How to Teach Using the Orton-Gillingham Method – Example Lesson Plans Included.

In this article we are taking a look at the practicalities of the the Orton-Gillingham approach, a proven method for teaching reading and spelling, especially beneficial for students with dyslexia.

Created by Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham, it offers a structured, multisensory way of learning that has revolutionized teaching methods for reading difficulties.

Teach the Orton-Gillingham method by using a structured, multisensory approach. Tailor lessons to individual needs, emphasizing sequential learning of phonics, direct instruction, and constant review for mastery.

This article is designed to guide you through the fundamentals of OG and provide practical tips for its implementation.

Our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a significant impact on your students’ learning experiences.

Understanding the Orton-Gillingham Approach

The essence of the Orton-Gillingham approach lies in its structured, explicit, and multisensory teaching methods. Let’s break down what this means:

1. Multisensory: OG taps into visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways. This means lessons are designed to engage students through seeing, hearing, and touch, enhancing memory and learning.
2. Sequential and Cumulative: Lessons progress in a logical order, from simple concepts to more complex ones. Each new skill builds upon what has been previously learned, ensuring a solid foundation before moving forward.
3. Systematic and Structured: The OG method is meticulously organized. Every aspect of language, from letter sounds to sentence structure, is taught with precision and clarity.
4. Direct Instruction: Each lesson is explicitly taught. This leaves little room for misunderstanding, ensuring that students grasp each concept thoroughly.
5. Individualized: Recognizing that every student is unique, OG tailors its approach to meet individual learning needs, allowing for personalized pace and focus.
6. Phonics-based: At its core, OG emphasizes the relationship between letters and sounds, fostering strong phonemic awareness.
7. Emotionally Sound: Perhaps most importantly, OG acknowledges the emotional aspect of learning. It aims to build confidence and self-esteem, turning what can often be a frustrating experience into a positive one.

Understanding these principles is the first step in delivering effective OG-based instruction.

Preparing to Teach Using the Orton-Gillingham Approach

Embarking on the OG journey requires some preparation to ensure that you can deliver the best possible instruction to your students. Here’s how to get started:

1. Understanding Your Learner: Begin with a thorough assessment of your student’s current reading abilities, strengths, and challenges. This assessment is crucial in tailoring the instruction to fit their specific needs.
2. Setting Up the Right Environment: Create a learning space that is conducive to concentration and free from distractions. A calm, organized environment helps students focus and feel comfortable during lessons.
3. Gathering Materials: Equip yourself with the necessary materials. This includes a variety of texts suitable for different reading levels, phonogram cards, letter tiles, and notebooks for writing. Also, consider materials for multisensory activities, like sand trays or clay for letter formation practice.

Implementing Multisensory Techniques

The multisensory aspect of OG is what sets it apart and makes it so effective. Here’s how to incorporate these techniques into your teaching:

1. Visual: Use visual aids like charts, diagrams, and color-coded materials. Visualizing concepts helps solidify understanding.
2. Auditory: Incorporate auditory elements by having students listen to sounds, repeat after you, and use rhymes or jingles to remember concepts.
3. Kinesthetic-Tactile: Engage students in writing letters in sand or forming them with clay. Encourage them to trace and write letters and words, linking physical movement with learning.

Structuring Your Lessons: Sequential and Cumulative Approach

When teaching with the Orton-Gillingham approach, the structure of your lessons is key.

Each session should build upon what was learned in the previous one, creating a solid foundation before introducing new concepts. Here’s how to structure your lessons effectively:

1. Start with Basics: Begin with the simplest concepts, like individual letter sounds, and gradually progress to more complex ideas like blends, digraphs, and diphthongs.
2. Consistent Review: Regularly revisit previously learned material to reinforce and solidify understanding. This repetition ensures that earlier lessons are integrated into the student’s long-term memory.
3. Introduce New Concepts Gradually: When introducing new material, do so in a controlled and deliberate manner. Ensure that the student has fully grasped current concepts before moving on to new ones.

Direct and Systematic Instruction

Direct and systematic instruction is at the heart of the OG approach. Here’s how to implement this in your teaching:

1. Explicit Teaching: Clearly explain each concept with detailed instructions. Avoid assumptions about what the student may already know.
2. Step-by-Step Approach: Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This methodical breakdown helps students grasp each part of the process without feeling overwhelmed.
3. Interactive Learning: Engage with students through questions and discussions. Encourage them to ask questions and participate actively in the learning process.

Individualizing the Orton-Gillingham Approach

Every student is unique, and the OG method shines in its ability to be tailored to individual needs:

1. Customized Pacing: Adjust the speed of instruction based on the student’s learning rate. Some may need more time on certain concepts, while others may grasp them quickly.
2. Focus on Student’s Needs: Pay attention to areas where the student struggles and allocate more time and resources to those aspects.
3. Engagement and Motivation: Use a variety of activities to keep lessons interesting and engaging. Recognize and celebrate the student’s progress to keep them motivated.

Ongoing Assessment and Feedback

In the Orton-Gillingham approach, continuous assessment and feedback are essential for adapting instruction to meet the evolving needs of the student. Here’s how you can implement this:

1. Regular Progress Monitoring: Keep track of the student’s progress through frequent, informal assessments. This could include observing reading fluency, spelling accuracy, and comprehension skills.
2. Constructive Feedback: Provide specific, positive feedback to help guide the student’s learning. Point out what they are doing well and offer clear, constructive suggestions for improvement.
3. Adapt Instruction Based on Assessment: Use the insights gained from these assessments to adjust future lessons. This might mean spending more time on challenging areas or moving on when the student is ready.

Addressing Emotional and Self-Esteem Aspects

Teaching with the Orton-Gillingham approach isn’t just about imparting reading and spelling skills; it’s also about nurturing the student’s self-esteem and emotional well-being:

1. Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate successes, no matter how small, to build confidence and a positive attitude towards learning.
2. Emotional Support: Be attuned to the student’s frustrations and provide encouragement and support. Acknowledge the effort they are putting into their learning.
3. Creating a Safe Learning Environment: Foster a learning atmosphere where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. This encourages learning and exploration without the fear of failure.

We have lesson plan examples below, but also we have order of letters for Orton Gillingham approach on the site as well, you can see the print out below, and it is linked to the full article if you need.

OG lesson Plan Examples

These lesson plans are designed to give you a head start and of course you know your students better than we ever could.

While we have put the timings in it is not expected to achieve these in one lesson or session and they are there as a guide to what you could use, not what you should use in every lesson!

You can download the word and PDF versions of these orton Gillingham lessons below each lesson plan to edit or use as you need.

Expanded Orton-Gillingham Lesson Plan: Teaching the Sound /a/

Timing	Lesson Section	Procedure and Resources	OG Method Application
5 min	Visual Drill	Show ‘a’ card; student traces and repeats. Use letter ‘a’ flashcard, tracing paper.	Multisensory, Direct Instruction
5 min	Auditory Drill	Say /a/ sound; student identifies and writes ‘a’. Use paper and pencil.	Multisensory, Direct Instruction
10 min	Blending Drill	Build /a/ words with letter cards; student reads them. Use letter cards.	Sequential, Systematic Instruction
10 min	New Sight Words	Show ‘cat’, ‘bat’; student writes and repeats. Use sight word flashcards, paper, pencil.	Multisensory, Visual Learning
10 min	Sight Word Review	Review ‘mat’, ‘hat’; student spells and repeats. Use sight word flashcards.	Cumulative Review
10 min	Review Words to Read	Student reads ‘pat’, ‘sat’, ‘rat’. Use prepared word list.	Sequential, Systematic Reading
10 min	Introduction of Concept	Discuss short /a/ sound. Use whiteboard, markers.	Direct, Explicit Instruction
10 min	New Words to Read	Read ‘map’, ‘lap’, ‘zap’. Use prepared word list.	Sequential, Cumulative Reading
10 min	Spelling SOS	Spell ‘jam’, ‘ram’, ‘yam’; student writes. Use paper, pencil.	Direct, Systematic Spelling
10 min	Review Words to Spell	Spell ‘cam’, ‘dam’, ‘ham’; student writes. Use paper, pencil.	Cumulative Review, Spelling
10 min	Dictation Sentences	Write “The cat sat on the mat.” Use paper, pencil.	Multisensory, Writing Practice
10 min	Reading	Read selected passage aloud. Use reading passage.	Structured, Sequential Reading
5 min	Lesson Summary	Review progress, plan next lesson.	Assessment, Individualized Instruction

Expanded Orton-Gillingham Lesson Plan: Teaching the Blend ‘bl’

Timing	Lesson Section	Procedure and Resources	OG Method Application
5 min	Visual Drill	Show ‘bl’ blend card; student traces and repeats. Use ‘bl’ blend flashcard, tracing paper.	Multisensory, Direct Instruction
5 min	Auditory Drill	Say ‘bl’ sound; student identifies and writes ‘bl’. Use paper and pencil.	Multisensory, Direct Instruction
10 min	Blending Drill	Build words with ‘bl’ blend; student reads them. Use letter cards for ‘bl’ blend words.	Sequential, Systematic Instruction
10 min	New Sight Words	Introduce words like ‘black’, ‘bloom’; student writes and repeats. Use sight word flashcards, paper, pencil.	Multisensory, Visual Learning
10 min	Sight Word Review	Review previous ‘bl’ words; student spells and repeats. Use sight word flashcards.	Cumulative Review
10 min	Review Words to Read	Student reads ‘bl’ blend words like ‘blab’, ‘club’. Use prepared word list.	Sequential, Systematic Reading
10 min	Introduction of Concept	Discuss the ‘bl’ blend. Use whiteboard, markers.	Direct, Explicit Instruction
10 min	New Words to Read	Read ‘bleak’, ‘blimp’, ‘blurt’. Use prepared word list.	Sequential, Cumulative Reading
10 min	Spelling SOS	Spell ‘blot’, ‘blush’, ‘blade’; student writes. Use paper, pencil.	Direct, Systematic Spelling
10 min	Review Words to Spell	Spell ‘bland’, ‘blink’, ‘glob’; student writes. Use paper, pencil.	Cumulative Review, Spelling
10 min	Dictation Sentences	Write sentences with ‘bl’ words. Use paper, pencil.	Multisensory, Writing Practice
10 min	Reading	Read selected passage with ‘bl’ words. Use reading passage.	Structured, Sequential Reading
5 min	Lesson Summary	Review progress, plan next lesson.	Assessment, Individualized Instruction

Advanced Strategies and Concepts

As students progress, they can be introduced to more advanced concepts within the Orton-Gillingham framework:

1. Higher-Level Reading Skills: Incorporate lessons on reading comprehension, inferencing, and critical thinking as students become more proficient readers.
2. Advanced Spelling Rules: Introduce more complex spelling patterns and rules as students’ understanding deepens.
3. Vocabulary Expansion: Include activities that build vocabulary and understanding of word origins, synonyms, and antonyms.

The Orton-Gillingham Order To Teach Letters

Conclusion

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled educator. It opens up a world of learning for students with dyslexia, providing them with the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

By following some of these these structured, systematic, and student-centered teaching practices, you can make a profound difference in your students’ academic and personal lives.

Further reading

• https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-the-orton-gillingham-method-for-teaching-reading-video
• https://www.orton-gillingham.com/teach-orton-gillingham/
• https://pridereadingprogram.com/show-me-an-orton-gillingham-lesson/