Structured, Explicit Literacy Instruction for Students Who Need a Stronger Foundation

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a structured approach to literacy instruction that teaches students how the English language works through explicit, systematic and cumulative instruction.

Rather than relying primarily on rote memorization or guessing, instruction helps students understand how sounds, letters, spelling patterns, syllables and meaningful parts of words work together.

At Fireflies Learning, Orton-Gillingham principles are incorporated into individualized literacy instruction based on each student's current skills, needs and learning goals.

My Orton-Gillingham Training

I have completed Orton-Gillingham Associate Part 2 training, building on my professional experience as an Ontario Certified Teacher and my additional training in reading and special education.

My literacy instruction also draws on training and professional learning in:

• Reading

• Special Education

• Structured Literacy

• FUNdations

• Science of Reading

• Writing instruction

This combination allows me to use Orton-Gillingham principles alongside assessment-informed, evidence-based literacy instruction.

Who Can Benefit From Orton-Gillingham Instruction?

Orton-Gillingham instruction can be particularly helpful for students who need explicit, systematic instruction in the structure of written language. Orton-Gillingham-informed instruction is often used to support students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, as well as students who need additional explicit instruction to strengthen foundational literacy skills.

Students may benefit if they:

• Have difficulty learning phonics or remembering spelling patterns

• Struggle to decode unfamiliar words

• Read slowly or inaccurately

• Have difficulty developing reading fluency

• Find spelling particularly challenging

• Have gaps in foundational reading skills

• Are reading below grade-level expectations

• Need instruction that is more explicit and systematic than they have previously received

• Have difficulty understanding how sounds, letters and word parts work together

OG-informed instruction may be appropriate for students with a range of learning needs, including students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

It can also be beneficial for students who simply need additional explicit instruction to strengthen their literacy foundations.

Instruction is individualized, so the starting point and pace depend on the student's current skills rather than simply their age or grade.

How Do Orton-Gillingham Lessons Work?

Orton-Gillingham instruction is explicit, systematic, sequential and cumulative.

This means students are not expected to discover complicated spelling or reading patterns on their own. New concepts are explicitly taught, modelled and practised before students are expected to apply them independently.

Lessons may include a combination of:

Review

Previously taught concepts are revisited to strengthen retention and automaticity.

New Learning

A new concept—such as a sound, spelling pattern, syllable type, rule or meaningful word part—is explicitly introduced and modelled.

Guided Practice

Students practise the new concept with support and immediate feedback.

Reading

Students apply their knowledge to read words, sentences and appropriately selected texts.

Spelling

Students apply the concepts they have learned to spell words through structured dictation and other writing activities.

Application

Students gradually apply their developing knowledge to increasingly complex words, sentences and texts.

The specific activities used in each lesson depend on the student's current skills and instructional goals.

Phonics & Decoding

A strong foundation in phonics helps students understand the relationship between speech sounds and written language.

Students are explicitly taught how sounds are represented in written words and how to use this knowledge to decode unfamiliar words.

Instruction may include:

• Phonemic awareness

• Sound-symbol relationships

• Blending

• Segmenting

• Decoding

• Spelling patterns

• Syllable types

• Multisyllabic word reading

The goal is to help students develop a reliable system for reading words rather than depending primarily on guessing or memorizing individual words.

As students learn more spelling patterns and word structures, they can apply this knowledge to an increasing number of unfamiliar words.

Spelling

Spelling is taught as a meaningful part of literacy development rather than simply as a list of words to memorize.

Students learn how sounds, spelling patterns and meaningful word parts work together.

Instead of relying primarily on rote memorization, instruction helps students understand the patterns and structures within words so they can apply what they have learned to new words.

Depending on the student's instructional level, spelling instruction may include:

• Phonics and sound-symbol relationships

• Orthographic patterns

• Syllable patterns

• Spelling rules and generalizations

• Morphology

• Dictation

• Applying patterns to new words

This approach helps students develop knowledge that can transfer beyond the specific words practised during a lesson.

Reading Fluency

Reading fluency involves reading with accuracy, appropriate rate and increasingly natural expression.

Students need to be able to recognize words accurately and increasingly automatically so that they can devote more of their attention to understanding what they read.

Fluency instruction may include:

• Accurate word reading

• Repeated reading

• Guided oral reading

• Phrase and sentence reading

• Reading connected text

• Building automatic recognition of previously taught patterns

As students become more accurate and fluent readers, they can devote more attention to connecting ideas, understanding vocabulary and thinking about the meaning of the text.

Strong reading fluency therefore plays an important role in supporting reading comprehension, alongside vocabulary, background knowledge and language comprehension.

Morphology & Word Structure

Morphology is the study of the meaningful parts of words.

Students learn how bases, prefixes and suffixes work together to create words and communicate meaning.

For example, understanding that a word contains meaningful parts can help students:

• Read unfamiliar words

• Understand word meanings

• Spell more accurately

• Recognize relationships between words

• Build vocabulary

Morphology becomes particularly important as students encounter increasingly complex vocabulary and multisyllabic words.

Instruction may connect morphology with phonics, spelling, vocabulary and reading so students develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed.

Vocabulary, Background Knowledge & Comprehension

Being able to accurately read the words on a page is only one part of successful reading comprehension. Students need vocabulary, language comprehension and background knowledge to understand, connect and think about what they read

Instruction intentionally builds knowledge connected to students' learning and interests, including topics they may be exploring at school.

Students read and discuss carefully selected texts to:

• Develop vocabulary

• Build background knowledge

• Strengthen language comprehension

• Make connections between ideas

• Develop knowledge about the world

• Support deeper understanding of what they read

Reading instruction therefore includes both learning how to read words and developing the knowledge and language needed to understand increasingly complex texts.

Diagnostic Assessment & Progress Monitoring

Instruction begins with understanding what a student already knows.

A diagnostic assessment helps identify:

• Current literacy skills

• Strengths

• Areas of difficulty

• Skills that may need review

• Appropriate instructional starting points

This information helps determine what should be taught and in what sequence.

Ongoing Progress Monitoring

Assessment continues throughout instruction.

Student progress is tracked at the end of each lesson using a Lesson Tracker, which records the skills taught, student performance and areas that may need additional practice or review.

Every 10th lesson, a more formal Progress Check-In is completed to review the student's growth, identify areas of continued need and determine whether instructional priorities should be adjusted.

This ongoing process helps ensure that instruction continues to respond to the student's development.

Consistent Instruction Matters

Orton-Gillingham-informed literacy instruction is most effective when students have consistent opportunities to learn, practise and review skills over time.

Because Orton-Gillingham-informed instruction is sequential and cumulative, new learning builds on previously taught concepts. Consistent instruction gives students regular opportunities to learn, practise and review these skills.

For this reason, Fireflies Learning requires students receiving Orton-Gillingham-informed literacy instruction to attend at least two lessons per week.

Consistent attendance allows students to maintain continuity between lessons, receive regular practice and build new skills on a strong instructional foundation.

Practice between lessons may also be recommended to reinforce skills that have been explicitly taught.

In-Person & Virtual Orton-Gillingham Instruction

Fireflies Learning provides individualized Orton-Gillingham-informed literacy instruction for students in Oakville and surrounding communities, as well as virtual students. Instruction is designed around each student's current skills and may support students who are developing foundational reading skills, struggling with decoding or spelling, reading below grade level, or needing additional support with reading fluency and comprehension.Ready to Get Started?

If your child is having difficulty with reading, spelling, phonics or foundational literacy skills, the first step is to complete the Private Teaching Inquiry Form.

I'll review the information you provide and contact you by email to arrange a consultation and discuss your child's needs, recommended next steps and available teaching options.

Oakville, Ontario • Virtual Lessons Available