Orton Gillingham Curriculum: Does It Exist?

“You should try the Orton-Gillingham curriculum.” If your child has dyslexia or struggles with reading, chances are you’ve heard this. Probably from a friend, a tutor, maybe even the school. Or maybe they said your child needs to be “in an Orton-Gillingham program.”

Here’s the thing: most people recommending OG don’t really know what it is. And most parents definitely don’t. Which is why so many IEP meetings turn into a game of telephone, where no one really understands what’s being asked for—or offered.

Let’s fix that. I’m going to break this down—what Orton-Gillingham is, what it isn’t, and how you can use this information to advocate more effectively in your IEP meetings.

First: Orton-Gillingham is not a program. It’s an approach. You can’t sign your kid up for a neat little “OG class.” And there is no such thing as “certified in Orton-Gillingham” by one universal body. It’s not like becoming a certified lifeguard or Google Ads specialist.

Where Did OG Come From Anyway? Let’s take it way back. In the 1920s, Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, began researching reading struggles—what we now call dyslexia. Around the same time, educator and psychologist Anna Gillingham was working on how to teach language and literacy in a more structured, systematic way.

Together, they developed what became known as the Orton-Gillingham Approach. OG is the OG of dyslexia instruction (see what I did there?).

So What Is It Then? The Orton-Gillingham Approach is:

• Explicit: Every rule of decoding and encoding is taught directly. Kids aren’t expected to “just pick it up.”
• Sequential and cumulative: Skills build on each other, starting from the simplest and moving to the complex.
• Individualized: Instruction starts at your child’s present level (hey IEP folks, sound familiar?) and moves at their pace.
• Multisensory: Students learn using sight, sound, touch, and movement.

One letter isn’t just taught by showing it and saying it. An OG teacher might have a student:

• See it
• Say it
• Sound it out
• Trace it in sand or shaving cream
• Shape it with play-doh
• Write it in pencil
• Make it with their body

OG engages all the senses. And guess what? That helps all learners, not just dyslexic kids.

Orton Gillingham Curriculum

Is there such a thing as an Orton Gillingham curriculum? Short answer? No—there is no official “Orton Gillingham curriculum.” And that’s where a lot of confusion starts.

Orton-Gillingham is an approach, not a boxed set of workbooks or a scripted lesson plan you can pull off a shelf. It’s a way of teaching reading that’s structured, sequential, multisensory, and individualized. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.

So why do people (even schools!) say “Orton-Gillingham curriculum”? Because it’s easier to call it that than to explain what’s really going on.

What they often mean is that they’re using a program that’s based on or influenced by the OG Approach—programs like Barton, Wilson, Sonday, or SPIRE. These are structured literacy programs that follow OG principles, but each has its own scope, sequence, materials, and training.

When schools or tutors say “OG curriculum,” they may be referring to:

• A structured literacy program they’ve adopted (hopefully one with fidelity)
• A mishmash of materials they’re using in a way that kinda aligns with OG principles (but not always correctly)
• A DIY collection of resources created by a teacher trained in OG

Bottom line: if you hear “OG curriculum,” ask questions. Which program? Is it evidence-based? Are the teachers trained? Are they using it with fidelity? Because using shaving cream to write letters once a week doesn’t make it OG.

Why Is OG So Good for Dyslexia?

Because dyslexia isn’t about just flipping letters. It’s a language-based learning disability, and kids with dyslexia usually lack phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds in words.

OG focuses on developing these foundational skills using structured literacy principles.

And now that we know more (like, 100 years more) since Orton and Gillingham first started their work, we know that structured literacy benefits all learners. But for dyslexic students? It’s often essential.

Here’s the Catch: Lots of schools say they’re using a “multisensory approach.” And sometimes, that’s all they offer. But OG is more than just a few flashcards and tracing letters in sand.

Here’s what makes the OG Approach effective:

• Direct instruction
• Systematic and structured routines
• Explicit teaching of rules—and exceptions
• Regular review
• Frequent assessments
• Instruction based on individual needs and skill gaps

If a school says, “We use multisensory reading,” ask for the specifics. Are they using OG principles with fidelity? Is it truly explicit and sequential? Or are they sprinkling glitter on a Lucy Calkins workbook and calling it science?

Can Parents Teach OG?

Technically, yes. But should you? That’s another question.

Some parents teach OG-based programs like Barton at home out of necessity. But the OG Approach was never designed for solo use without training. And most of us have day jobs, other kids, and burnout from just reading the IEP.

So no, you don’t need to become an OG instructor. But understanding it? That’s powerful.

OG and the IEP

Let’s clarify something I see parents (and yes, sometimes educators) mess up:

OG is not an IEP goal. IEP goals are based on your child’s needs, not the intervention. So don’t write: “Student will complete Orton-Gillingham lessons…”

Instead, your child might have a decoding goal or a fluency goal, and OG might be the intervention used to reach it. OG should be listed as part of specially designed instruction or supports and services, not the goal itself.

If you’re looking for IEP goals around reading, I have a whole bank of them on the site.

But My School Says They Don’t “Do” OG

Yeah. That happens. Often schools will write something vague like “a multisensory approach will be used,” and refuse to say “Orton-Gillingham.”

Why? Because if they name a program or method, they have to deliver it with fidelity, and that comes with training and accountability. Most general ed teachers don’t have OG training and many schools don’t want to invest in it.

So What Can You Do?

If you want to get OG on your child’s IEP:

• Ask for assessments that pinpoint exactly why your child is struggling to read (phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, etc.).
• Build a data-driven case that your child needs a structured literacy intervention.
• Specify what that intervention must include (explicit, systematic, cumulative, multisensory, etc.).
• Then ask: “Which program or approach are you using that meets these criteria?”

You don’t have to say “OG.” Let them say it.

What Are OG-Based Programs?

There are many structured literacy programs that are OG-influenced, such as:

• Barton
• Wilson Reading System
• Sonday System
• SPIRE
• Fundations (for younger kids)
• Lindamood Bell (though they call it “sensory-cognitive”)

These all share OG’s foundational principles, even if they’re packaged differently.

Finding a Qualified OG Instructor

Because there’s no one governing OG body, “certification” can mean a lot of things. You want someone who has training in a research-based, structured literacy program—and who uses it with fidelity.

If you’re hiring a private tutor, ask:

• What training have you had?
• What curriculum or approach do you use?
• How do you monitor progress?
• Can I sit in on a session?

Parents ask for OG because they want their child to learn to read and because OG is one of the few things that seems to work. But if the school says “no” or offers a watered-down version, don’t give up.

• Ask better questions.
• Push for structured literacy.
• Use data.
• Get it in writing.

And remember, OG is a tool. Not the only one. But in the toolbox of dyslexia interventions, it’s a biggie. You’ve got this.