Every tutor follows a different approach to support dyslexic students learn to read, write, and spell. However, one of the most common approaches used by Orton Gillingham tutors is the Orton-Gillingham approach to support struggling readers.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a common learning disability, which is also known as a developmental reading disorder. It has been estimated that 1 in 10 children worldwide are affected with dyslexia. It causes difficulty reading accurately, and can also affect spelling, reading comprehension and writing. Students with dyslexia face difficulty learning to read as dyslexia takes away their ability to read fluently or find spoken words quickly. To support dyslexic students learning to read, write and spell, Orton Gillingham Toronto Tutors use the Orton-Gillingham approach.
Orton-Gillingham’s approach is specifically used as an intervention for children with dyslexia. This approach was designed to identify dyslexic children’s unique learning needs to help them overcome the challenges they face in learning to write, read, and spell. This tutoring provides children with comprehensive lessons in phonological awareness, including phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, decoding, grammar, morphology, reading fluency, and written expression.
Orton-Gillingham Tutoring in Toronto for Struggling Readers
Orton-Gillingham’s approach is one of the most commonly used methods by tutors, focusing on each child and tailoring instructions to match each child’s needs. This method teaches the connection between sounds and letters, with significant focus being on spelling, reading, and writing difficulties. Toronto tutors also use a multi-sensory approach to teaching reading and tutors use hearing, sight, movement, and touch to support students connect language with words and letters. For instance, students might learn the letter ‘d’ when they see it, and by pronouncing its name while writing it with fingers using shaving cream. In addition to this, the Orton-Gillingham method also supports students in understanding the patterns and rules in reading. With those skills, they can decode or sound out words.
The Orton-Gillingham method has been adapted successfully for use with students with dyslexia. The method focuses on the learning requirements of each student, and Orton Gillingham Tutors design materials and lessons to work with children at the level they present by setting instructions combined with the introduction of new lessons and materials according to their weaknesses and strengths systematically. These students need support for recognizing, sorting, and organizing the materials of language for use.
How is the Orton-Gillingham Approach Effective?
Trained tutors in the Orton-Gillingham approach can introduce several aspects of the Orton-Gillingham approach to students with dyslexia. As tutors and dyslexic children continue to learn, the OG’s approach remains flexible and can be learnt with time to improve continuous learning.
Here are a few ways that the Orton-Gillingham method enables student success:
- The Orton-Gillingham method starts with addressing a child’s underlying literacy issues to create a customized lesson plan. By addressing the gaps in skill development, tutors at Class in Session can support children develop foundational literacy skills.
- The best thing about the Orton-Gillingham approach is that it can be individualized to each child’s needs and abilities. The focus of each lesson is on improving skills.
- In the Orton-Gillingham approach, tutors at Class in Session work closely with children with dyslexia one-on-one to develop skills in a systematic way. Tutors at Class in Session introduce skills starting from the most basic to more complex.
- Each lesson within the Orton-Gillingham method is multi-sensory and uses the learning pathways of kinesthetic, auditory, visual, and tactile.
- Tutors at Class in Session are trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach and are experts in identifying children’s literacy issues.
Now that you know dyslexic students can overcome challenges they face when reading, writing, and spelling by receiving tutoring services based on Orton Gillingham’s approach. If your child is also facing these difficulties, then you can receive support from tutors at Class in Session.
