Why Orton-Gillingham

O-G is a proven approach to literacy.  Read on to find out more.​

What is Orton-Gillingham?
Orton-Gillingham (O-G) is an approach to teaching the structure of language, from the sound/symbol awareness of consonants and vowels to reading comprehension and written expression.

O-G is based on the fact that all learning is multisensory and that all instruction to students must be visual (eyes), auditory (ears), kinesthetic (muscles), and tactile (fingers).

O-G is not a rigid program with a page-by-page script. The trained educator comes to understand that true instruction is diagnostic and prescriptive and is based on the needs of each student.

Orton-Gillingham & the Science of Reading
O-G is the Science of Reading because it

• includes the five tenets of language - Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition, Reading Fluency, Vocabulary and Oral Language Comprehension, and Text Comprehension and Written Expression.
• incorporates  O-G graphic mapping, the process that occurs when unfamiliar words become automatic sight words.
• uses a structured literacy approach.

Why Orton-Gillingham?
O-G is based on the Language Continuum, which includes reading (decoding), spelling (encoding), listening, speaking, fluency, comprehension, and writing. Therefore, O-G is the approach that should be used for every student in order to introduce and facilitate the natural growth of language.

O-G should be integrated into all types of classrooms:

• mainstream
• resource
• self-contained
• all grade levels