Orton Gillingham: Who, What, and How

Although many teachers may be familiar with the term Orton Gillingham, few possess a strong understanding of who Orton and Gillingham were, what an Orton Gillingham approach to reading instruction entails, and how training in the approach can be in alignment with the delivery of tier 3 reading instruction for students with reading disabilities. The recent spate of state “dyslexia laws” has resulted in increased awareness and advocacy around the topic of dyslexia. As such, teachers and school administrators may be receiving questions about Orton Gillingham. The purpose of this paper is to provide practitioners with the background information necessary to respond to such queries and have a deeper understanding of the approach.