Orton Gillingham Mama strives to provide quality Structured Literacy resources that align with the science of reading. Dismiss
“There is no comprehension strategy powerful enough to compensate if a student cannot read the words.” Anita Archer This is perhaps my favorite teaching quote. Yes, we all want our students to read and to be able to comprehend text. But we are misguided if we use the end goal of reading (comprehension) as the…
Introduction to Syllable Division As elementary school teachers, one of our primary goals is to equip our students with the essential skills they need to become proficient readers. For struggling readers, decoding multisyllabic words can be a daunting task, hindering their ability to comprehend text effectively. However, there is a powerful tool that can significantly…
A guest blog by Michelle Breitenbach, Read to Rewire, LLC Hey there, outstanding educators! Today, we’re diving into online teaching and discovering itsincredible benefits and opportunities for therapists and students. So, grab a cup of your favoritebeverage, get cozy, and explore the top five reasons why we should embrace online teachingand embark on an exciting…
Learn how to make high frequency words sight words by using them in context.
In the first part of an Orton Gillingham lesson we practice phonemic awareness, blending, and letter-sound correspondence. After that, it is crucial that students review and reinforce previously learned skills. The student must also learn new information and practice this new skill in their reading and writing. Concepts taught and reviewed cover ALL strands of…
This is Part 1 of a series of posts about what is included in an Orton Gillingham lesson plan. Many assume an Orton Gillingham lesson only includes phonics. While explicit instruction of many phonics skills is a large part of an OG lesson, a quality lesson covers SO many more aspects of our language. This…
Orton Gillingham is an approach and not a program. It is a systematic approach to teaching literacy to individuals for whom reading, writing, and spelling do not come easily. Many of these individuals have dyslexia, but many others can benefit from the structured literacy approach as well. In the hands of a well-trained Orton tutor,…
PHONICS INSTRUCTION There are long-standing myths about phonics instruction. Keeping these myths alive (and thus keeping phonics instruction from our students!) undermines a student’s reading acquisition. As educators, we must constantly look to the current research and adjust our instruction accordingly. Remember, although there are many different ways to TEACH reading, science continually reminds us…
The debate is over. Reading words by attending to all of the letter-sound correspondences is how our brain learns to read efficiently. This is not new science, nor is it a pendulum. This is over 40 years of research. The science tells us that students need to focus on the letter-sound correspondences (word reading) to…
Orton Gillingham is not a program. It is an approach to teaching literacy in a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive manner. Educators most often use this approach to support students who struggle with reading and spelling. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ORTON GILLINGHAM?: The name “Orton Gillingham” comes from two pioneers of…