Finding Effective Dyslexia Instruction The   Orton-Gillingham   approach   combines   multisensory   instruction   with   deliberate   instruciton   of   phonemic   information   and   is the   best   approach   for   teaching   the   dyslexic   reader   to   read.      It   was   first   developed   in   the   mid   1920’s   and   modified   by   Ann Gilligham.       Multisensory   teaching   involves   the   use   of   visual,   auditory,   and   kinesthetic-tactile   pathways   to   enhance   memory   and learning.      Memory   and   learning   is   stored   according   to   data   from   our   senory   organs   of   smelling,   tasting,   seeing,   hearing   and touching   (including   feeling   muscle   movement).         Acitivities   to   systematically   incorporate   smelling   and   tasting   in   teaching   have not   been   devised.      However   seeing,   hearing   and   touching/moving   have   been   incorporated   by   the   Orton-Gillingham   approach into   activities   that   result   in   retention   of   new   information   and   skills.      The   dyslexic   reader   has   difficulty   retaining   and   processing the    auditory    phonemic    sounds,    which    are    the    foundation    of    reading.        In    Orton-Gillingham    instruction    this    weakness    is compensated   for   by   the   use   of   touch/kinesthetic   pathway.      Information   stored   according   to   these   sensory   pathways   can   be linked   together.      If   one   pathway   is   weak,   the   information   can   be   accessed   along   one   of   the   other   sensory   pathways.      The   heart   of the   Orton-Gillingham   approach   is   combining   multisenory   instruction   with   systematic   teaching   of   phonemic   information.      Many programs   try   to   incorporate   methods   and   principles   described   in   the   work   of   Orton   and   Gillingham   with   varying   degrees   of success   that   vary   in   intensity   and   individual   instruction.      The   most   desirable   delivery   of   Orton-Gillingham   based   instruction   is through individualized instructor from an instructor trained and supervised in the Orton-Gillingham approach.  Is   your   teacher   certified   or   supervised   by   a   certified   teacher?       There   are   many   people   who   represent   themselves   as   Orton- Gillingham    trained,    despite    a    lack    of    actual    formal    training    and    supervision.    Unfortunately,    the    quality    and    adequacy    of preparation   and   experience   of   such   persons   varies   significantly.      Effective   instruction   should   be   provided   by   a   certified   instructor or   supervised   by   a   certified   instructor.      The   Academy   of   Orton-Gillingham   Practitioners   and   Educators    is   unique   in   being   the   only organization   established   and   authorized   expressly   to   set   and   maintain   professional   and   ethical   standards   for   the   practice   of   the Orton-Gillingham   Approach   and   to   certify   teachers   and   to   accredit   instructional   programs   that   meet   these   standards.      Click   her to visit the the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators   webpage. Contact the   Michigan Dyslexia Institute  for certified instruction. Of   course   many   people   do   not   have   access   to   properly   trained   and   supervised   Orton-Gillingham   instructors   and   must   seek   out alternate instruction.  Below are resources that identify such alternate instruction. • The   International   Dyslexia   Association   has   identified   instructional   approaches   that   have   a   strong   track   records   of   success.     These   programs   differ   in   specific   techniques   and   materials   and   but   they   have   components   important   for   successful learning.      Click   here   to   view   the   International   Dyslexia   Association   report   about   these   various   instructional   approaches ( Matrix of Multisensory Structured Langauge Programs ). • Reviews   of   various   reading   instructional   programs.   The   Institute   for   Education   Sciences,   a   branch   of   the   United   States Department   of   Education,   established   the      What   Works   Clearinghouse    (WWC)   to   provide   evaluations   of   research   regarding   a variety   of   instructional   programs.      These   reports   sometimes   do   not   give   sufficient   consideration   to   the   role   of   quality implementation   and   teacher   training   on   the   outcomes   reported,   but   provide   a   starting   point   for   the   consumer   to   evaluate the   potential   benefits   for   themselves.      Click   here   to   view   the   What   Works   Clearinghouse   review   of   reading   programs   ( What Works Clearinghouse ). • Below is a brief list of program from the What Works Clearinghouse  review of reading programs that are commonly used. Alphabetic Phonics Barton Reading & Spelling System ® Dyslexia Training Program Earobics® Fast ForWord ® Fast ForWord Language Fundations® Herman Method ™ Lexia Reading Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Project Read® Phonology Read Naturally Reading Plus ® Reading Recovery® Reading Recovery® Read, Write & Type!™ Learning System The Spalding Method® Wilson Reading System®