Characteristics of the
Orton-Gillingham Approach*

Children and adults benefit from the O-G approach. Orton-Gillingham is NOT a program but an approach geared to the individual learning needs of each client and explores how they learn best, their strengths and weaknesses, and develops an educational plan that concentrates on the client’s individual learning style. The approach is flexible and changes with the needs of the client. Orton Gillingham emphasizes the need to teach skills and strategies to mastery before moving forward so that clients, young and old, develop solid skills and habits that will allow them to self-advocate and become independent learners.

Diagnostic and Prescriptive
Understanding an individual’s learning style, strengths and weaknesses. Developing individualized lessons.

Direct and Explicit
Student is never expected to know anything that has not been taught and practiced.

Language Based
Based on a technique of studying and teaching language, understanding the nature of human language, the mechanisms involved in learning, and the language learning process in individuals.

Multi-Sensory
Sessions are action-orientated with auditory visual, and kinesthetic elements reinforcing each other for optimal learning.

Structured, Sequential and Cumulative, but Flexible
Elements of the language are introduced systematically and in an orderly fashion. Older material is reviewed to the level of automaticity. Vocabulary, sentence structure, composition and reading comprehension are also addressed in a structured, sequential and cumulative manner.

Cognitive
Students learn about the history of the language and study the many generalizations and rules which govern the structure. Encouraged to THINK rather than GUESS.

Emotionally Sound
Old material is constantly reviewed and new material is introduced systematically, the student experiences a high degree of success in every lesson and gains in confidence and skill. Self-esteem develops directly from the student’s achievement and learning becomes a positive experience.

* adapted from “Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators”