How the Orton Gillingham Approach Gets Results

Not all reading tutoring services are created equally in their ability to remedy students’ reading, writing, and spelling difficulties. The Orton Gillingham approach is considered the gold standard instructional practice for struggling readers. Compared to conventional tutoring services, what makes the Orton Gillingham approach so effective in tackling literacy problems?

The Orton Gillingham approach was specifically designed to help struggling students learn to read, write, and spell, including those with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The Orton Gillingham approach is backed by over 70 years of practice and research on literacy development. Reading tutors who have specialized in the Orton Gillingham approach have the unique skillset to help students of all abilities learn to read, write, and spell effectively.

Here are five main ways that the Orton Gillingham approach enables student success.

1.    Diagnostic and Prescriptive Lessons

The Orton Gillingham approach begins with identifying student’s underlying literacy issues to create a tailored lesson plan. By identifying the gaps in skill development, reading tutors are able to help students develop foundational literacy skills.

2.    Individualized Lessons

The Orton Gillingham approach is highly individualized to each student’s abilities and needs. The focus of each lesson is on skill development and reinforcement. In the Orton Gillingham approach, there is no set program, premade lesson structure or worksheets.

3.    Highly Structured and Explicit Teaching

In the Orton Gillingham approach, reading tutors work with students one on one to develop skills in a highly structured and systematic way that simplifies language for mastery. Reading tutors introduce skills beginning from the most foundational and build towards more complex.  Students are never left to deduce any concepts on their own, self-teach material or use worksheets.

4.    Multisensory Learning

Each lesson within the Orton Gillingham approach is multisensory in nature and utilizes the learning pathways of visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile. This is used to both teach and reinforce lesson material, resulting in greater skill retention among those who struggle the most with literacy.

5.    Reading Tutors Who Specialize in Literacy

Reading tutors trained in the Orton Gillingham approach are specialized to address students’ literacy issues. Students that are already struggling in the classroom need specialized literacy intervention that is backed by extensive practice and research. Students that fail to get the proper intervention risk falling even further behind grade level benchmark skills.

At Wiley Reading Academy, we offer comprehensive reading tutoring based on the Orton Gillingham approach. Our reading tutors specialize in literacy development and are able to expertly tackle students’ literacy issues.