How does Orton-Gillingham tutoring help the dyslexic brain?

Dr Samuel T. Orton, an American physician and a pioneer in the research of dyslexia, was the first to describe the phenomenon in the early 20th century.

He advocated for instructional methods based on the simultaneous engagement of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels, emphasizing the unity of the language systems. 

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a multisensory, structured, and sequential literacy intervention, designed to help students with dyslexia improve their reading, writing and spelling skills. It was developed by Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman and based on the neurological research of Dr. Samuel T. Orton.

Drawing on Orton’s neurological research, Gillingham organized the English sound–symbol system into a sequenced set of phonograms — single letters and common letter pairs — that represent the roughly 44 sounds of English. By teaching these patterns in a logical order, and by linking them to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic practice, she created a method that helped students build words from meaningful, decodable parts instead of relying on memorization.

The Orton-Gillingham approach calls for the need for explicit instruction that is direct, sequential, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and multisensory in nature.

Lessons include multisensory activities such as handwriting, spelling, oral reading, and vocabulary work, along with instruction in common grammar rules and concepts. Students learn to connect reading, writing, and spelling into one integrated learning experience.

Over time, this method became the foundation for many Structured Literacy programs, including Slingerland, the Wilson Reading System, Project Read, Lindamood-Bell and others. All of these share core principles: instruction that is direct, explicit, cumulative, diagnostic, and prescriptive, with each lesson carefully built on previously mastered skills.

Deeply rooted in decades of multidisciplinary scientific research, this methodology has become the gold standard for teaching structured literacy throughout US and Canada. 

Two young boys sitting at a desk, drawing on paper with pencils, with school supplies nearby.
Book an appointment

Current research suggests that reading and spelling development relies on the integrated use of phonological, orthographic , and morphological knowledge.

  • Illustration of a confused person with letters and scribbles above their head

    Phonological Awareness

    Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the speech sounds (phonemes) within words, and segment those words into syllables and individual sounds. Phonological awareness is an essential prerequisite in developing reading skills and is one component of a larger phonological processing system.

  • Illustration of a child with red hair sitting at a desk, looking puzzled while writing in a notebook with scattered letters and question marks around them.

    Orthographic Awareness

    Orthographic awareness builds upon phonological awareness by linking the phonemes (sounds) to their visual representation - letters (graphemes). It refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and apply letter patterns and sequences within words and is crucial to developing reading fluency and automaticity.

  • Illustration of two silhouetted heads facing each other filled with letters. One head has neatly arranged alphabet letters, while the other has jumbled letters. Small figures interact with the heads, symbolizing communication and understanding. Soft background with clouds and plants.

    Morphological Awareness

    Morphological awareness is the ability to understand the smallest units of meaning in language, called morphemes. This awareness involves understanding how words are formed from separate parts (morphemes) such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and how these elements contribute to the overall meaning of a word.