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Frequently Asked Questions*:

There are so many good ones! There are more coming soon!! 

  1. What is the proper/approriate training for an OG practitioner?
  2. What is the Orton Gillingham Approach?
  3. What isthe Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE)?
  4. What is the purpose of the AOGPE (Academy of Orton Gillingham Practioners and Educators)?
  5. What is multi-sensory?
  6. What is the difference between between accreditation and certification?
  7. For whom is the Orton Gillingham Approach Appropriate?

1. What is the proper/approriate training for an O.G. Practioner?

In recent years there has been a notable increase in the number of persons who represent themselves as Orton Gillingham trained. Unfortunately, just as in the case of other training programs, the quality and adequacy of preparation and experience of such persons varies significantly. Membership in the Academy (AOGPE) provides an objective, professional assessment by an independent third party as to the quality and the extent of the preparation and experience of Academy members.

A proper training program strives to provide accountability and to ensure compliance with the high standards of the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. They will also offer training, experience and support in case management, record keeping, report writing, 

communication with parents and other professionals, interaction with school personnel, client confidentiality and ethical conduct. 

Completion of a proper training program ensures that the practitioners are experts in phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction and syntax within the English Language. They will understand and consequently will be prepared to teach the interrelatedness of listening, speaking, reading and writing in English. This understanding and expertise (gained through the training program and practicum) has been proven to be critical to the success of the person with language based learning difficulties.

2. What is the Orton Gillingham Approach?

The O.G. approach is language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive, and flexible. Its breadth, perspective, and flexibility prompt use of the term approach instead of method.

Language-based. The O.G. approach is based on a technique of studying and teaching language, understanding the nature of human language, the mechanisms involved in learning, and the language-learning processes in individuals.

Multisensory. O.G. teaching sessions are action oriented with auditory, visual, and kinesthetic elements reinforcing each other for optimal learning. The student learns spelling simultaneously with reading.

Structured, Sequential, Cumulative. The O.G. teacher introduces the elements of the language systematically. Students begin by reading and writing sounds in isolation. Then they blend the sounds into syllables and words. Students learn the elements of language, e.g., consonants, vowels, digraphs, blends, and diphthongs, in an orderly fashion. They then proceed to advanced structural elements such as syllable types, roots, and affixes. As students learn new material, they continue to review old material to the level of automaticity. The teacher addresses vocabulary, sentence structure, composition, and reading comprehension in a similar structured, sequential, and cumulative manner.

Cognitive. Students learn about the history of the English language and study the many generalizations and rules that govern its structure. They also learn how best they can learn and apply the language knowledge necessary for achieving reading and writing competencies.

Flexible. At best, O.G. teaching is diagnostic-prescriptive in nature. Always the teacher seeks to understand how an individual learns and to devise appropriate teaching strategies.

Emotionally Sound. In every lesson, the student experiences a high degree of success and gains confidence as well as skill. Learning becomes a rewarding and happy experience.

3. What is the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE)?

The Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators accredits programs that expressly offer O.G. training. Programs so accredited are judged to provide appropriate preparation for persons who seek meaningful levels of competency with the O.G. approach. Academy criteria for accreditation emphasize the adequacy of curricula used by a program and the preparation and experience of the staff providing the training. Evidence of general support available to a program is also considered. Final accreditation also requires that the instructional leadership of the program be vested in a staff member who has the status of a Fellow in the Academy. A program whose application for accreditation is accepted is assigned a mentor by the Academy who assists the applicant at the various stages of the application process. Parties interested in this program should request specifics from the Academy.

4. What is the purpose of the AOGPE (Academy of Orton Gillingham Practioners and Educators) ?

  • To establish and maintain professional and ethical standards for practitioners and educators of the Orton-Gillingham approach for the treatment of dyslexia;
  • To examine, approve, certify, and recognize those individuals who have demonstrated competence as practitioners and educators of the Orton Gillingham approach and to accredit programs that train such persons;
  • To insure professional growth of Orton Gillingham practitioners and educators by promoting and sponsoring continuing education programs;
  • To sponsor, promote, and undertake research relevant to Orton Gillingham instruction;
  • To disseminate the results of such research to professional educators, agencies, and to the public at large;
  • To promote public awareness of the needs of children and adults with dyslexia and of the Orton-Gillingham approach for the treatment of dyslexia.

5. What is multi-sensory?

The four learning channels - visual, auditory, kinesthetic (muscle memory) and tactile – are used to reinforce learning in the brain

6. What is the difference between accreditation and certification? Webster’s dictionary defines the following terms:

Accredit – To recognize as coming up to an official standard, worthy of trust

Accreditation – Recognition of a school, college, hospital, agency for social work or the like, as coming up to an official standard

Certify – To guarantee the quality or value of, to attest to the reliability of

Certification – The act of certifying or the state of being certified

Workshop – A seminar or meeting for the study and/or discussion of specific approaches. Workshops are for brief periods of time (hours, 1, 2, or 3 days) than a training course and do not include a practicum and do not lead to graduation or certification.

Practicum – A supervised period of practical experience as part of an academic course

7. For whom is the Orton Gillingham Approach Appropriate?The O.G. approach is appropriate for teaching individuals, small groups, and classrooms. It is appropriate for teaching in the primary, elementary, intermediate grades, and at the secondary and college level as well as for adults. The explicit focus of the approach has been and continues to be upon persons with the kinds of language processing problems associated with dyslexia. Early intervention is highly desirable, but it is never too late to begin!

*FAQs edited from: http://trainingtheogtutor.com/faqs.asp#2

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