Using Orton Gillingham at Home: Bringing My Classroom Lessons to My Kitchen Table (A Homeschool Curriculum)
- Serena Readhead
- Oct 22
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Table of Contents
As a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and tutor, I have seen firsthand how Orton Gillingham lessons can transform a child's reading experience. The structured, systematic approach to teaching reading ensures that every child is successful in learning to decode (read) and encode (spell). Now as a mom of three, I have begun to test my tried-and-true Orton Gillingham classroom lessons in the home environment at home -- and I am thrilled to share that they are just as effective (if not more so)!
Why might they be even more effective? In the classroom, I never had a reading group smaller than four students. We moved through the lessons at a steady pace, and in the small-group structure I could meet each child's needs and watch them grow. But at home, working one-on-one with my own children, I've discovered that the combination of structured, well-planned lessons, my intimate understanding of my own sweet babies, and the relaxed home environment allows them to cruise and soar!
We started with lessons introducing the consonants and short vowels when they were preschool-aged because they were eager to learn to read. Since Orton Gillingham lessons build progressively on one another, they experienced immediate success, which kept them motivated. By age five, we had already moved on to lessons with digraphs and more advanced spelling patterns.
You don't have to be a trained teacher to bring Orton Gillingham principles and structure into your home. These lessons are designed to be clear, structured, and easy for parents to follow--perfect for building strong reading foundations in most children. (For students with diagnosed reading difficulties, working with a trained Orton Gillingham tutor or teacher is best. But for early learners or children who just need extra practice, you'll be amazed at how much progress you can make together!).
Interested in implementing an Orton Gillingham homeschool curriculum for your own children, but don't know where to start? Check out the lesson plans I've refined over the past ten years--they've been a consistent success both in classrooms and around my own kitchen table!
(For assistance in implementing an Orton Gillingham lesson, check out this post that walks you through each component of the structured literacy lesson plan.)
