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As Orton-Gillingham tutors, it is common to find that accuracy will decline a bit in certain parts of the lesson. When we take a closer look and ask why, we notice some patterns. A frequent place for accuracy to break down is during the dictation portion of the lesson. A student who may be quite…
Why do people with dyslexia need word-level reading practice? The reasons for word-level practice go right to the heart of the challenges caused by dyslexia. When they encounter a new word, all readers go through a process of decoding that word to figure it out. However, with repeated exposure that word becomes one that is…
Often, the students we work with as tutors struggle with time management. Some may not have a good sense of time, and some struggle with using time efficiently and effectively. You may need some time management tools for your students. Why is this so often a problem for our students? As you know, ADHD and…
Before sentence dictation, we dictate sounds and individual words. During these activities, we are providing students with on-the-spot support to use their SOS strategy, and providing them with immediate corrective feedback. This can be very much a “We do it” portion of the lesson in a gradual release of responsibility model. Why do we use…
Letter reversals are very common for early readers and writers. This is particularly true for b and d reversals. Letters are one of the very first times students have encountered something that changes its identity based on its orientation in space. A chair is a chair regardless of if it is right side up or…
There are numerous benefits of using decodable text in our Orton Gillingham lessons. Perhaps the most important is to build a habit of using decoding skills and discourage habitual guessing. Decodable text limits the number of words where their decoding skills aren’t yet adequate. When students can use their emerging skills to successfully read the…
Have you been wondering why we code words? Orton-Gillingham teachers and tutors often focus on coding, both encoding and decoding, with their students. Coding is marking up words to indicate the presence of concepts or phonetic skills using paper and pencil or a dry-erase board. It can be beneficial to use color to make patterns…
Audiobooks are one of the most important and valuable accommodations for students with dyslexia. Listening to audiobooks, or “ear reading” as we call it is important for several reasons. Audiobooks allow students with dyslexia to access text at their interest level. This helps develop vocabulary and build an interest in reading. In my experience, the…
As Orton Gillingham practitioners, we want to examine student errors in reading and spelling very carefully. According to the OG principles, we are charged with being prescriptive and diagnostic. This involves carefully analyzing student errors, figuring out the root cause of the error, and planning to address that area of difficulty going forward. Simply put,…