Finding Effective Dyslexia InstructionTheOrton-Gillinghamapproachcombinesmultisensoryinstructionwithdeliberateinstrucitonofphonemicinformationandis thebestapproachforteachingthedyslexicreadertoread.Itwasfirstdevelopedinthemid1920’sandmodifiedbyAnn Gilligham.Multisensoryteachinginvolvestheuseofvisual,auditory,andkinesthetic-tactilepathwaystoenhancememoryand learning.Memoryandlearningisstoredaccordingtodatafromoursenoryorgansofsmelling,tasting,seeing,hearingand touching(includingfeelingmusclemovement).Acitivitiestosystematicallyincorporatesmellingandtastinginteachinghave notbeendevised.Howeverseeing,hearingandtouching/movinghavebeenincorporatedbytheOrton-Gillinghamapproach intoactivitiesthatresultinretentionofnewinformationandskills.Thedyslexicreaderhasdifficultyretainingandprocessing theauditoryphonemicsounds,whicharethefoundationofreading.InOrton-Gillinghaminstructionthisweaknessis compensatedforbytheuseoftouch/kinestheticpathway.Informationstoredaccordingtothesesensorypathwayscanbe linkedtogether.Ifonepathwayisweak,theinformationcanbeaccessedalongoneoftheothersensorypathways.Theheartof theOrton-Gillinghamapproachiscombiningmultisenoryinstructionwithsystematicteachingofphonemicinformation.Many programstrytoincorporatemethodsandprinciplesdescribedintheworkofOrtonandGillinghamwithvaryingdegreesof successthatvaryinintensityandindividualinstruction.ThemostdesirabledeliveryofOrton-Gillinghambasedinstructionis through individualized instructor from an instructor trained and supervised in the Orton-Gillingham approach. Isyourteachercertifiedorsupervisedbyacertifiedteacher?TherearemanypeoplewhorepresentthemselvesasOrton-Gillinghamtrained,despitealackofactualformaltrainingandsupervision.Unfortunately,thequalityandadequacyof preparationandexperienceofsuchpersonsvariessignificantly.Effectiveinstructionshouldbeprovidedbyacertifiedinstructor orsupervisedbyacertifiedinstructor.TheAcademyofOrton-GillinghamPractitionersandEducatorsisuniqueinbeingtheonly organizationestablishedandauthorizedexpresslytosetandmaintainprofessionalandethicalstandardsforthepracticeofthe Orton-GillinghamApproachandtocertifyteachersandtoaccreditinstructionalprogramsthatmeetthesestandards.Clickher to visit the the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educatorswebpage.Contact theMichigan Dyslexia Institute for certified instruction.OfcoursemanypeopledonothaveaccesstoproperlytrainedandsupervisedOrton-Gillinghaminstructorsandmustseekout alternate instruction. Below are resources that identify such alternate instruction.•TheInternationalDyslexiaAssociationhasidentifiedinstructionalapproachesthathaveastrongtrackrecordsofsuccess.Theseprogramsdifferinspecifictechniquesandmaterialsandbuttheyhavecomponentsimportantforsuccessful learning.ClickheretoviewtheInternationalDyslexiaAssociationreportaboutthesevariousinstructionalapproaches (Matrix of Multisensory Structured Langauge Programs).•Reviewsofvariousreadinginstructionalprograms.TheInstituteforEducationSciences,abranchoftheUnitedStates DepartmentofEducation,establishedtheWhatWorksClearinghouse(WWC)toprovideevaluationsofresearchregardinga varietyofinstructionalprograms.Thesereportssometimesdonotgivesufficientconsiderationtotheroleofquality implementationandteachertrainingontheoutcomesreported,butprovideastartingpointfortheconsumertoevaluate thepotentialbenefitsforthemselves.ClickheretoviewtheWhatWorksClearinghousereviewofreadingprograms(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 ProgramEarobics®Fast ForWord®Fast ForWord LanguageFundations®Herman Method™Lexia ReadingLindamood Phoneme Sequencing®Project Read® PhonologyRead NaturallyReading Plus®Reading Recovery®Reading Recovery®Read, Write & Type!™ Learning SystemThe Spalding Method®Wilson Reading System®
Robert D. Smith, PhDDiagnosis of Dyslexia, ADD & Learning DisordersChildren & Adults