The Orton-Gillingham Method

Wow.  What a mouthful.  What even is the Orton-Gillingham Method?  When I first heard it, that was my thought!  It turns out, the Orton-Gillingham method is a multisensory learning strategy created to benefit struggling readers.  In fact, it was the first teaching approach designed specifically with struggling readers in mind. This strategy has been used in classrooms since the 1930’s still proves to be highly effective to this day.  It is often used for students with dyslexia and is one of the most effective methods for this use. The Orton-Gillingham method is phonics-based and systematic, meaning it has a certain order to it. It is best used in small group and must be differentiated to fit your students’ needs.  This method works so well because it is hands-on and uses multiple senses. By visiting www.ortonacademy.org, you can learn more about the Orton-Gillingham method and become certified in the approach. 

There are also various resources and activities on their website to assist teachers and parents. Because differentiation is so vitally important in this method, it is impossible to show you one definition or activity that exemplifies the entirety of the strategy.  Below are a few activities that fall under the Orton-Gillingham method.

1. Hopscotch Word Readings:  The teacher would begin by creating a classic hopscotch court.  Each square would contain a different age appropriate word. The student would throw a rock onto the court and hop to the square it landed on.  Once on the square, the student must say the word and stretch the word out into it’s individual sounds. If the student does this successfully, they receive a point.  This game continues until all squares have been correctly read.  
2. Word sorting with legos:  In this activity, the teacher will use a permanent marker to write letters on small legos and words on large legos.  The objective of this activity is for the students to create the word on the large lego using the letters on the small legos.  

The following video includes a variety of other activities that fall under the Orton-Gillingham Method.