In the world of reading, you can oftentimes get overwhelmed with knowing the 'right' program to use for a struggling learner.
We, at one time or another thought, Hooked on Phonics would work for everyone, right?
Thankfully, when it comes to dyslexia, we have years of research that link the progress and change that is made when using an
Orton-Gillingham approach.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, using an Orton-Gillingham Approach is the only way to help support someone with dyslexia. When I tell people this, they will usually do a Google Search for Orton-Gillingham programs and order something off Amazon. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. What most people don't know is that there are only a handful of approved Orton-Gillingham programs. Please email me if you would like a list of these programs.
Where did the names come from?
Dr. Samual Orton was a neurologist and psychiatrist, he is referred to as, "the father of dyslexia." In the 1920's, Orton conducted a study with children who were having difficulty with reading. Orton studied the different sensory systems and how to use these approaches within the classroom.
He studied how and why a multi-sensory style of learning is beneficial. We now see this within our intervention approaches and fMRI scans.
Anna Gillingham was a psychologist and director of remedial reading. In 1936, she published the Gillingham Manual which took research from what Samuel Orton discovered. She then applied it to her study of our language. With that, came the Orton-Gillingham approach.
I'm really thankful she spent the time to do so. Explaining the 'why' to my students with dyslexia helps them understand our language in an incredible way.
Orton-Gillingham must include these things:
Multi-sensory
When it comes to remembering multi-sensory, think of the acronym VAKT.
Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, and Tactile.
Not only should a student with dyslexia be using these different sensory inputs but they should be using several of them at the same time.
Explicit & Direct
When teaching in an explicit or direct way, you teach the why behind things. Rather than teaching a child to memorize a word or look at the shape. You are actually telling them why the word is spelled that way based on rules. Or teaching them the syllables types based on them using syllable division rules.
Systematic & Sequential
It is important to know that not every reading program is taught based off of grade level and standards. This is true for the Orton-Gillingham approach. Instead we teach from the most common to the least common way to spell or read a word.
Cumulative
This means that we are constantly reviewing rules that were taught before. You will see these rules pop up in both reading and spelling. By doing this, it helps with reinforcing the rules and making sure each student has a solid grasp on them.
Simultaneous
The rules for our language should be taught both for reading and spelling. Meaning, they will be taught at the same time. What is being taught for reading is also taught for spelling during each lesson.
The Orton-Gillingham Academy sums it up well...
"Orton-Gillingham is a step-by-step learning process involving letters and sounds that encourages students to advance upon each smaller manageable skill learned throughout the process. It was the first approach to use explicit, direct, sequential, systematic, multi-sensory instruction to teach reading, which is effective for all students and essential for teaching students with dyslexia.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is made up of components that ensure that students are not only able to use learned strategies, but can also explain the how and why of phonological strategies. This instructional approach encourages students by seeing, saying, sounding, and writing letters to master decoding and encoding of words. The Orton-Gillingham approach emphasizes multi-sensory learning, which combines sight, hearing, touch, and movement. This approach works well for students with dyslexia who lack a basic level of phonemic awareness."
-Orton-Gillingham Academy
Information sourced from understood.org, International Dyslexia Association
Image sourced from unsplash.com
Important to Note
Not every child needs to be taught this way. This is recommended for a child with dyslexia. If you know a child has dyslexia they should be ideally receiving a one-on-one intervention or are working within a small group of students at the same severity level.
