What is the Orton-Gillingham approach?
The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling does not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia. As described by the Orton-Gillingham Academy, it is most properly understood and practiced as an approach, not a method, program, or system.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach has been the seminal and most influential intervention designed expressly for remediating the language processing problems of children and adults with dyslexia.
Who were Orton and Gillingham?
Dr. Samuel Torrey Orton (1879-1948) was a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist and a pioneer in focusing attention on reading failure and related language processing difficulties. By the 1920s, he had extensively studied children with the kind of language processing difficulties now commonly associated with dyslexia and had formulated a set of teaching principles and practices for such children.
Anna Gillingham (1878-1963) was a gifted educator and psychologist. Together with Dr. Orton, she trained teachers and compiled and published instructional materials.
The Orton-Gillingham Academy
Established by its Founding Fellows who were trained directly by Dr. Samuel Orton, Annie Gillingham, Bessie Stillman, June Lyday Orton, Paula Rome or others trained by them, the Academy certified people to use the Orton-Gillingham Approach with students of any age – pre-K through adult. The Academy does not follow a rigid scope and sequence but provides flexibility and honors the Orton-Gillingham Approach’s, seminal works, The Gillingham Manual by Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman, 1997, A Guide to Teaching Phonics by June Lyday Orton, 1964, The Language Tool Kit, Paula Rome and Jean Osman, 1972, and The Advanced Language Tool Kit: Teaching the Structure of the English Language by Paula Rome and Jean Osman, 1972. Orton-Gillingham Academy (ortonacademy.org)
“For some, any task involving auditory processing of language presents problems. Their mental “tape recorders” do not work efficiently……spoken language may develop at a later age, enunciation may be poor, and mispronunciations may be common……They often have trouble comprehending materials, even when concepts are at their level of understanding and they are able to decode the words.”
Paula D. Rome & Jean S. Osman, Advanced Language Tool Kit
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Orton-Gillingham is an instructional approach intended primarily for use with persons who have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing of the sort associated with dyslexia.
Shelly Nicotra, Certified/OGA Orton-Gillingham Practitioner
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