What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?
The Orton-Gillingham approach is a structured, multisensory method designed specifically to assist struggling readers. It focuses on explicit instruction of the connections between letters and sounds, catering to individual learning needs.
Core Principles of Orton-Gillingham
The foundation of the Orton-Gillingham approach rests upon several core principles. It is systematic and sequential, meaning concepts are taught in a specific order, building upon previously learned material. This approach is also language-based, focusing on phonemic awareness and phonics. Furthermore, it is structured, ensuring a clear path of instruction. The method is cumulative, regularly reviewing and reinforcing previously taught concepts. It also emphasizes individualized instruction, catering to the specific needs of each learner. The Orton-Gillingham Academy principles further solidify this research-based, philosophical approach, making it effective for diverse learners and is also diagnostic and prescriptive.
Multisensory Learning in Orton-Gillingham
Multisensory learning is a cornerstone of Orton-Gillingham, incorporating sight, hearing, touch, and movement. This approach engages multiple senses to enhance learning and memory, benefiting diverse learners.
The Role of Sight, Hearing, Touch, and Movement
In Orton-Gillingham, visual elements involve seeing letters and words, while auditory aspects focus on hearing the sounds of language. Tactile learning includes tracing letters or using manipulatives, and kinesthetic activities incorporate movement, such as writing in the air or using body motions to represent sounds. This multi-sensory approach is designed to create a rich learning environment that strengthens connections in the brain, aiding in the retention and recall of information, making it particularly effective for students who learn differently.
Structured and Sequential Instruction
Orton-Gillingham follows a systematic, structured approach, where concepts are taught in a specific order. This sequential method builds on previously learned material, ensuring a solid foundation for future learning.
Building Upon Previously Taught Concepts
A cornerstone of the Orton-Gillingham approach is its cumulative nature, where each lesson builds directly upon previously mastered concepts. This ensures that students develop a strong, interconnected understanding of language. New information is introduced incrementally, reinforcing earlier skills and knowledge, preventing gaps in learning. This systematic review and reinforcement are essential for long-term retention and fluency, as it allows students to connect new information to a well-established base of understanding. The method ensures a solid foundation.
Individualized Learning in Orton-Gillingham
At its core, Orton-Gillingham is designed to address the unique learning needs of each student. This approach moves away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model, emphasizing personalized instruction.
Addressing Unique Student Needs
Orton-Gillingham instruction is highly individualized, recognizing that each learner has distinct challenges and strengths. Comprehensive literacy assessments guide teachers in creating customized plans. This approach allows for a flexible pace, ensuring students master concepts before progressing. The focus is on addressing specific deficits while building upon existing skills, adapting to each student’s learning style, and addressing specific areas of need such as phonemic awareness, phonics, or spelling. It ensures that no student is left behind, providing tailored support that promotes success and builds confidence.
Language-Based Approach
The Orton-Gillingham approach is fundamentally language-based, focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling. It explicitly teaches the building blocks of language, enabling students to decode and encode effectively.
Focus on Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Spelling
A core component of the Orton-Gillingham approach is its dedication to phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in words. This is directly linked to phonics instruction, teaching the relationships between letters and sounds. Furthermore, spelling is taught in a structured, explicit manner, allowing students to learn the rules and patterns of written language. This multi-faceted approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of language, moving from the smallest sound units to whole words and beyond, building a solid foundation for reading and writing skills.
Diagnostic and Prescriptive Nature
The Orton-Gillingham method is diagnostic, using assessments to pinpoint specific learning needs. Instruction is then prescriptive, tailored to address those individual challenges identified during evaluation.
Assessing and Tailoring Instruction
A key aspect of the Orton-Gillingham approach lies in its diagnostic and prescriptive nature. This involves a thorough assessment of a student’s literacy skills to identify specific areas of difficulty. Based on this evaluation, instruction is carefully tailored to address these individual needs. This targeted approach ensures that students receive the specific support they require, rather than a generic curriculum. It allows for a personalized learning experience that directly targets weaknesses and builds on strengths, facilitating more effective progress in literacy development. The assessment process is ongoing, allowing for adjustments to the instruction as the student progresses.
Cumulative Instruction
The approach emphasizes cumulative instruction, where previously learned concepts are continuously reviewed and reinforced. This systematic review ensures that knowledge is retained and readily accessible for future learning.
Review and Reinforcement of Concepts
A core component of cumulative instruction involves the consistent review and reinforcement of previously taught material. This isn’t a one-time mention, but rather an ongoing process, ensuring that students maintain a strong grasp of foundational concepts. Regular review helps solidify understanding and allows students to connect new information with what they’ve already learned. Through this method, students build a robust, interconnected understanding of language, making it easier to access and apply their knowledge in diverse reading and writing contexts. This strengthens their skills and promotes long-term retention.
The Orton-Gillingham Academy Principles
The Orton-Gillingham Academy Principles form the bedrock of the approach; They represent the research and underlying philosophy that guides all aspects of this structured literacy method.
Foundation of the Approach
The foundation of the Orton-Gillingham approach lies in its structured, sequential, and multisensory methodology. It is rooted in the understanding of how individuals with dyslexia learn best. This approach is language-based, focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling. The principles of this method emphasize the importance of individualized instruction, diagnostic teaching, and cumulative learning. It builds upon previously learned concepts, ensuring a solid understanding before progressing. This approach is designed to be flexible and adaptable to diverse learning styles and individual needs, making it a powerful tool in literacy education.
Orton-Gillingham and Dyslexia
The Orton-Gillingham approach was initially developed to support struggling readers, particularly those with dyslexia. Its structured and explicit methods address the specific challenges faced by these learners.
Specifically Designed for Struggling Readers
The Orton-Gillingham method stands out as a pioneering approach explicitly created to assist individuals who struggle with reading. This approach directly addresses the core difficulties that struggling readers often encounter, such as decoding words and understanding the relationship between sounds and letters. Its structured and systematic nature, coupled with multisensory techniques, makes it particularly effective for learners who require a more explicit and hands-on approach to literacy. By breaking down reading into smaller, manageable steps, it allows struggling readers to build confidence and achieve success.
Orton-Gillingham’s Flexibility
The Orton-Gillingham approach is known for its adaptability, allowing it to be tailored to diverse learning styles. This ensures that instruction meets the unique needs of each student.
Adaptability to Different Learning Styles
The Orton-Gillingham method distinguishes itself through its inherent flexibility, a crucial element that allows educators to adapt the approach to suit a variety of learning preferences and challenges. Unlike rigid, one-size-fits-all educational models, Orton-Gillingham emphasizes the importance of tailoring instruction to the specific needs of each student. This adaptability ensures that students, regardless of their individual learning style or pace, can benefit from the systematic and structured teaching it provides. By recognizing and responding to these individual differences, this approach optimizes learning outcomes.
