Orton-Gillingham Instruction and Tutoring at St. Mary’s Catholic School

At St. Mary’s Catholic School, we are committed to building a strong foundation in literacy from the earliest years. At the primary level, Orton-Gillingham-based instruction is incorporated into reading instruction to provide students with an explicit, structured, systematic, and multisensory approach to learning to read.

The Orton-Gillingham approach teaches students how letters, sounds, syllables, and words work together. Students engage multiple pathways—seeing, hearing, saying, and doing—as they develop essential skills in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, fluency, and word recognition. Skills are taught sequentially and build upon previously mastered concepts, helping young readers develop a strong foundation for future learning.

For students who need additional support, targeted Orton-Gillingham tutoring and small-group instruction provide opportunities for more individualized practice based on each student’s needs. This approach can be especially beneficial for students who struggle with foundational reading skills, including students with dyslexia or characteristics of dyslexia.

By incorporating Orton-Gillingham practices at the primary level and providing additional targeted support when needed, St. Mary’s helps students develop the skills, strategies, and confidence necessary to become successful, independent readers.

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