Orton-Gillingham in the Classroom: Literacy Instruction Brought to Life

Students are actively engaged in Orton-Gillingham lessons.

A Common Misconception About Orton-Gillingham

The Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach is often associated with a quiet tutoring session with one student and one teacher using a carefully planned lesson designed for children with dyslexia. Because of this, some assume that OG instruction must be slow, rigid, or even boring.

That picture could not be further from the truth, especially when OG is brought to life in a classroom.

How Orton-Gillingham Began and Why it Matters

The Orton-Gillingham approach was developed in the 1930s by Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist and pathologist, and Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist. It was or

iginally developed to support students with dyslexia through explicit, systematic, multisensory instruction. OG continues to be a powerful approach for students who need intensive support in one-on-one or small-group settings. What has changed is our understanding of just how effective this approach is for all children. As research has deepened our understanding of how the brain learns to read, the OG approach has expanded beyond intervention and into classrooms.

Aligned With How the Brain Learns to Read

Over time, research has confirmed what Orton and Gillingham got right many decades ago. Our brains are not hard-wired for reading, so reading is not a skill that develops naturally. Reading must be taught clearly and intentionally. OG aligns with how the brain learns to read by building skills step by step and making those connections visible and meaningful for students.

Structure That Builds Confidence

Because of this strong alignment with reading science, the Orton-Gillingham approach has been thoughtfully adapted for classroom instruction. When done well, classroom-based OG lessons are anything but dry. They are active, engaging, and highly interactive.

Structure is often misunderstood. Parents sometimes worry that structured instruction means rigid instruction. In reality, structure creates clarity. When students know what is expected and understand how learning builds from one lesson to the next, they feel more confident. That confidence opens the door to engagement. Students are not guessing or feeling lost. They are participating with purpose.

What Engagement Looks Like in an OG Classroom

In an Orton-Gillingham classroom lesson, students are involved at every point. They are listening, speaking, reading, and writing, often within the same short span of time. Lessons move at a steady pace, and students are frequently asked to respond. This keeps attention high and learning active.

The Power of Multisensory Instruction

One of the most powerful features of Orton-Gillingham instruction is its multisensory approach. Multisensory means students use more than one pathway to learn. They might say a sound out loud while writing it. They might trace letters as they speak or use movement to reinforce new concepts. Visual supports are paired with oral language so students are seeing, hearing, and doing at the same time.

This kind of instruction is engaging because it makes learning stick. When multiple parts of the brain are working together, students build stronger memories and a deeper understanding. For many children, especially those who struggle with reading, this approach can be transformative. For other children, it simply makes learning more enjoyable and effective.

Importantly, multisensory instruction is not about entertainment, but about meaningful engagement. Students are not busy for the sake of being busy. Every activity has a clear purpose tied to learning. Students experience success because the instruction makes sense, and that success motivates them to keep going.

Community, Confidence, and Belonging

In a classroom setting, Orton-Gillingham instruction also fosters a strong sense of community. Students participate together. They respond chorally, support one another, and celebrate progress as a group. Everyone benefits from instruction that is clear, inclusive, and designed to meet a wide range of learning needs.

Parents are often surprised when they see OG in action. What they notice first is not the structure. It is the energy in the room. Students are focused, engaged, and proud of what they are learning. They are active participants in the reading process rather than passive recipients of information.

When literacy instruction aligns with how children learn, engagement follows naturally. OG in the classroom brings structure and joy together. It follows the reading science while creating an environment where students feel successful, confident, and eager to learn.

That is literacy instruction brought to life.

Check out this video to see what an OG lesson looks like in the classroom: https://youtu.be/PaDVigxWk30?si=5rVJwks-Z8iN355U