Samuel T. Orton (1879-1948) was an American physician in the early 1900's who pioneered the study of learning disabilities. He is best known for his work examining the causes and methods of treatment for dyslexia.
While in Iowa, Samuel Orton became fascinated with the discrepancy between listening and reading comprehension and with the consistent error patterns found in decoding words.
Dr. Orton asked Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman to organize instruction based on the neurological hypotheses.
Instruction was to be structured, but not programmed so it could be adapted to individual needs.
A successful remedial reading training system was based on visual-auditory-kinesthetic (seeing-hearing-feeling) linkages, a multisensory approach to alphabetic phonics that came to be known as "Orton-Gillingham."
They worked together until 1935.
Characteristics of Orton-Gillingham:
While in Iowa, Samuel Orton became fascinated with the discrepancy between listening and reading comprehension and with the consistent error patterns found in decoding words.
Dr. Orton asked Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman to organize instruction based on the neurological hypotheses.
Instruction was to be structured, but not programmed so it could be adapted to individual needs.
A successful remedial reading training system was based on visual-auditory-kinesthetic (seeing-hearing-feeling) linkages, a multisensory approach to alphabetic phonics that came to be known as "Orton-Gillingham."
They worked together until 1935.
Characteristics of Orton-Gillingham:
- Direct
- Systematic and Sequential
- Cumulative
- Multisensory
- Rule-Based
- Extensive Review
- Success Oriented