Orton-Gillingham

Orton-Gillingham techniques have been in use since the 1930's and have been proven with
thousands of students around the world. These techniques are taught in only a very small
number of public school systems today, and then only within special education classes. An
intensive, sequential phonics-based system teaches the basics of word formation before people
learn--visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The Orton-Gillingham method teaches to a student's
strengths while seeking to improve his or her weaknesses. The International Dyslexia Association
(formerly The Orton Dyslexia Society) is an international organization that focuses on the issues
associated with dyslexia.
The LTK® curriculum includes the eight essential instructional elements needed to successfully
teach students with elements are:

  • Multisensory: Instruction involves immediate, intensive, and continuous interaction
    between what the student is seeing, hearing, and feeling in the speech mechanisms and
    the writing hand. All the language elements taught are reinforced by having the student
    listen, speak, read and write. In LTK the student uses a mouse, microphone and keyboard
    to learn newly taught phonograms and to spell and write letters, words, and sounds from
    dictation.

  • Alphabetic/Phonetic: Sound-symbol associations along with linguistic rules and
    generalizations are introduced in a linguistically logical, understandable order. The
    essence of the phonetic approach is to make letter-to-sound correlations as simple and
    comprehensive as possible.

  • Synthetic/Analytic: The student is taught how to blend sounds together. When using
    LTK, the student hears the sounds pronounced while seeing the letters move together to
    make familiar words. LTK teaches the student how to segment words into separate speech
    sounds before beginning to spell. Drills which require placing the sound and filling in the
    blanks allows the student apply the process to many words.

  • Structured: The student learns one sound association, linguistic rule, or nonphonetic
    word and practices using it with previously taught material before learning the next
    language concept. In LTK, each new piece of the language taught is specifically reviewed
    multiple times through drills and spelling practice. If confusions occur later in another
    context, additional review is provided. LTK divides the linguistic rules into separate lesson
    activities and provides practice and correction routines for each lesson activity.

  • Sequenced: Linguistic concepts are taught in a sequence which will minimize potentially
    confusing elements. The LTK curriculum is organized to separate commonly confused
    linguistic elements. The logic and order of LTK's curriculum was determined by Orton-
    Gilligham experts who based their training in the Orton-Gillingham method. Their combined
    experience exceeds over 50 years in using this method to teach students of all ages and
    to train teachers.

  • Cumulative: The student should be asked to use each newly introduced element while
    reinforcing others that have been taught. LTK's quizzes test all of the linguistic information
    previously taught. Student scores typically indicate 90 to 100 percent mastery within the
    quizzes. There are multiple review lessons interspersed throughout LTK to provide
    practice and reinforcement.

  • Repetitive: The concepts are repeated until the student gains mastery. The program
    provides 10 repetitions within each lesson activity and measures student mastery. If a
    mastery level of 80 percent is achieved, the student automatically progresses to the next
    lesson activity. If not achieved, additional sets of repetitions are provided and achievement
    of 80 percent mastery is again determined.

  • Cognitive: The student should understand the "linguistic logic" underlying word
    formations and patterns and be able to demonstrate that understanding while writing
    words. During the introductory and review portions of the lessons, LTK explains rules and
    generalizations both verbally and with on-screen demonstrations.
Orton-Gillingham