What is Orton-Gillingham?

Orton-Gillingham is a reading intervention usually provided in a small group or one-on-one in a pull out from the larger classroom. Similar strategies can also be built into embedded instruction in an inclusive classroom. Orton-Gillingham is most often used for students with dyslexia but can help other kinds of learners with reading skills as well. The approach "combines direct, multi-sensory teaching strategies paired with systematic, sequential lessons focused on phonics."

Your state might have specific guidance for specific learning disabilities. For example, the California Education Code Section 56335(a) recognizes that students with dyslexia often need an intervention program based on Orton Gillingham principles, as recommended in The California Dyslexia Guidelines.

For information about other reading and literacy programs, see our full article Reading Curricula, Tech, Apps, and More!. You can learn more about structured literacy in our article Phonics and the Science of Reading Are for Students With Disabilities — Here’s How.