Orton Gillingham Homeschool Reading Programs for Kids with Dyslexia

Teaching our kids to read is one of the most important things that we can do as homeschool parents. But what happens when a child is diagnosed with Dyslexia or struggles to learn how to read despite repeated attempts to learn? In these situations, using the Orton-Gillingham approach can be a great way to help kids learn how to read. Here’s what you need to know about Orton-Gillingham homeschool reading programs, and how to get started using the Orton Gillingham method with your child.

I received compensation and access to PRIDE Reading Program: Level 2 in exchange for my honest review, but all the opinions in this post are my own. 

What is the Orton Gillingham Reading Method?

The Orton-Gillingham methodology is named for the two individuals who created it, Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham.

Dr. Samuel Orton was a neuropsychologist who worked with kids who were struggling to learn how to read in the 1920s. He defined Dyslexia and worked to develop strategies to help kids with Dyslexia learn to read. Dr. Orton focused on using a multisensory approach when teaching reading. This meant that kids were learning by seeing, hearing, and doing at the same time.

Anna Gillingham was a psychologist and a teacher. She focused on teaching sounds to help kids learn how to read, rather than asking them to memorize whole words.

In 1935, Orton and Gillingham published a book, Remedial Training for Children with Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship. This book combined the work of Orton and Gillingham into the Orton Gillingham approach, which is still used today to help kids learn to read. 

Characteristics of Orton-Gillingham Reading Programs

The Orton-Gillingham method is an approach, not a specific curriculum. This means that there are a variety of homeschool reading curriculum options that all use Orton-Gillingham methods as a starting point to teach kids how to read. Here are some of the characteristics of an Orton-Gillingham program:

Multisensory

In his research, Dr. Orton discovered that kids with Dyslexia learn better with a multi-sensory approach. This means that the learning process includes activities that focus on a variety of different learning styles.

In multisensory education, the lesson plan often focuses on kinesthetic learning. This means learning by touch or with movement. The multisensory method usually includes lots of hands-on activities where kids can get up and move, and this helps engage the brain so those kids will remember what they are learning better.

Explicit

In explicit teaching, specific rules or concepts are taught by the teacher using direct instruction, rather than allowing kids to discover concepts on their own. Orton and Gillingham had great success using explicit teaching to help kids with special needs learn to read. They found that consistent and clear instructions make it easier for kids to learn to read.

Systematic

The Orton Gillingham program uses a very specific system in each lesson. The process of learning to read is broken down into specific literacy skills. Each new skill is taught the same way each time, and this consistency can be helpful for a child with a learning disability because they will know what to expect during each lesson.

Sequential and Cumulative

In an Orton Gillingham reading program, new material always builds on what kids have already learned. This sequential approach helps kids build a strong foundation of phonetic skills where nothing is skipped. The strong emphasis on foundational reading skills is especially helpful for kids with Dyslexia.

Individualized

Although an Orton-Gillingham reading program can be taught in a classroom setting, it can be hard for a classroom teacher to give each student the individualized attention they need to learn how to read at their own pace. Often, the Orton-Gillingham method is most effective when taught one-on-one, such as by a private tutor.

With training, some programs can reduce or eliminate the need for a professional tutor. The best programs equip parents to teach their kids using the Orton Gillingham method, even without extensive training in teaching reading.

Intensive

Another important characteristic of the O-G Method is that it includes lots of practice, repeated over time. Whether it’s phonemic awareness or working with word lists, best practices show that a lot of repeated practice makes these programs more effective for kids with Dyslexia.

Repetitive

A great program for kids with Dyslexia will also include a lot of review activities. Repetition and review are important to help kids with Dyslexia remember what they are learning.

What is PRIDE Reading Program?

PRIDE Reading Program is a homeschool curriculum for teaching kids to read that is based on the Orton-Gillingham method. The program includes training videos and scripted lessons so that parents can teach their kids to read with the Orton-Gillingham method at home without extensive training. This program is a great resource for kids with Dyslexia.

Components of the Program

The main components of each level of the PRIDE reading program are the scripted Teaching Guide, which is available on PRIDE Reading’s website, and the Student Workbook, which is printed.

PRIDE Reading Program offers several different levels, including 3 for primary-aged students:

• PRIDE Reading Program: Beginning Letters and Sounds– This program is for students in preschool and kindergarten who are learning their letter sounds.
• PRIDE Reading Program: Level 1 (Yellow)- This level focuses on short vowel sounds, as well as digraphs and blends.
• PRIDE Reading Program: Level 2 (Orange)- This level teaches more complicated concepts including long vowels and multi-syllable words.

Find the right level of the PRIDE Reading Program for your child here.

What sets the PRIDE Reading Program apart is the additional materials for multisensory activities. The program comes with a kit that includes sound cards, letter tiles, and even a small whiteboard and markers. These materials are the best part of the curriculum because they make reading fun, especially for older students who are struggling with reading.

Using PRIDE Reading Program for Struggling Readers with Dyslexia

I am so glad that I discovered the PRIDE Reading Program! I had the chance to try PRIDE Reading Program: Level 2 with my daughter and I wanted to share some of the reasons that I love PRIDE reading and recommend it to families who want to teach their kids using the Orton-Gillingham method at home.

Training for Parents

Normally, teaching a child to read with the Orton-Gillingham method requires extensive training in the method and how to use it. I love that PRIDE Reading Program makes this method accessible to parents who don’t have access to formal Orton-Gillingham training.

PRIDE Reading Program offers a free Orton-Gillingham introduction course for parents. This course includes information about the Orton-Gillingham method as well as tips for teaching with the PRIDE Reading Program in your homeschool.

My favorite part of the PRIDE Reading Program introduction course was the video demonstrations. I loved watching how each lesson was taught by an actual teacher with an actual student. These videos were helpful in understanding how the program works.

I love that parents can feel confident using this program to teach their kids to read with the Orton Gillingham approach, even if they don’t have formal training and years of experience as a reading teachers. This program makes Orton-Gillingham accessible to homeschool families.

Try the Orton-Gillingham Introduction Course from PRIDE Reading Program for free here!

Easy to Use

As a busy homeschool parent, I am always looking for a curriculum that is easy to use. I love the way that PRIDE Reading Program makes teaching reading skills so easy for families.

When it was time for my daughter’s reading lesson, all I needed to do was get our materials and open the Online Teacher’s Guide to the next lesson. This is an open-and-go curriculum.

The only prep required was to punch out the letter tiles on the first day that we used the curriculum, and after that, we were ready to go!

I love the way that PRIDE Reading Program makes teaching reading so easy for busy families like mine. I love that Introductory Course includes videos of how to teach each type of lesson, with an actual teacher and student. This program makes me feel so confident to teach my kids using the Orton-Gillingham method.

Online Teacher Guide

The Online Teacher Guide included with each level of the PRIDE Reading Program is such a valuable resource. I love that the teacher guide includes scripted lessons.

As a parent who doesn’t have previous experience teaching with the Orton-Gillingham method, I was able to simply open the Teacher Guide and read the text of the lessons to my child. I could be confident knowing that I was following the program correctly because all I had to do was read the lesson out loud.

The Teacher Guide is laid out in a step-by-step format that makes it easy to follow, even when I am teaching a busy and wiggly child!

Find more FAQs about the PRIDE Reading Program here.

Sequential and Organized

I appreciated the way that the PRIDE Reading Program uses the same system of teaching a new concept each time. Once my daughter figured out how to use the sound cards, for example, I didn’t need to explain how to use them each time. This made the program easier for both of us because we both knew what to expect with each kind of lesson, without a lot of specific instruction needed.

I also love the way that the curriculum is designed to teach each new concept sequentially, building on the previous topics. I know that my kids will learn everything that they need to know in order to read using PRIDE Reading Program, with no gaps or missed concepts that could lead to struggle and frustration.

My daughter loves all of the fun activities that she gets to use to practice her reading skills. Her favorite part of every lesson is getting to write on the whiteboard. I love the way that PRIDE Reading Program makes learning to read so exciting for her.

Fun Multisensory Activities

The multisensory activities that are included with the PRIDE Reading Program were my daughter’s favorite part of the program. She loved writing on the whiteboard, and she was excited to get to that part of each lesson.

She also really enjoyed the activities that used the sound tiles. We used the sound tiles to build words, and this was a great way to practice both reading and spelling. Both of these activities are great for struggling readers or kids with disabilities.

Try PRIDE Reading Program for Yourself

If you are looking for a curriculum that will allow you to teach your child to read at home with the Orton-Gillingham method, or if your child is struggling to learn how to read, I highly recommend the PRIDE Reading Program.

I was so impressed with the way this curriculum makes the Orton-Gillingham method accessible to parents, even when we don’t have formal training in teaching kids how to read. The curriculum breaks down the complicated process of learning how to read into manageable pieces that seem doable even for struggling readers.

PRIDE Reading Program is offering 10% off their program with coupon code TRYPRIDE.

Learn more about the PRIDE Reading Program and get the curriculum for your child here.