Orton-Gillingham
The Orton-Gillingham Approach
The Orton-Gillingham approach is the recommended way to teach ​reading and writing to people with learning differences like dysgraphia and dyslexia.
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"Orton" refers to Dr. Samuel T. Orton who was the first to describe dysgraphia in the scientific literature (1). Orton was a neuropsychiatrist who studied language processing in children. "Gillingham" is for Dr. Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist who trained other teachers in their scientifically-based approach.
This approach is:
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Structured & Systematic (has a method with well defined organization)
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Sequential (from easiest to hardest based on the research)
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Cumulative (increases learning by slowly adding content)
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Simultaneously multi-sensory (delivers information by sight, sound, touch, and movement at the same time)
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Based in language principles (phonological, orthographical and morphological)
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Scientifically peer-reviewed​
The multi-sensory component of the Orton-Gillingham approach is critical. Students should be incorporating all of their senses (sight, sound, touch, movement) while learning language.
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There are many different curriculum that use an Orton-Gillingham approach. We recommend researching potential curricula for you or your child and asking if they are Orton-Gillingham based. You can also find multi-sensory teaching products on our resources page.
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You may also be interested in this blog piece on the definition of "Structured Literacy" and how it includes Orton-Gillingham approaches.