Programs Reviewed by the Florida Center for Reading Research
The Orton-Gillingham approach is so named because of the foundational
and seminal contributions of Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham.
The Gillingham Manual*
Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham were pioneers in the field of dyslexia. Their groundbreaking Orton-Gillingham approach, sometimes referred to as OG, has been regarded as the most crucial and significant reading intervention designed specifically for children and adults with dyslexia. Based on her work with Dr. Orton, Anna compiled and published the instructional materials that became The Gillingham Manual.
Who were Orton & Gillingham?
Samuel Torrey Orton (1879-1948), a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist, was a pioneer in focusing attention on reading failure and related language processing difficulties. He brought together neuroscientific information and principles of remediation. As early as 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 with a superb mastery of the English language. Working with Dr. Orton, she trained teachers and compiled and published instructional materials.
What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?
Over the last half century the Orton-Gillingham approach has been the most influential intervention designed expressly for remediating the language processing problems of children and adults with dyslexia. The Orton-Gillingham approach is language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is based on a technique of studying and teaching language, understanding the nature of human language, the mechanisms involved in learning, and the language-learning processes in individuals.
Orton-Gillingham teaching sessions are action oriented with auditory, visual, and kinesthetic elements reinforcing each other for optimal learning. The student learns spelling simultaneously with reading.
Structured, Sequential, Cumulative:
The Orton-Gillingham teacher introduces the elements of the language systematically. Students begin by reading and writing sounds in isolation. Then they blend the sounds into syllables and words. Students learn the elements of language, e.g., consonants, vowels, digraphs, blends, and diphthongs, in an orderly fashion. They then proceed to advanced structural elements such as syllable types, roots, and affixes. As students learn new material, they continue to review old material to the level of automaticity. The teacher addresses vocabulary, sentence structure, composition, and reading comprehension in a similar structured, sequential, and cumulative manner.
Students learn about the history of the English language and study the many generalizations and rules that govern its structure. They also learn how best they can learn and apply the language knowledge necessary for achieving reading and writing competencies.
Orton-Gillingham teaching is diagnostic and prescriptive in nature. The teacher always seeks to understand how an individual learns and to devise appropriate teaching strategies.
In every lesson, the student experiences a high degree of success and gains confidence as well as skill. Learning becomes a rewarding and happy experience.
From the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, "The Orton-Gillingham Approach", 2008, 2010, www.ortonacademy.org
Orton-Gillingham Based Products
The following products provide instruction that can be implemented by educators at various levels of expertise – from materials essential to Orton-Gillingham trained educators to programs that offer instructional support and ease-of-use for any educator.
*Products suitable for Orton-Gillingham trained educators