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.
Thankfully, the main program we will be using at the Literacy Center, Barton Reading and Spelling Program is an approved program!
I'm really excited for you to utilize it with your students because over the past 15 years, I have watched it change the way a students reads and spells. Because of that, I feel that it is crucial to understand what you're teaching and why.
Where did the names come from?
Dr. Samual Orton was a neurologist and psychiatrist, he is sometimes referred to as, "the father of dyslexia." In 1925, Orton conducted a study with children who were having difficulty with reading. Orton studied the different sensory systems and brought light to using these approaches within the classroom. With this, he saw that these children were having difficulty reading due to lack of the left hemisphere in becoming dominant over the right hemisphere.
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 teaching. 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.
Orton-Gillingham covers every component of how our language develops. Some of the main concepts include these things below.
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 will your student be using these different sensory inputs but they will be using several of them at the same time.
Explicit/Direct
When I am teaching in an explicit or direct way, I will 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 for reading.
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 will 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."
Information taken from the Orton-Gillingham Academy
Scope and Sequence for Barton
In our monthly meeting we discussed the scope and sequence of the Barton Reading and Spelling System. This is important to see the overall picture of what each of you will be teaching. Please keep in mind that this is not in order by standards or grade level. The reason for that is because an Orton-Gillingham approach is taught systematically (most common to least common).
