Orton-Gillingham Approach

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a highly structured approach that helps students break reading into manageable parts, gradually building skills in a cumulative way. It also pioneered the use of multi-sensory instruction-engaging sight, sound, and touch—which has been proven effective for students with dyslexia. By tailoring instruction to how these students learn best, Orton-Gillingham gives them the tools they need to succeed.

Key Features of the Orton-Gillingham Approach for Dyslexia:

  • Multisensory Learning:
    Engages visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic senses to help students better understand literacy concepts.

  • Systematic and Sequential Instruction:
    Teaches reading and writing in a logical, step-by-step progression, with each new concept building on prior knowledge.

  • Direct and Explicit Teaching:
    Clearly explains concepts with straightforward, targeted instruction on reading and writing skills.

  • Individualized Learning:
    Tailors instruction to each student’s pace and needs, recognizing that everyone learns differently.

  • Phonics-Based Focus:
    Emphasizes the relationship between letters and sounds to improve decoding and word recognition.

How Orton-Gillingham Supports Students with Dyslexia:

  • Targets Language Processing Difficulties:
    Strengthens the ability to understand and work with language, addressing core challenges of dyslexia.

  • Offers a Clear, Structured Approach:
    Its organized, explicit framework benefits students who struggle with abstract or intuitive learning.

  • Builds Confidence:
    As students experience success, their self-esteem and belief in their reading and writing abilities grow.

  • Improves Literacy Skills:
    Enhances reading fluency, spelling, and overall literacy through consistent, structured practice.

About Me:

I have successfully tutored both children and adults using the Orton-Gillingham approach. My journey began with my own daughter, who struggled for years in the classroom. Despite receiving multiple interventions through both public and private schools, as well as private tutoring, she made little progress. By ninth grade, she was still reading at a second-grade level.

Everything changed when she began Orton-Gillingham tutoring. Within a year, she reached grade level—a transformation that inspired me to become certified in Orton-Gillingham in 2013.

My first student was a 58-year-old adult who could not decode the word “cat”. By adhering strictly to the structured, sequential Orton-Gillingham method, he was reading multisyllabic words within five months.

In addition to my private tutoring practice, I volunteer with the Dyslexia Reading Program in Baltimore, supporting low-income children and adults with dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges. I also offer virtual tutoring sessions to students internationally, provided our time zones align.

My book series, The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses, reflects my deep commitment to supporting individuals who face learning challenges. It has been translated into seven languages and endorsed by leading experts in psychology, education, and learning disabilities.

The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses Book Series was featured on the American Library Association Booklist and listed on the Reading Rockets Recommended Readings.

“I applaud Barbara Esham for finding a way to teach young children how to be more mindful. In so doing, she sets the stage for their greater well-being as adults.”

Dr. Ellen Langer, Harvard University Professor of Psychology