By: Mary “Mo” Froneberger, MAT

Orton-Gillingham (OG) tutoring is a structured, research-based approach specifically designed to help children and adults with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. The method focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, using a multisensory approach to teaching that is highly individualized. Here are practical reasons why parents should seek Orton-Gillingham tutoring for their children:

1. Addressing Reading Difficulties Related to Dyslexia

• Dyslexia-Specific Approach: Orton-Gillingham is a gold-standard intervention for dyslexia. It is specifically designed to help children who have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing, making it a crucial tool for children diagnosed with dyslexia.
• Structured Support: For children with dyslexia, traditional reading instruction such as sight word recognition may not be effective. OG tutoring offers a more systematic and structured approach that helps children overcome the specific challenges they face in reading.

2. Improving Phonemic Awareness

• Understanding Sounds and Letters: One of the core components of the Orton-Gillingham method is teaching phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words. This foundational skill helps children decode and encode words, making it easier to read and spell.
• Early Intervention: For younger children or those struggling to develop strong reading skills, early Orton-Gillingham tutoring can address phonemic awareness issues before they become bigger challenges, promoting long-term academic success.

3. Supporting Students with learning differences

• Effective for Other learning differences: While Orton-Gillingham is most commonly used for dyslexia, it can also benefit children with other learning disabilities, such as ADHD or processing disorders. The multisensory and individualized nature of the tutoring supports various learning needs.

• Individualized Instruction: Unlike traditional classroom instruction, Orton-Gillingham tutoring is tailored to each student’s specific learning profile. Children with learning disabilities often benefit from this personalized approach, as it allows for targeted interventions based on their strengths and weaknesses.

4. Building Stronger Spelling and Writing Skills

• Explicit Spelling Instruction: The OG approach integrates spelling with reading instruction, helping children understand the relationship between letters and sounds. This is especially beneficial for children who struggle with spelling and writing, common challenges for those with dyslexia.
• Improved Writing Fluency: As children learn to decode words and improve their spelling skills through OG tutoring, their writing skills also improve. This boosts their ability to write more confidently and effectively across subjects.

5. Improving Reading Fluency

• Steady Progress: Orton-Gillingham focuses on building reading fluency through repeated practice and mastery of skills. This structured repetition helps children develop more fluid and confident reading abilities.
• Confidence in Reading: As students become more fluent in reading, they build self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment. This can help reduce frustration and anxiety around reading, leading to more positive attitudes toward schoolwork and learning.

6. Developing Comprehension Skills

• Comprehension Enhancement: While Orton-Gillingham is heavily focused on decoding and fluency, it also helps students develop comprehension skills. By strengthening their reading foundation, students can better understand and retain what they read.
• Improving Cognitive Load: Children who struggle with decoding and fluency often have a hard time understanding the meaning of what they read because they are focused on the mechanics of reading. Orton-Gillingham helps reduce cognitive load, making it easier to focus on comprehension.

7. Filling the Gap for Children with Delayed Reading Skills

• Support for Struggling Readers: Children who have fallen behind in reading often struggle to catch up in a traditional classroom setting. Orton-Gillingham tutoring helps close the gap by providing targeted, one-on-one instruction designed to meet the specific needs of the child.
• Accelerating Progress: Because OG tutoring is personalized, children can make faster progress compared to general classroom instruction, especially when it comes to reading and language-based tasks.

8. Improving Self-Esteem and Motivation

• Reduced Frustration: Struggling readers often feel frustrated and anxious about reading tasks. Orton-Gillingham’s approach is designed to build success step by step, giving children the tools they need to succeed, which can improve self-esteem and reduce academic frustration.
• Fostering a Love for Reading: As children experience success with reading and writing, they are more likely to develop a positive attitude toward reading and school in general, increasing their motivation to engage with learning.

9. Supporting Language Development

• Comprehensive Language Skills: Orton-Gillingham tutoring isn’t just about reading—it also helps build broader language skills, such as vocabulary development, listening skills, and verbal expression. These skills are essential for academic success across all subjects, not just reading and language arts.
• Enhanced Communication Skills: As children improve their reading and writing, they often see improvements in their ability to communicate verbally, which can support them in both school and social settings.

10. Supporting Children with ADHD

• Focused, Engaging Sessions: Children with ADHD often struggle to maintain focus during traditional lessons. The multisensory and active learning environment of Orton-Gillingham tutoring keeps children engaged and better able to focus, which is particularly beneficial for those with attention issues.
• Building Executive Functioning Skills: Orton-Gillingham tutoring encourages the development of key executive functioning skills, such as organization, time management, and task completion, which are often areas of difficulty for children with ADHD.

11. Preventing Long-Term Academic Struggles

• Early Intervention: Early access to Orton-Gillingham tutoring can help prevent reading difficulties from becoming larger academic challenges later on. By addressing difficulties early, children are more likely to experience academic success as they progress through school.
• Avoiding Academic Frustration: Without targeted intervention, children who struggle with reading may fall further behind and experience increased frustration and lower motivation. Orton-Gillingham tutoring provides the support they need to catch up and stay engaged in school.

12. Fostering Lifelong Learning Skills

• Building Lifelong Literacy: Orton-Gillingham tutoring not only improves reading and writing skills but also provides children with tools and strategies they can use throughout their education. These skills promote lifelong learning and academic achievement.
• Teaching Problem-Solving: The structured approach of Orton-Gillingham helps children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are important not just for reading, but for other subjects as well.

13. Tailored Support for a Variety of Learning Styles

• Multisensory Learning: One of the key features of Orton-Gillingham is its multisensory approach, which engages the child through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modalities. This makes it an effective intervention for children with different learning styles, especially those who benefit from hands-on learning.
• Adaptability: Orton-Gillingham tutors can adjust the pace and approach of instruction depending on the child’s progress, making it a highly adaptable method of learning.

14. Helping Children Who Struggle in Other Areas of Language Arts

• Cross-Disciplinary Benefits: Although Orton-Gillingham is primarily focused on reading, the skills learned through tutoring often transfer to other areas of language arts, such as writing, spelling, and even verbal communication. This can improve a child’s overall academic performance.

Additional Resources:

• International Dyslexia Association (IDA): Offers information about dyslexia, Orton-Gillingham, and resources for finding certified tutors.
  • Website: IDA
• The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE): Provides information and resources about the Orton-Gillingham approach, including how to find a certified tutor.
  • Website: AOGPE

Orton-Gillingham tutoring can have a profound impact on children with reading difficulties, especially those with dyslexia or other language-based learning challenges. By offering individualized, multisensory instruction, it helps children improve their reading, spelling, writing, and overall academic performance.

At Child and Family Development, we offer OG tutoring in an individualized setting either in person or virtually with one of our educational specialists.