What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?
Orton-Gillingham (OG) is considered an approach rather than a program. It’s a structured remedial methodology that is grounded in proven and effective teaching and learning strategies. From an outsider’s perspective, the English language can feel like a jumble of inconsistencies and exceptions. OG turns language into a science, identifies the patterns and consistencies, and uses interactive methods to teach the foundations of literacy.
Multi-Sensory Learning Strategies
An OG learner will be equipped with multi-sensory tools which will allow them to process information through their visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile learning pathways. If there is a weakness in one or more pathways, the student will be using all their senses to process and compensate. Over the course of a lesson, students are using these methods to decode, encode, blend, and learn. OG is incredibly fun and interactive, and children love using these unique strategies while learning the foundations of reading
Basic to Complex Trajectory
OG students move from basic to complex learning objectives and are only introduced to more difficult skills when they feel confident in the understanding and application of the more foundational objectives. We start with phonology and learning about the individual letter/sound combinations and move towards more complex structures found in word building and syllabication rules. This same philosophy is also found within the overall format of an individual OG lesson.
Direct Teaching Practices
An OG instructor will use simple language and steps to directly teach the patterns of the language and provide focused practice that helps to solidify the taught objectives. Learners will see the teaching point used in various contexts that range from simple to complex structures in reading and writing. For example, a lesson may start with looking at an isolated sound and end with viewing that sound as it appears throughout a paragraph or short story.
Repeat, Review, Recycle
This OG feature is key for many children who are learning to read as the more they review, repeat, and recycle a learned concept, the more likely they'll be to remember and apply the knowledge later. Repetition and review are built into every lesson and contribute to the systematic and predictable nature of Orton-Gillingham.
Student-Centred Plan of Action
A thorough literacy assessment is standard practice among OG practitioners. The assessment looks at areas of phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, spelling, and writing strategies. The process creates a space for the teacher and child to get to know one another, helps the instructor get an understanding of the student's strengths and weaknesses, and provides a look into the positive and negative learning habits of the child. From there, the instructor will create a student profile and identify an individualized plan-of-action that works to systematically fill in the gaps in knowledge.
Language Inquiry
OG instructors are well versed in language inquiry approaches to learning and literacy. This means they ask and elicit responses. They equip their learners with the information and tools so that the student is able to come up with the answers on their own. For example, if a student asks how to spell a specific word, rather than simply giving them the answer, the OG instructor will guide them to use their strategies to encode the word autonomously.