FAQs

What is Orton Gillingham?

Orton-Gillingham is a highly structured approach to teaching reading and spelling that engages multiple pathways in the brain. It has long been considered the gold standard of reading instruction for students with dyslexia and more recently, it has been recognized as a best practice for teaching all children to read. Learn more about the Orton Gillingham Approach.

Our tutors are trained in the Orton Gillingham approach and practice according to the following Orton Gillingham Academy Principles of the Orton-Gillingham Approach:

• Diagnostic and Prescriptive
• Individualized
• Language-Based and Alphabetic/Phonetic
• Simultaneous Multisensory
• Direct and Explicit
• Structured, Sequential, and Cumulative, but Flexible
• Synthetic and Analytic
• Cognitive
• Emotionally Sound

Learn more about these principles and what they mean.


At inspired2read, we bring a super creative approach to teaching reading and combine it with some of the best Structured Literacy/Science of Reading (SoR) elements: Orton-Gillingham & Structured Word Inquiry (SWI), which ensures that all the children we work with will be successful readers. We teach all the key components of the Science of Reading:

  1. Phonemic Awareness: The ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
  2. Phonics: Understanding the relationships between letters and sounds and how these relationships can be used to decode (read) and encode (spell).
  3. Vocabulary: Knowing the meaning of words and how to use them in context.
  4. Comprehension: Understanding and interpreting the meaning of text.
  5. Fluency: Reading smoothly and accurately, with appropriate speed and expression.
  6. Orthography: Understanding the conventions of spelling and how they relate to the sounds of language.
  7. Morphology: Understanding the rules that govern word structure and how they contribute to meaning.
  8. Syntax: Understanding the rules that govern sentence structure and how they contribute to meaning.
  9. Semantics: Understanding the meaning of words and sentences.

How is inspired2read’s literacy instruction different from what my child is receiving at school?


Until very recently, schools in Ontario were using a “Balanced Literacy” approach, with programs such as Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading, Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI), Reading Recovery, and Lucy Calkins Reader’s Workshop. Phonics and decoding instruction were minimal or haphazard at best, there was a major emphasis on memorizing long lists of sight words, and students were taught to read words they didn’t know by making guesses using clues such as the first letter, picture, and context. While this approach worked for some students, it failed the majority. Listen to the podcast series, “Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong” to learn more.

The good news is that more and more schools are shifting away from a “Balanced Literacy” approach and adopting evidence-based Structured Literacy programs aligned with the Science of Reading. Some schools in York region use Heggerty Phonemic Awareness and UFLI Foundations (University of Florida Literacy Institute), two highly effective Structured Literacy programs, and teachers and administrators are being trained in the Science of Reading.

For many students, these evidence-based approaches are enough and they will learn to read without much difficulty. However, for a large proportion of students, and students with dyslexia in particular, the instruction moves too quickly and does not allow sufficient opportunities to practice, review, and master the concepts and skills being taught. These students, unfortunately, get left behind while the rest of the class continues progressing through the curriculum. These students are sometimes identified to receive extra support through EIP, but the instruction provided through those programs varies and often is insufficient to remediate their difficulties.

With 1:1 Orton-Gillingham Tutoring, we are able to provide students who have not found success learning to read at school with the expert, individualized, and cumulative instruction they need to become successful readers.

What is the time commitment?


Tutoring sessions are 50 minutes, twice a week. Students are typically scheduled for sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. We require a semester-long commitment, but most of our students stay with their tutor for 1-2 years.

How will I know if my child is making progress?


Tutoring requires a significant time and financial commitment, so it’s important to know that it is working. Your tutor will provide you with a detailed progress report every three months, sharing what your child has been working on, what new concepts and skills they have mastered, and highlighting any new developments for you to be aware of. You will be able to clearly see how your child is progressing through the scope and sequence designed for them. Where you are likely to really see your child’s progress, however, is in their behaviour and attitude towards reading and spelling, and in the feedback and assessment results you receive from school.

Will my child always have the same tutor?


Yes, we will make every effort to keep your child with the same tutor. Our team is incredibly dedicated and passionate about building long lasting relationships with their students.