CREATING LITERACY SUCCESS & EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA
ARE STRUCTURED LITERACY & ORTON-GILLINGHAM SIMILAR?
Structured Literacy is an umbrella term defined by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) that describes all programs and approaches that teach reading through evidence-based instruction. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is considered a Structured Literacy approach.
Both approaches address phonology, sound-symbol association, syllables, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Orton-Gillingham instruction also addresses alphabet knowledge, handwriting, and vocabulary.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach shares the same core principles that govern Structured Literacy instruction: systematic, cumulative, explicit, and diagnostic. In addition, the Orton-Gillingham Approach emphasizes the following elements:
- Multisensory
- Structured
- Sequential
- Repetitive
- Cognitive
- Emotionally sound
- Individualized and personalized
It follows a therapeutic approach model that provides immediate corrective feedback and builds on each learner's individual strengths and successes.
Both approaches complement each other. The Orton-Gillingham Approach uses instructional techniques that create lessons which are hands-on, engaging, responsive, and foster multimodal language learning.