It is based on the research of Samuel Orton and the later research of Anna Gillingham, whose main focus was to find a multisensory approach to teaching reading. The approach has been adapted over time to incorporate what are known as the “Five Big Ideas” in Reading Instruction”. They include: Phonemic Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, Fluency with Text, Vocabulary and Comprehension Reading, spelling and writing are basic to education, and most students learn to read and write with very little effort. However, students do not all learn in the same way. One student in seven may experience an unexpected gap between their potential for learning and their school achievement.
Intelligence is often not the problem; the problem is language. Some students may have trouble with reading, spelling, or expressing themselves clearly in speaking or writing. The built-in success of each individually structured Orton-Gillingham lesson provides achievement which is the strongest motivator a learner can experience.