Orton-Gillingham approach: Home connections
Subject
Abstract
Reading is an important part of learning because we need reading to be able to learn. However, many students frequently struggle with this process due to specific learning difficulties, gaps in the process of reading, teaching methodologies, or lack of early identification and intervention. The purpose of the study was to examine the importance of involving parents/guardians in the learning process of their children and the possibility of training them to be able to help students learning using Orton-Gillingham's evidence-based strategies. The question guiding my inquiry was: What is the impact of parents/guardians’ academic support through the use of evidence-based strategies on children’s reading development?
The study methodology used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the impact of having trained parents/guardians supporting emerging readers at home. The investigation included an experimental (parent implemented) and a comparison group. Quantitative data were collected with standardized testing and qualitative data were collected through interviews. Findings revealed that student reading improvement was comparable for both the parent-implemented and the skilled teacher support groups. Additionally, the program impacted parent confidence and strengthened aspects of the parent-child relationships.