Orton-Gillingham at Havern School
At Havern School, we use a structured literacy approach to reading instruction. This is an umbrella term that encompasses educational approaches that explicitly teach word identification/decoding strategies. In addition to these concepts being taught explicitly, the content is systematic and cumulative so the teachers follow a scope and sequence of the sounds and syllables that they teach. The teachers are also diagnosticians and their instruction is driven by utilizing observations and both formal and informal assessments to determine when content has been mastered to the degree of automaticity. This approach has proved successful, especially for at-risk students and those with reading disabilities (Fletcher et al., 2018; Torgesen, 2004).
In 2016, Havern made the commitment to train all of our staff in the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach, which is an explicit, systematic, and multi-sensory instructional method. Each OG lesson has a structure that the students learn and can anticipate. Lessons are multisensory and can include dictation, reading, handwriting, visual drills, auditory drills, and review or introduction of phonograms, syllabication/spelling rules, or learned words (sight words).
Orton-Gillingham and other structured literacy approaches provide explicit and systematic instruction in the core elements of reading as described by Carolyn Cohen for the International Dyslexia Association:
Phonology — The sound structure of spoken language. Phonemic awareness (the ability to distinguish and blend these sounds) is fundamental to phonology
Sound-Symbol Association — The ability to connect the sound a letter makes with the symbol that represents the letter and the name of the letter.
Syllables — The ability to divide words into syllables helps readers decode unfamiliar words and helps them recognize familiar combinations of syllables and vowels.
Morphology — The study of the base elements of words. Understanding root words and the meanings of prefixes and suffixes provides a key to decoding and understanding complex words.
Syntax — The set of rules for arranging words into well-formed sentences in a language, including grammar, mechanics, and sentence structure.
Semantics — The meaning of language. Structured literacy approaches include specific instruction on reading comprehension.
OG is well regarded in the field of learning disabilities, and many schools are now training their teachers in OG. An increase in the number of elementary teachers who have a better understanding of the core elements to a strong reading foundation will be beneficial to many students. These schools, however, are training teachers in OG to supplement their reading programs or to provide OG whenever they can fit it in during the week. The effectiveness of OG instruction is dependent on the fidelity and frequency of implementation. In particular, OG instruction should be adjusted to meet the learning needs of a particular student, delivered in small groups of similarly-skilled students, and delivered frequently to students who struggle with reading. The differentiator of Havern’s OG approach is that we have designed our program to ensure the frequency and implementation that students with dyslexia need to maximize their progress.
At Havern, teachers assess the students to create ability-level groups for their daily structured literacy (decoding) instructional time. The groups are small with 3-6 students. As students make progress, we are always trying to be mindful of meeting them where they are and preparing them for their educational journey beyond Havern. For that reason, middle school groups can increase to 6-12 and larger groups might be co-taught. These groups are fluid and students may change groups during the year based on progress. Teachers may put in a referral if a student is not progressing and additional support is needed. The team will meet to discuss a support plan, which is individualized to the student’s needs. An example of a plan could be an interventionist working with the student for a short period of time to target some specific skills.
We are committed to providing effective instruction to our students and their unique learning profiles. Our teachers are always on the lookout for training, ideas, supplements, or strategies that will support their structured literacy instruction, but we know that basing our instruction in Orton-Gillingham gives our students the foundation they need to become successful readers.
Works Cited
Cowen, Carolyn D (2016). What is structured literacy? International Dyslexia Association, https://dyslexiaida.org/what-is-structured-literacy/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Fletcher, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L. S., & Barnes, M. A. (2018). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention, 2nd edition. New York: Guilford.
Folsom, Jessica Sidler & Schmitz, Sandy A. (2018). Iowa Reading Research Center. https://iowareadingresearch.org/blog/reading-intervention-fidelity. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Torgesen, J. K. (2004). Lessons learned from research on interventions for students who have difficulty learning to read. In P. Mccardle & V. Chhabra (Eds.), The voice of evidence in reading research (pp. 355-381). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co.
Molly Buttitta, M.Ed.
Molly Buttitta is the Head of School at the Havern School. She has a B.A. in Elementary and Special Education from Boston University and a Masters in Special Education, Mild to Moderate Disabilities, from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She also completed a Certificate in School Management and Leadership through a joint program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School. Molly has 15 years of experience as a teacher to students with learning disabilities and a passion for ensuring that students have the support they need to become confident and successful learners.
