Orton-Gillingham-Based Multisensory Reading

Orton-Gillingham / Multisensory Reading

Many kids struggle with reading. Studies show that 1 out of 5 children have reading challenges, and 1 out of 7 have dyslexia. Sadly, this often goes unrecognized, and 70% of children with difficulty reading in 1st grade will still be behind in 8th grade unless they receive the proper intervention and help. The GOOD news is that 90-95% of reading-impaired children can overcome their difficulties if they receive appropriate treatment at early ages!

What is multisensory reading? 

An Orton-Gillingham-based multisensory reading tutoring session is a structured and systematic approach to teaching reading designed to help individuals with dyslexia and/or other reading difficulties improve their reading and language skills. The Orton-Gillingham method was developed by Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham in the early 20th century and has  been used as an effective intervention for students struggling with reading. The rate, pace, and duration of an individual’s plan of instruction is determined by the needs of the student. The curriculum is cumulative. Each individualized lesson  builds on the previous lesson while constantly spiraling back to review previous taught skills.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is  a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experiences that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (IDA, November 2002).

How will a typical Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading tutoring session be conducted?

Assessment:  Brief assessments will be conducted to evaluate the student’s phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, comprehension,  and vocabulary skills.

• Lesson Planning: Based on the assessment results, the tutor develops a personalized lesson plan that addresses the student’s specific needs and targets areas for improvement. The Orton-Gillingham method emphasizes a structured, sequential, and individualized approach to instruction.
• Phonological Awareness: The tutor focuses on developing the student’s phonological awareness, which refers to the ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken language. This can involve activities such as rhyming, blending and segmenting sounds, and practicing phonemic awareness skills.
• Phonics Instruction: The tutor teaches the student the relationship between sounds and letters using a systematic phonics approach. This involves introducing phonemes (individual sounds) and graphemes (letters or letter combinations) and teaching how they correspond to one another. The tutor may use various materials like flashcards, letter tiles, or a whiteboard to reinforce phonics concepts.
• Multisensory Techniques: The Orton-Gillingham method incorporates multisensory techniques to engage multiple senses during the learning process. For example, the tutor may encourage the student to trace letters or words with their finger while saying the corresponding sounds aloud. They may also use kinesthetic activities like tapping or clapping to reinforce syllable division or word patterns.
• Decoding and Encoding: The tutor helps the student develop decoding skills, which involve sounding out unfamiliar words using phonics knowledge. Additionally, encoding skills, or the ability to spell words, are taught using similar principles. The student practices reading and spelling words that follow specific phonics rules and patterns.
• Reading Comprehension: The tutor addresses reading comprehension skills by guiding the student through various reading passages or texts. They may use techniques like asking questions, visualizing, summarizing, predicting, drawing pictures and discussing the content to improve understanding and retention.
• Progress Monitoring: Throughout the session, the tutor regularly assesses the student’s progress to ensure the effectiveness of the instruction. Adjustments are made to the lesson plan as necessary to address the student’s needs. 
• Practice and Reinforcement: The tutor assigns appropriate reading and practice exercises for the student to complete independently. These may include reading books at their appropriate level, completing worksheets or online activities, and engaging in word-building or word-recognition games.
• Ongoing Support: The tutor provides ongoing support, encouragement, and feedback to the student and communicates progress with parents or guardians.  Tutor may also collaborate with other professionals, such as special education teachers or speech therapists, to ensure a comprehensive approach to intervention.

It’s important to note that every tutoring session may vary based on the student’s individual needs and progress. The Orton-Gillingham method is highly flexible and can be adapted to suit different learning styles and challenges.

What is an example of an Orton Gillingham Lesson?

1. Symbol to Sound (warm up the brain for reading)
2. Alphabet Writing in print or cursive (warm up the hand for writing)
3. Sound to Symbol (warm up the brain for spelling)
4. Review Deck for Reading: words and sentences
5. Review Deck for Spelling: words and sentences
6. Direct Instruction of New Rule
7. Reading of New Rule: words and sentences
8. Spelling of New Rule: words and sentences
9. Oral Reading
10. Student Reflection: What did we learn today?

Kristen Cox, our multisensory reading specialist performs both formal and informal assessments to create a plan of instruction. Multisensory reading lessons are then specifically designed to meet the reading needs of your child. The rate, pace, and duration of an individual’s plan of instruction is determined by the needs of each student. The curriculum is cumulative and each individualized lesson builds on the previous lesson while constantly spiraling back to review previous taught skills.

If you are concerned about your child’s reading skills and would like to schedule a chat with Kristen, please give us a call at 914-244-4104. She is currently accepting new students and would love to talk with you about your child!