The Orton Gillingham Approach

The Orton-Gillingham Approach grew out of the work of Dr. Samuel Torrey Orton (1879-1948) and Anna Gillingham (1878-1963). Dr. Orton, a professor of neuropsychiatry and neuropathology at the Neurological Institute of Columbia University, was a pioneer in focusing attention on language differences by bringing together neuropsychiatric information and principles of remediation. As early as 1925, he had identified the syndrome of developmental reading disability, separated it from mental defect and brain damage, and offered a physiological explanation with a favorable prognosis. Anna Gillingham was a gifted educator and psychologist who worked with Dr. Orton. Ms. Gillingham trained teachers in this remedial approach to teaching students with dyslexia and compiled and published instructional materials with Bessie W. Stillman. The Orton-Gillingham approach, first introduced in the 1920’s, is still widely in use today across Canada, USA and other countries. The International Dyslexia Association, formally called the Orton Dyslexia Society, was formed based on Dr. Orton's work.
 

Specifically, letters which represent the single sounds of familiar speech are presented to the student, then immediately synthesized into words that carry meaning. By introducing the letters simultaneously through hearing, seeing, and feeling, the student's weaknesses are lessened by integrating all of his learning pathways. This multisensory approach helps to ensure automatic memory which is so difficult for those who lack natural facility in language learning. Progress is made by going from the simple to the more complex tasks, building in much reinforcement, and proceeding as fast as possible but as slowly as necessary to master the basic elements. Careful pacing, structured but not programmed procedures, and a sequential presentation combining reading, writing, and spelling will help the student succeed.

The structure of the approach often helps to organize the student's general way of learning and working. Its logic helps him where his memory fails and when he encounters unknown words. Its step-by-step progression leads to a sense of mastery and competence.

• The Orton-Gillingham approach is scientifically sound and practically effective. It also recognizes that there are professional differences as to some variations within this approach.
• Its individualized teaching is planned to meet the differing needs of learners who are similar to each other, recognizing that no two are exactly alike.
• It draws on the multidisciplinary knowledge and skill of experts from many fields including social work, medicine, psychology and language theory.
• Using the learning pathways we all share of seeing, hearing, feeling and awareness of motion, brought together by the thinking brain, the approach is multisensory.
• Taking advantage of the letter/sound plan on which the English language is based, it is a alphabetic-phonic system.
• It uses the synthetic-analytic process of blending sounds of letters into words for reading, and dividing words into the sounds they are made of for spelling.
• Material is taught in a systematic way that is logical and fits the nature of our language.
• The learner moves sequentially from simple, well-learned material to that which is more and more complex, as he masters the necessary body of language skills.
• The cumulative process ensures that each step of the way is based on those skills already learned.
• This cognitive approach helps the student to understand the reasons for what he is learning. Then, when necessary, he will have the confidence that he can think his way through language problems instead of counting only on memory. “The mind is the master.”
• A person’s feelings about himself and about learning are vital to education. A sense of confidence in oneself comes from true mastery which takes away tensions and makes a person want to achieve at his or her best.

The Total Language Tutoring Hour

The therapeutic tutoring language hour, as taught by a certified Canadian Academy of Therapeutic Tutors (Orton-Gillingham) tutor, is divided into various skill areas. These content areas are: Alphabet/Dictionary/Vocabulary Development, Penmanship, Visual Drill, Auditory Drill, Mixed SOS, New Work, Sight Words/Sequencing, Blending, Oral Reading/Comprehension, Composition and Grammar. New Work is the teaching of a Phonogram, Rule, Syllable, or Morphological Unit or Composition Skill and takes 15 minutes of the hour. The content of the Phonogram, Syllable or Spelling Rule New Work is sequentially arranged from simple to complex in Step Into Phonics. All New Work is recorded in the designated sections of a student binder for future reference.

A multisensory approach can be valuable to any individual. To the dyslexic individual it is often essential.