The History of Orton Gillingham Tutoring

Orton Gillingham tutoring is basically an approach conceived and designed by two people - Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham. It is misinterpreted by many as a program, wherein it is just an approach, which only a well trained and experienced trainer can use effectively with the dyslexic people.

The Use

The Orton Gillingham approach is directed towards helping people who have problem in writing, reading and spelling. These are usually associated with dyslexics.

The main content and the practice that forms the foundation of the Orton Gillingham tutoring approach is taken from two sources – proven knowledge and practice approved and legalized over 70 years.

The second source is the scientific evidence of how humans learn to read and write; how some people find it difficult to read and write; why dyslexia makes attaining literacy skills difficult; and the instructional method well suited for helping such people read and write.

The founders

Orton Gillingham approach is all work of contribution of Samuel T. Orton and Anna Gillingham. Orton was a pathologist and neuropsychiatrist. His work revolved around reading and language processing difficulties. By 1925, he had recognized dyslexia as an educational problem.

Anna Gillingham was a psychologist and educator, had a command over the language. By 1930s, Dr. Orton got instructional techniques published. This became the foundation for the Orton Gillingham tutoring.  

Orton Gillingham Approach is one-on-one teacher-student instructional model often applied in small group instructions. It has been successfully done in the classrooms. Though it was initially designed for students with reading, writing and spelling difficulties, it has been found to be more effective for students in mathematics.

Summing up

Students afflicted with dyslexics are required to hone their language skills and its relation with writing. Orton Gillingham Tutoring is their savior since they need special help; they get it aptly with it.