STRUCTURED LITERACY & ORTON-GILLINGHAM

All Kids Who Flow instructors are trained in & follow the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching literacy. Orton-Gillingham is a structured method of literacy instruction that is scientifically-proven to be the most effective way to teach reading, both for neurotypical students and for those struggling with dyslexia or other reading-based learning disabilities. In Orton-Gillingham instruction, concepts are broken down into smaller, more approachable skills in order to meet the needs of all learners. Instruction is delivered in an explicit, direct, sequential, systematic, and multi-sensory way. Check out more information below or reach out to us to inquire further!

OG AT A GLANCE:

Orton-Gillingham instruction typically consists of five key components:

  • Three-Part Drill

    • The three-part drill allows students to review phonetic concepts through visual, auditory/kinesthetic, and blending exercises.

  • Teaching A New Concept

    • Orton-Gillingham instruction teaches new concepts to students through multi-sensory experiences, as well as through direct application of that new concept through writing words and sentences.

  • Red Words

    • Red Words are composed primarily of irregular words in the English language. They also include phonetic high-frequency words (words that are seen frequently in grade-level texts). Because many of these words are irregular, instructors teach them in a specific and systematic way, in order to reinforce spelling accuracy.

  • Syllabication & Learning Centers

    • In a classroom setting, Orton-Gillingham includes syllabication and learning centers. These two categories provide children with opportunities to better understand multi-syllabic words, as well as to improve upon their vocabulary by reading and writing at a higher level.

    • In the context of Kids Who Flow’s 1:1 learning experiences, this fourth category of OG instruction is an individualized learning experience, focused on a child’s specific needs. This may include: practicing vowel drills, a focus on penmanship, greater emphasis on red word instruction, or practice with syllabication and syllable types.

  • Language Comprehension

    • Language comprehension is an essential part of Orton-Gillingham instruction. Beginning with decodable readers and evolving into more advanced texts, this instruction includes exposure to material that allows for practice with the following domains: fluency, vocabulary, and building background knowledge.

Please note that Phonemic Awareness is an essential component to Orton-Gillingham instruction. Phonemic Awareness is incorporated throughout all five components of instruction. Kids Who Flow instructors believe that Phonemic Awareness is the foundation to literacy success and embed it into learning experiences from the very beginning of a child’s journey with us.