We receive so many great questions about Orton-Gillingham, the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, and what has proven to be effective and why. To help, IMSE has compiled the most important and congruent information across these key literacy topics within a single website, Orton-Gillingham.com. Our goal is to provide you with the background and answers to the most frequently asked questions surrounding these topics!

Orton-Gillingham was among the first teaching approaches designed to help struggling readers by explicitly teaching the connections between letters and sounds. In 1996, we were the first company to take Orton-Gillingham and expand it beyond its roots in helping those with dyslexia into general education and adapting it for the whole classroom. Since then, IMSE has trained over 175,000 teachers to teach all five pillars of literacy to millions of students based on the foundations of Orton-Gillingham.

Understanding all the facets of literacy can be overwhelming, so we can encourage you to visit Orton-Gillingham.com, where you will find answers, information, and the latest research on the methodology that has been proven to have a dramatic impact on literacy for all learners. 

On Orton-Gilligham.com, you will find information on:

 

Orton-Gillingham History

In the 1930s, neuropsychiatrist and pathologist Dr. Samuel T. Orton and educator, psychologist Anna Gillingham developed the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction for students with “word-blindness,” which would later become known as dyslexia. Their approach combined direct, multi-sensory teaching strategies paired with systematic, sequential lessons focused on phonics.

The Orton-Gillingham Approach

The Orton-Gillingham approach empowers educators to develop an individualized, structured, multisensory plan to teach reading and vocabulary skills. Orton-Gillingham is a step-by-step learning process involving letters and sounds that encourages students to advance upon each smaller manageable skill learned throughout the process.

Structured Literacy

Structured Literacy is an umbrella term adopted by the International Dyslexia Association to refer to the many programs (like Orton Gillingham) that teach reading by following the evidence and research behind the Science of Reading. Structured Literacy is deeply rooted in phonemes and systematically introduces the letters or graphemes corresponding to each phoneme.

The Science of Reading

The Science of Reading is a comprehensive body of research that encompasses years of scientific knowledge, spans across many languages, and shares the contributions of experts from relevant disciplines such as education, special education, literacy, psychology, neurology, and more.

Orton-Gillingham Training

Learn more about the benefits of Orton-Gillingham training for:

So, dive in and expand your knowledge on Orton-Gillingham and how it has helped – and will continue to help – millions of students learn to read.

 

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