Dyslexia and the Orton-Gillingham Approach

Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disorder characterized by difficulty reading and spelling in individuals who are receiving adequate classroom instruction and do not have cognitive deficits.

Individuals with dyslexia may have difficulty:

  • Reading, spelling, and writing

  • Learning the names and sounds of letters

  • Making sense of unfamiliar words

  • Attending to tasks and following directions

  • Sequencing

  • Managing frustration

  • Copying written language

  • With math, including problem solving and very often word problems

  • Recognizing letters that look the same and writing letters the “right way”

The Orton-Gillingham Approach was developed by neuropsychologist Samuel Orton and educator Anna Gillingham to help struggling readers by explicitly teaching letter-sound relationships. This evidence-based method is diagnostic, structured, multisensory, and systematic, building reading skills through sequential instruction tailored to each student’s needs.