What is Orton Gillingham Multisensory Instruction?

In Orton Gillingham lessons the teacher uses the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic pathways of the student in order to enhance memory and learning. A card deck on which are written the letters, and letter combinations of the English language is used. The letter/sound combinations are presented in a logical order. Rules and concepts of the language are taught. Each unit is taught separately. Each lesson builds upon the previous lesson.

An individual lesson consists of an auditory, visual and blending drill. In the Visual Drill, the teacher shows the student the cards. The student pronounces the sound of the letter/letters. If the student gives the incorrect response, the teacher helps the child recall the correct sound. The child then traces the letters and simultaneously pronounces the correct sound. In the Auditory Drill, the teacher pronounces a sound. The student writes the letter/letters that represent the sound. If the student writes an incorrect response, the teacher asks the student to read what he/she wrote. The teacher allows time for the student to self correct. If need be, the teacher assists in the correct spelling. The word is then rewritten by the student. In the Blending Drill, the cards are placed in three stacks in front of the student. The student, using his/her finger to follow from card to card, blends the letters and says the word of nonsense word. If a letter is mispronounced, the student traces the letter to retrieve the sound.

Material is taught and reviewed in a multisensory manner. Letters are traced or written simultaneously as they are pronounced. The lessons are systematic and cumulative. Each lesson is based on what the child knows. New sounds and concepts are learned piece by piece through the direct instruction of a specially trained tutor or teacher. Previously learned material is always reviewed. Error patterns of the student are carefully analyzed by the teacher. Lessons consist of sound/symbol relationship, syllable division, spelling rules, rules for adding endings, the understanding of prefixes, suffixes and roots, etc.

The purpose of the instruction is to provide the student with a structure of the language which allows him/her to become an independent reader and writer.