The Orton-Gillingham approach is a highly effective method for teaching reading, spelling, and writing, particularly beneficial for students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. This method stands out for its multisensory approach, which means it incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles to reinforce language concepts. This multisensory technique ensures that students engage multiple senses during the learning process, which helps them better understand and retain the material.
Multisensory Learning: The Orton-Gillingham approach leverages sight, sound, touch, and movement to help students connect language with letters and words. For example, students might learn to write a word while saying it aloud and looking at its spelling. This comprehensive engagement helps cement their understanding.
Structured and Sequential Instruction: Lessons are carefully designed and presented in a logical order. Starting with the basics of language, such as letter sounds and patterns, instruction gradually progresses to more complex concepts like sentence structure and reading comprehension.
Explicit Teaching: Each lesson involves direct and clear instruction on specific language concepts. This approach leaves no room for ambiguity, ensuring students understand exactly what is being taught.
Diagnostic and Prescriptive Teaching: Regular assessments are conducted to understand each student's strengths and weaknesses. This allows for the tailoring of instruction to meet the specific needs of each student, making the learning process more effective.
The Orton-Gillingham approach offers several key benefits for middle school students:
Improved Reading Skills: By focusing on the foundations of reading, such as phonics and decoding, students develop stronger reading abilities. This is particularly important for students who have struggled with reading in the past.
Enhanced Spelling Abilities: The structured teaching of spelling rules and patterns helps students understand why words are spelled a certain way, improving their spelling accuracy.
Increased Confidence: The individualized attention and success in learning help boost students' confidence. As they see their skills improve, their self-esteem grows, encouraging a positive attitude towards learning.
Better Comprehension: As students become more proficient in decoding and recognizing words, their ability to understand and interpret text improves. This is crucial for academic success in all subjects.
In our Orton-Gillingham class, students can expect a supportive and structured learning environment tailored to their individual needs. Each lesson is designed to build on the previous one, ensuring that students develop a solid understanding of language concepts. Activities will include:
Multisensory Exercises: Activities that combine sight, sound, and movement to reinforce learning.
Structured Lessons: Clearly organized lessons that progress in a logical sequence from simple to complex.
Regular Assessments: Frequent evaluations to monitor progress and adapt instruction as needed.
Individualized Support: Personalized attention to address each student’s specific challenges and strengths.
Parents can expect to see their children develop stronger literacy skills, greater confidence in their abilities, and a more positive attitude toward learning. The Orton-Gillingham approach is not just about improving reading and writing skills; it’s about empowering students with the tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.