Child reaching for a book, symbolizing overcoming dyslexia with Orton-Gillingham

Decoding Dyslexia: A Parent's Guide to Orton-Gillingham and Effective Reading Strategies

Avery Sinclair in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock your child's reading potential with Orton-Gillingham: Understanding the who, what, and how of this powerful, research-backed approach to tackling dyslexia."

Imagine a scenario familiar to many parents and educators: Despite dedicated efforts, a child struggles with reading, sparking concerns about dyslexia. Terms like 'Orton-Gillingham' often surface, yet understanding what this approach entails can be unclear. This article aims to clarify the mystery surrounding Orton-Gillingham (OG), offering insights into its principles and practical applications for supporting children with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability with neurological origins, primarily affecting reading accuracy and fluency. While often misconstrued as a visual processing issue, dyslexia fundamentally impacts how the brain processes language. The Orton-Gillingham approach, developed by Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham, provides a structured method to teach reading skills to individuals with dyslexia, focusing on the connections between letters and sounds.

Many teachers and parents don’t fully understand OG or know where to start. Often, specialized private schools are the main source of OG-based programs, making these specialized reading instructions less accessible to students from low-income backgrounds, including culturally and linguistically diverse students with dyslexia. Let’s explore the depths of this approach, separating fact from fiction and providing a clear path for parents seeking effective reading strategies for their children.

What is Orton-Gillingham?

Child reaching for a book, symbolizing overcoming dyslexia with Orton-Gillingham

Dr. Samuel T. Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, and Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist, collaborated to create an approach that explicitly teaches language elements such as phonology, syllabification, and morphology. OG emphasizes a multi-sensory, systematic approach to reading instruction. This means students learn by engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to enhance memory and understanding.

The key distinguishing features of Orton-Gillingham include:

Direct, Systematic, and Cumulative Lessons: Lessons follow a structured sequence, building upon previously learned skills.
Cognitive Explanations: Students learn the 'why' behind reading and spelling rules, promoting deeper understanding.
Multisensory Engagement: Instruction integrates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities to reinforce learning.

Unlike programs that simply focus on rote memorization, OG aims to equip learners with the tools to decode and encode language effectively. This empowers them to tackle unfamiliar words and improve overall reading comprehension.

The Power of Understanding

The journey to supporting a child with dyslexia can feel overwhelming, but understanding approaches like Orton-Gillingham can provide clarity and direction. By focusing on structured, multi-sensory techniques and adapting to individual needs, parents and educators can unlock a child's reading potential and pave the way for academic success. Remember, the key is to become an informed advocate, seeking support and strategies that best suit your child's unique learning style.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1177/0040059918816996, Alternate LINK

Title: Orton Gillingham: Who, What, And How

Subject: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Journal: TEACHING Exceptional Children

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Authors: Kristin L. Sayeski, Gentry A. Earle, Rosalie Davis, Josie Calamari

Published: 2018-12-18

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is the Orton-Gillingham approach and how does it address reading difficulties?

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a structured, multi-sensory approach to teaching reading, spelling, and writing. Developed by Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham, it directly teaches the connections between letters and sounds, along with language elements like phonology, syllabification, and morphology. It's designed to help individuals with dyslexia by engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to enhance memory and understanding of language.

What are the key characteristics that differentiate Orton-Gillingham from other reading instruction methods?

The Orton-Gillingham approach emphasizes direct, systematic, and cumulative lessons where new skills build upon previously learned ones. It incorporates cognitive explanations, helping students understand the 'why' behind reading and spelling rules. Crucially, it uses multisensory engagement, integrating visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities to reinforce learning, unlike methods that rely solely on rote memorization.

How does the Orton-Gillingham approach connect with the characteristics and neurological origins of Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability with neurological origins that primarily affects reading accuracy and fluency. It impacts how the brain processes language and is not simply a visual processing issue. While Orton-Gillingham is an effective approach for individuals with dyslexia, it's important to remember that dyslexia can manifest differently in each individual. A comprehensive evaluation by professionals is recommended to understand the specific challenges and strengths of the learner.

In what specific ways does Orton-Gillingham use multi-sensory techniques to help with reading and spelling?

The Orton-Gillingham approach uses multi-sensory engagement by incorporating visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities. Visual techniques would include seeing and reading words and letters. Auditory techniques would focus on listening to the sounds of language, and kinesthetic strategies might involve writing letters in the air or using tactile tools to learn letter formations. By using multiple senses, it reinforces learning and making it more effective.

What are the implications of limited access to Orton-Gillingham based programs for students with dyslexia from diverse backgrounds?

While Orton-Gillingham can be highly effective, access to specialized private schools, may be a barrier for many families, especially those from low-income backgrounds. This disparity in access can limit opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse students with dyslexia, highlighting the need for more accessible and affordable OG-based programs in public schools and community settings. Addressing this issue is critical for equitable education.