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As Orton-Gillingham teachers, we know how much every little thing we say can matter. Sometimes, we forget just how much weight our words carry when teaching students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences. So much time is spent planning multisensory activities, prepping materials, and setting up routines. If we aren’t being intentional with our…
If you’re an Orton-Gillingham teacher, you know how rewarding this work can be. However, Orton-Gillingham lesson planning can be time-intensive. Between individualizing for students, tracking progress, and prepping multisensory materials, planning can easily eat up hours of your week. Luckily, there are practical, time-saving tips for streamlining your Orton-Gillingham lesson planning. Honestly, teachers can use…
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…
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,…
An Orton-Gillingham lesson warm-up is a brief activity at the beginning of a lesson to get the student ready for learning. It should be quick, less than 5 minutes, and targeted. This may provide additional practice in an area that they are still having difficulty with, an area that you don’t have a lot of…
Dictation is an important part of each Orton-Gillingham lesson. It is when everything comes together. Dictation is the You Do portion of the gradual release of responsibility. When looking at this portion of the lesson, there are a few points where you can begin maximizing dictation. Here are 3 quick tips for maximizing the dictation portion…
Routines are an important part of Orton-Gillingham instruction for a number of reasons. Time is a precious commodity when working with students with dyslexia. Routines make lessons more efficient. Students know what to expect when there are well-established routines. This reduces stress and anxiety, but also requires less language when transitioning from one activity to…