In the 1920s, Dr. Orton began investigating why intelligent people were unable to learn to read. Combining research in many areas, he and Anna Gillingham designed this teaching method.
Learning happens through a combination of seeing, hearing and touching. By combining actions with seeing and hearing, students make strong connections through their muscles to sounds and words.
Reading and writing are taught together; there are no separate periods for reading, writing and spelling, and therefore students see how words are put together and taken apart in context.
Students learn that letters make sounds, and sounds make words and syllables. Students say the words as they write them down, constantly making connections between the written and spoken word.
Vocabulary, reading and handwriting are approached in a structured manner appropriate to the student's needs.
The motto of the Orton Gillingham approach is to "go as fast as you can but as slow as you need to." This allows students to succeed in reading and writing through individualized instruction.