Helping Children Discover the Joy of Reading
Learning to read shouldn’t feel frustrating. With the right instruction, children build the skills, confidence, and independence to become successful readers and writers.
Evidence-based, multisensory reading and writing intervention using the Orton-Gillingham approach – designed for children with dyslexia, reading challenges, and language-based learning differences.
Why Orton-Gillingham?
Unlike spoken language, reading usually requires direct and explicit instruction.
Orton-Gillingham is a direct, explicit, and multisensory approach that teaches children how our written language works. Lessons build one skill at a time, using sight, hearing, touch, and movement together to help children become confident readers through direct instruction, guided practice, and meaningful application.
As a speech-language pathologist, I use Orton-Gillingham to build strong decoding and spelling skills, while also targeting how a child’s listening comprehension shapes reading comprehension – supporting success in and out of the classroom.
The Connection Between Speech, Language, and Reading
Strong reading is built on strong language.
Children who struggle with speech, vocabulary, grammar, or listening comprehension are often at greater risk for reading difficulties. Our approach, rooted in speech-language pathology, uses Orton-Gillingham, a direct, explicit, and multisensory method for teaching reading, spelling, and writing, while also targeting how a child’s listening comprehension shapes reading comprehension.
That perspective allows us to build intervention that strengthens both the mechanics of reading and true understanding of what’s read, supporting success in and out of the classroom.
What Is Orton-Gillingham?
Orton-Gillingham is a systematic, multisensory approach to teaching reading and writing. This method uses sight, hearing, touch, and movement together to help children understand how sounds, letters, and language work, building strong reading, spelling, and writing skills.
Instruction is explicit, sequential, and individualized, allowing children to build confidence one step at a time.
This approach is widely recommended for students with dyslexia and is also highly effective for children who struggle with reading, spelling, or written language for other reasons.
Who Can Benefit?
Orton-Gillingham may be helpful for:
- Children with diagnosed or suspected dyslexia
- Students who continue to struggle despite classroom reading instruction
- Children who guess at words instead of decoding them
- Students with strong oral language but weaker reading or spelling skills
- Children with speech or language delays that put them at risk for reading difficulties
- Children who avoid reading or become frustrated during homework
- Students who need support with spelling, written expression, or reading fluency
- Families looking for evidence-based reading intervention
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Orton-Gillingham
You may want to schedule an evaluation if your child:
- Reads slowly or inaccurately
- Has difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words
- Guesses at words instead of decoding them
- Avoids reading whenever possible
- Has inconsistent spelling
- Understands stories when read aloud but struggles to read independently
- Has a history of speech or language delays
- Becomes frustrated or anxious during reading or writing tasks
- Has been identified by a teacher as below grade level in reading
What to Expect
We begin with a comprehensive literacy evaluation to identify your child’s strengths and the specific skills that need support.
From there, we’ll create a personalized learning plan using the Orton-Gillingham approach. Lessons are systematic, engaging, and tailored to your child’s pace, helping your child build strong decoding, spelling, fluency, comprehension, and writing skills.
Progress is monitored closely, and families receive regular updates along the way. When appropriate, we’ll also collaborate with teachers and school teams so new skills carry over into the classroom.
Reading Changes More Than Report Cards
Learning to read changes far more than academic performance.
Over time, families often notice things like:
- Picking up a book without being asked
- Reading aloud with greater confidence
- Completing homework with less frustration
- Becoming more willing to tackle unfamiliar words
- Feeling proud of their progress
- Beginning to see themselves as readers
Those are the moments that remind us why this work matters.
“We had tried tutors, apps, and reading programs for over a year, but nothing really clicked. Valerie figured out exactly how my daughter learns and made reading feel exciting instead of frustrating. Now she curls up with a book on her own because she finally believes she can do it.”
— Parent of an 8-year-old client
Helping Children Discover What They’re Capable Of
Reading is about so much more than decoding words.
It’s about opening doors. It’s about helping children develop the confidence to tackle new challenges, enjoy learning, and believe in themselves.
When children begin to see themselves as readers, they often begin to see themselves differently in every part of life.
That’s the heart of everything we do at Gotham Learning Partners.