Last Updated on October 3, 2024 by Editorial Team
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Orton-Gillingham instruction approach is designed to help struggling readers by establishing connections between letters & sounds. Several reading programs are packed with Orton-Gillingham ideas since it is a literacy approach that introduces the idea of breaking down the spelling and reading into smaller parts and then building these skills over time.
Reading is a common part of reliable literacy programs. This multisensory approach focuses wholly on teaching using touch, hearing, sight, and movement to help the pupils connect the language with words and letters.
Orton Gillingham assists the pupils to infer the patterns and rules while they read. With these crucial skills, they can decode or sound out words. However, the Orton-Gillingham program of reading goes by skill level; and there is a wide range of books dedicated to the various stages of the program. In this post, we will dig deeper and put an end to your dilemma of how to choose the perfect Orton-Gillingham Book- For both instructors and pupils.
Orton-Gillingham Learning Books – A Valuable Asset For Educators?
Books have a set of edges for both learners and educators. For students, they lay emphasis on reading and thus stipulate a higher level of concentration. Not only this, books can also develop knowledge on topics they were not familiar with earlier. For educators, they can play a crucial role in amplifying the teaching-learning process. Instructors can create a better framework for classroom activities, thus providing better opportunities to students.
Orton-Gillingham needs its instructors to clear 4 levels of training. But this might not be the ultimate objective when it comes to following this approach. Apart from other requirements like 30 hours of coursework, 50 hours of supervised classroom instruction, and much more, it becomes imperative for a teacher to indulge in some Orton-Ghillingam books every now. This polishes their skillsets for better instruction.
Orton-Gillingham Books- Handpicked For Tutors
It is said that learning never stops! And this precisely is the case with educators who are striving to make a triumphant educational expedition for students with learning disabilities. On this note, we shall explore some books which can be great value additions for a tutor who wishes to enhance their skills and upgrade themselves when it comes to the Orton-Gillingham Approach.
1. The Gillingham Manual
Being written by Anna Gillingham, it is a fine manual for all Orton-Gillingham instructors.
With various principles of O-G, along with word lists, rules, and much more, this book can be the go-to guide to acquire special education skills. It takes them through the process of preaching the foundation skills of reading to students. Being a descriptive, detailed, and straightforward read, The Gillingham Manual is an appreciable take-in for in-training teachers as well as adult learners who can self-study.
2. A Guide To Teaching Phonics
Written by June Lyday, this simple yet detailed book takes the reader through various teaching techniques according to the O-G approach. If teaching Phonics is your concern, then this book can come into use! With an organized list of lessons, it elucidates how O-G concepts are taught by giving a brief history of speech development. This makes the expedition of learning phonics easy for both the learners and the teachers.
3. Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills
Beverly Wolf makes this book a great take-in for O-G educators since it walks the readers through the process of multisensory teaching. The book focuses on fluency and helps the teachers train students in phonological awareness, letter knowledge, handwriting, fluency, spelling, composition, and comprehension. Known for its planned structure and explicity, multisensory language lessons here invoice two or more senses. This allows educators to create a positive environment in classrooms for effective learning especially for compromising students.
4. Everything You Want To Know and Exactly Where To Find It
Willian Van Cleave wrote this handy book for existing O-G instructors, which helps them to create a perfect lesson plan. Valuable resources along with word lists would make it a valuable pick. With an easy-to-use format and essential teaching principles, it covers nifty hints along with some advanced concepts. Since the instructions here are next to comprehensive, it can be by experienced educators too.
5. Recipe For Reading
Written by Nina Traub and Frances Bloom, it can be a valuable take in for reading instructors. Since they may have to work hard to preach learning disabled students, this book precisely assists the same with easy lesson plans on sentences and words. Parents can also go through it to comprehend the same for their homeschooling kids.
The above picks of books can assist teachers in enhancing their skills by assisting them to provide lesson plans, words, rules, tips, and tricks.
Not only teachers, but students can also benefit from some Orton-Gillingham-based books. Let’s have a look at such books which are specially curated for children to make them successful readers!
How to choose the perfect O-G book for your kid?
As a caring parent, you may plan to offer quality time to preach lessons to your kid. But, the habit of self-reading turns crucial in later stages; thus, encouraging the same as a toddler comes in handy. Some parents, on the contrary, may find it hard to make time for their kids to teach lessons. To all these scenarios, having a set of fitting books turns imperative.
When you prefer to opt for the Orton-Gillingham approach, all the educating resources must adhere to the same. Identical is the care with the selection of books too. You may consider the following postulates in your expedition on book searching:
- Check if the book is at the appropriate and pertinent level of the child. Some books are made for level 1 students, while others are for higher levels.
- Choose the variety of the book beforehand. Some kids love seeing animals in books, while some like humans and animals. Observe what your kid prefers to read.
- Always ensure to let them choose books. Despite having some personal choices, the book’s cover may change the idea. Thus, always take your kid to the store and ask them to choose. This way, you can offer the best for them.
7 Helpful Orton Gillingham Books For Additional Reading Practice
The picks for tutors and the edges of books for kids are comprehended in previous lines. These would entice you to look at picks for kids. The picks that we depicted below not only make a quality time for them but also aids in their expedition of learning.
1. Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
If your kids are reading via Orton Gillingham Level 1 & are learning short levels, you should initiate with effortless books. If your kid learns more sounds, sight words & letters, you can continually work your way up to interesting and longer books. Bob Books Set 1 starts with instructing letter sounds. Kids can effortlessly read the complete book with four letters in the first story. Moreover, Bob’s books may advocate the confidence of the student by making them believe they can master reading. Adding new words to readers eventually one after another, allies them to the Orton-Gillingham approach.
These books are specifically created to facilitate that ‘aha moment’ whenever special letters turn in the words. If you prefer to use repetition & consistency slowly, then your kid can easily be intrigued to learn. Altogether, this book can improve the connection between pictures & words.
2. The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
Orton-Gillingham Levels 2 & 3 are incorporated with long vowels, multisyllabic words & beginning compounds. This book excels with beautiful stories & artwork that you can easily put drama into thus amplifying great bonding between kids & parents. Being lucid compared to other Berenstain Bears books, it can be a great beginner book. This perfect-for-small-hands book comes with a spooky theme but in the limits to ensure it fits for readers of five to ten-year-olds. This book needs the readers to comprehend the character’s logic to tackle specific obstacles.
This interactive book with picture clues and easy language can be a starter pick for level 2 and 3 children to incept the habit of reading.
3. Fred and Ted Like To Fly ( Beginner Books)
After mastering basic spelling, kids need to infer words and their arrangement in sentences. Being a beginner-friendly book, Fred and Red Like to fly encourages them to read by themselves enticed by the pictures, thus helping them master simple words.
The chief characters in this book, Fred and Ted are previously seen in books like Big Dog…Little Dog and Fred and Ted Go Camping. Dr.Suess, the writer created everything that a young reader needs like easy illustrations and words.
4. Wacky Wednesday
This one of a type book written by Dr. Seuss is easy and smaller compared to his other books like The Lorax and Oh. This book can be reliable for practicing especially for early readers aged three to seven. Being a humorous picture book, it can be a good pick for child interaction as every single page comes with a wacky illustration. Moreover, readers are being challenged to find them all.
5. Put Me In The Zoo
Put Me In The Zoo can be a substantial addition to the collection of preschool books written in the same vein as Dr. Suen Books. This book narrates the tale of a spotted leopard who can change spots and colors but fail to convince children that he is special. In this expedition, he reveals who he is.
Being a tale of animals and zoos, it can be the ultimate book for little ones. The full-sized version can suit early readers to read themselves. This book comes with a fantastic color-teaching tool that is easy & fun, allying the Orton Gillingham approach.
6. Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham comes with signature rhymes & unmistakable characters. It is all about Sam-I-AM’s attempt to convince the narrator to taste green eggs and hams. Sam further asks to eat green eggs and hams in various other locations. The tale ends with the narrator accepting Sam’s offer. Children may love terrific tongue-twisters as a list of the places to enjoy the green eggs. Being an easy-to-read picture illustrated book, It is reliable for practicing the Orton-Gillingham readers in between 3 to 7years in
7. Big Shark, Little Shark
This engaging step 1 book is about two sharks: one with big teeth and another one with small teeth. The Big Shark swims fast; on the other hand, the small shark swims slowly. Their expedition of tasty snacks will form the rest of the story. Since this book is adorned with rhythmic text paired with pictures, step 1 students of O-G can easily decode it.
Summing up
Reading specialists employ Orton-Gillingham influence programs comprehensively for pupils who have dyslexia or any other learning disabilities. Few schools offer the Orton-Gillingham-like instruction via response to intervention. Lots of reading programs are out there that are influenced by the approach of Orton-Gillingham that consists of the Barton Reading Program. These programs use a multisensory and highly structured approach, just like the ones we’ve mentioned above! Mull over the above picks of books to see if any of them can fit your needs in your Orton-Gillingham expedition.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,