What is Orton Gillingham?
Orton Gillingham is a highly structured approach that breaks reading and spelling down into smaller skills involving letters and sounds, and then building on these skills over time. (IMSE)
What is Multisensory Math Instruction?
The multisensory math instructional approach applies Orton-Gillingham multisensory instructional strategies to mathematics. The multisensory math approach aligns with recommendations from current research and suggestions from the National Math Panel regarding instruction for struggling learners.
Multisensory math instruction includes hands-on work with manipulative objects and enhances both concept integration and memory. While this approach is especially important for students with learning disabilities and those with conceptual gaps, it is an approach that is appropriate for all students.
It is Diagnostic and Individualized:
We will assess your child’s reading, spelling, writing, and/or math abilities and create individualized learning plans. We will focus on where your child most needs instruction and support. We will utilize your child’s strengths and interests to engage learning. Concepts and skills are taught for mastery. We will continually monitor student progress to determine when to advance to new concepts and skill challenges.
It is Explicit:
The Orton-Gillingham approach uses direct instruction. Students are taught the rules, generalizations, and structure of the English language. The instructor teaches the student exactly what they need and never assumes what the student already knows. Orton-Gillingham uses continuous student-teacher interaction in each lesson.
It is Multisensory:
Orton-Gillingham pioneered the “multisensory” approach to teaching reading, which is considered highly effective for teaching all students and especially those with dyslexia. Multisensory instruction engages multiple senses including sight, hearing, touch, and movement to help students learn and connect language with letters and words. For example, students might learn the letter p by seeing it, saying its name, and sounding it out while writing it with their finger in sand.
The term multisensory refers to any learning activity that includes the use of two or more sensory modalities simultaneously to take in or express information. We utilize multisensory instruction for reading, spelling, writing and math.
It is Structured and Sequential:
Orton-Gillingham lessons are organized around a consistent set of strategies, activities, and patterns. The student always knows what to expect throughout each lesson. Each lesson builds on previously taught material and connections between past concepts and the new concept are explicitly taught via direct instruction. Each skill is taught in a logical order or sequence which helps prevent any gaps in reading or spelling.
It is Cumulative:
Each Orton-Gillingham lesson builds upon itself. The student is taught a skill and doesn’t progress to the next skill until the current skill is mastered. As students learn new material, they continue to review old material until it is stored in the student’s long-term memory.