An approach to teaching literacy

Orton-Gillingham is an approach to teaching reading, spelling, and writing. It uses clear explanation, an organized sequence, and instruction adjusted to the learner. It is not the name of one workbook or a single lesson program. The Orton-Gillingham Academy describes it as explicit, structured, sequential, and multisensory.

What those terms mean for a parent

  • Explicit: the instructor explains and models the skill rather than leaving the child to discover the pattern alone.
  • Sequential: lessons build on skills the learner has already practiced.
  • Individualized: the instructor uses the child’s responses to decide what needs review and what can come next.
  • Multisensory: learning may connect seeing, hearing, speaking, and movement within the same task.

The important question is how these elements help your particular child learn. A busy activity or colorful material does not, by itself, tell you whether instruction is well matched.

How it relates to structured literacy

Structured literacy describes instruction that deliberately teaches how sounds, letters, word patterns, and meaning work together. The International Dyslexia Association emphasizes systematic, explicit instruction in these elements for learners with dyslexia and related reading difficulties.

For example, an instructor might connect the sounds in a short word with their letters, practice reading the word, and then practice spelling it. As learning develops, instruction can address syllables and meaningful word parts. The exact starting point should reflect the learner’s needs.

Questions to ask before starting

Ask an instructor: What literacy training have you completed? How will you choose a starting point? How will you know whether a skill is becoming more secure? How will you explain progress to our family?

These questions are more useful than asking only whether a provider uses a familiar approach name. No approach label promises a particular outcome or a fixed number of sessions.

Reading support in Naples

Language for Learning provides individualized dyslexia and reading interventions in Naples, Florida. If you are considering support, start with a conversation about what your child finds difficult and what you hope will become easier.