The Science of Reading

The Research That Drives Our Work

At Edwards Orton-Gillingham, our entire approach is rooted in the Science of Reading. This is not a trend or a temporary initiative. It is a large and growing body of research that explains how reading develops, what skills need to be taught, and how instruction should be delivered.

As Orton Gillingham practitioners, we use this research to inform every aspect of our training, our curriculum, and our work with teachers and students.

What Is the Science of Reading?

The Science of Reading refers to decades of research from the fields of cognitive psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education. It helps us understand how the brain learns to read and which instructional practices are most effective.

Several foundational models and reports form the basis of this body of work:

The National Reading Panel report, which identified five essential components of effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
The Simple View of Reading, which shows that reading comprehension depends on both word recognition and language comprehension
Scarborough’s Reading Rope, which illustrates how skilled reading is built from multiple strands of language knowledge and word recognition
The Knowledge and Practice Standards published by the International Dyslexia Association, which outline what teachers need to know to teach reading well

Why It Matters in Real Classrooms

The Science of Reading gives us a clear picture of what works and why. It also challenges many of the approaches that have been used in classrooms without a strong research base.

Cueing systems, predictable text routines, and leveled reading strategies are widely used but fundamentally flawed. They encourage guessing and surface-level strategies rather than building the foundational decoding skills the brain needs to become a skilled reader.

Instruction is:

Explicit and clear
Systematic and cumulative
Based on sound-symbol correspondence
Rich in oral language and vocabulary development
Led by student data and teacher decision making

This type of instruction is not just helpful for students with dyslexia. It supports all learners.

The Connection to Orton-Gillingham

The Orton-Gillingham approach has always aligned with the Science of Reading. It is structured, sequential, diagnostic, and language based. It teaches students how English works and how to read and spell using consistent and meaningful patterns.

In Orton Gillingham training, teachers learn how to:

Build phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge
Teach syllable types and syllable division
Use decodable texts for controlled practice
Teach spelling patterns, morphology, and word parts
Connect decoding with fluency and comprehension

Our focus is always on what students need to move forward. That is the core of diagnostic and prescriptive instruction, and it is supported by the research.

Our Role

At Edwards Orton Gillingham, we support teachers in applying this research in meaningful and effective ways. Through professional development, curriculum support, and practicum opportunities, we help educators bring the Science of Reading into daily instruction to improve outcomes for all students.

We provide:

Structured literacy training grounded in research
A cumulative scope and sequence for phonics and language instruction
Ready-to-use lesson plans, decodable texts, and instructional materials
Certification pathways for educators seeking deeper expertise

We are committed to translating research into instruction that works — and to helping schools build strong, informed, and sustainable literacy programs.