What is an Orton Gillingham Educator?

Orton Gillingham Educators use the science of reading to crack the code of written language.

By working with an OG Educator you or your child can learn the code and patterns of written language, and gain tools to become a strong reader and writer.

So, what is an OG Educator, what do they do, and how can working with an OG Educator help you or your child?

What is the Orton Gillingham (OG) Approach?

The Orton Gillingham Approach provides a structured, evidence-based method that teaches the patterns of written language step by step.  It is grounded in the science of reading and learning.

Our written language system is a code for our speech sounds, and our spoken language. It is a complex code, with patterns that can be learned.

Orton and Gillingham were professionals who mapped out these codes and patterns, and developed a system for teaching the relationship between speech sounds and their written symbols. You can read more about them, and the Orton Gillingham Approach here.

What is an OG Educator?

An OG Educator works with a Speech Language Pathologist to support people who have difficulties with written language (reading and writing). While a speech therapist can help with both spoken and written language difficulties, an OG Educator focusses specifically on literacy.

Orton-Gillingham Educators are specially trained in the structured, multi-sensory methods that are proven to be effective intervention for dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

OG Educators teach the language code in a systematic way, to support success. We teach people to see patterns in written language. We help learners to understand the meaning behind their reading and spelling.

Why work with an OG Educator?

Some people are good at picking up patterns and can learn to read easily. However, about 40 percent of learners need to be shown the patterns clearly. Working with an OG Educator gives you the tools to learn these patterns and develop the skills needed to become a strong reader and writer.

There are a variety of reasons that an OG Educator program might be recommended, including:

• You or your child might have a dyslexia diagnosis
• A Spoken & Written Language Assessment may have identified difficulties with reading and writing
• Your speech therapist believes your child might benefit from extra focus on literacy skills.

What does an OG Educator do?

Orton Gillingham Educators work alongside adults or children and their families, using evidence-based instruction to unlock the mysteries of literacy. They provide tailored support, delivering targeted interventions for people with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Using the OG Language Approach, OG Educators teach skills for learning to read, and they teach these skills in a clear order. They provide learners with tools for unlocking the language code.

The skills an OG Educator can help you develop include:

• Recognising and identifying the different sounds used in the English language
• Knowing which letters can be used to represent these sounds
• Spelling patterns. For example, when to choose “c” and when to choose “k”.
• “Word attack” skills to help reading new words, especially long words.
• Knowing the types of words we use, such as nouns, verbs and adjectives. These are called parts of speech.
• The ‘building blocks’ of words that are used and reused in many ways. This is called morphology. Understanding how we can break up and use these chunks of meaning in words helps with reading, writing, and vocabulary.
• Knowing what the words and sentences we read and write mean

The OG Educator helps you develop these skills and then practice them a lot until you know and understand the language code and can follow the patterns to read and write confidently.

Who might benefit from working with an OG Educator?

OG Educators work with people of all ages, including adults and young people who struggle with reading and writing, and children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

It’s never too late to get expert literacy support if you want to become a more confident reader and writer!

People learning English as an additional language may also seek support to become better at reading and writing in English.

Speech Pathology Tasmania’s OG Educator Program

Speech Pathology Tasmania has a team of Orton Gillingham Educators. You can meet our OG Educators here.

Interested in learning more about our expert literacy support with the Orton Gillingham Approach? Discover the services we offer for comprehensive literacy support and dyslexia interventions, or ask about personalised literacy support here.