is being used at your children’s school. If your school is utilizing Orton-Gillingham in its reading program, a better understanding of the approach can help to ensure that the help you provide your children at home properly aligns with the school’s educational approach.