ARE STRUCTURED LITERACY & ORTON-GILLINGHAM SIMILAR?
Structured Literacy is an umbrella term coined by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) that describes all programs and approaches that teach reading using evidence-based instruction. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is considered a structured literacy approach.
Both approaches focus on phonology, sound-symbol association, syllables, morphology, syntax, and semantics. It is also common for Orton-Gillingham instruction to address skills in alphabet knowledge, handwriting, and vocabulary.
Similar to the Structured Literacy approach, the Orton-Gillingham Approach shares the same principles of instruction that govern 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. It builds on individual strengths and success.
Both approaches complement each other. The comprehensive Orton-Gillingham Approach uses instructional techniques that create lessons that are hands-on, engaging, responsive, and fosters multimodal language learning.