Orton-Gillingham Teaching Order, Lesson Plan Template, and Level-Specific Overview
Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a research-based, multisensory method for teaching reading and phonics. Unlike rigid curricula, OG is flexible and systematic, allowing educators to tailor instruction based on student needs, program choice (IMSE, Wilson, Sonday, Fundations), and instructional goals.
Some sequences emphasize easy-to-pronounce sounds, high-frequency words, or handwriting-friendly letters first. This ensures that students build a strong foundation as they progress through increasingly complex phonics patterns.
Below, you’ll find a complete teaching guide for Orton-Gillingham phonics, including levels, lesson plan templates, and teaching tips.
Table of Contents
- Teaching Order
- OG Teaching Tips
- Lesson Plan Template
- Structured Scope and Sequence
- Level One Overview
- Level Two Overview
- Level Three Overview
- Frequently Asked Questions
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1. Teaching Order
Consonants & Short Vowels
Start with the most common letters and sounds. Follow this order:
m, s, a, t, b, c, i, f, n, o, h, d, g, l, e, p, r, u, j, k, w, y, x, q, z, v
Focus on CVC words: cat, mop, fin
Digraphs & Blends
Digraphs: sh, ch, th (hard/soft), wh, ck, ng, nk
Blends (initial & final): bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tw, nd, nt, mp, ft, st, lt, lk, pt
Long Vowels & Silent E
VCe patterns: a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e, e_e (e.g., make, kite, rope, cube, these)
Vowel Teams & Diphthongs
Long vowel teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, oe, ie, igh, ui
Diphthongs/variant vowels: oi, oy, ou, ow, au, aw, ew
R-Controlled Vowels
ar, or, er, ir, ur
Advanced Patterns
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Consonant-le endings: -ble, -cle, -dle, -gle, -kle, -tle, -zle
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Prefixes & suffixes: un-, re-, dis-, pre-, mis-, -ed, -ing, -s, -es
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Schwa: unstressed vowels in unaccented syllables (about, pencil)
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Multisyllabic words & syllable division rules
2. Orton-Gillingham Teaching Tips
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Teach letter name, sound, and formation together
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Practice daily with drills, dictation, and reading
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Always review before introducing new material
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Use multisensory tools: sand trays, skywriting, tapping
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Create stories with Project Read Story Generator
3. Orton-Gillingham Lesson Plan Template
A. Review (5-10 minutes)
Purpose: Reinforce previously taught material
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Sound drill: Use flashcards of letters—the student says the sound
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Blending drill: Use consonant/vowel/consonant tiles to build and blend words
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Sight word review: Read and spell previously learned sight words
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Syllable types or rules (if applicable): Quick review
B. New Concept Introduction (10–15 minutes)
Purpose: Explicitly teach one new concept
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Name of concept (e.g., short “u,” digraph “ch,” silent “e”)
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Use multisensory input:
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Visual: Show letter/pattern
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Auditory: Say sound(s)
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Kinesthetic: Skywriting, sand tray, tapping out sounds
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Tactile: Write in sand, use magnetic letters
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C. Guided Practice with Reading (10–15 minutes)
Purpose: Build decoding and fluency with the new concept
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Word reading: Read a list of words with the target pattern
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Sentence reading: Use sentences that include several practice words
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Controlled text reading: A short passage or story that matches the skill. TIP: This website generates stories based on the letters and words you input.
D. Spelling/Writing (10–15 minutes)
Purpose: Reinforce mapping and encoding
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Dictation of words: The teacher says a word, and the student taps the sounds and writes it
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Dictation of sentence: Include one or more target words
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Word sorting or syllable marking (if applicable)
E. Sight Word Instruction (if needed)
Purpose: Map irregular/high-frequency words
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Teach through orthographic mapping:
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Discuss the irregular part
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Practice reading/writing it using multisensory methods
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Use it in a sentence
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F. Wrap-Up & Independent Practice (5 minutes)
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Review what was learned
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Assign a practice word list or sentence
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Optionally provide a take-home activity
4. Structured Literacy Scope and Sequence: Levels One Through Three
This structured literacy scope and sequence follows an Orton-Gillingham–aligned progression that moves deliberately from foundational phonological awareness and phonics to advanced spelling, syllable division, morphology, and word origin. Instruction builds cumulatively and explicitly. Teachers use multisensory and diagnostic practices throughout to strengthen decoding, encoding, and language comprehension across three instructional levels.
5. Level One
Alphabet Knowledge, Short Vowels, and Closed Syllables
Level One establishes the foundation for accurate reading and spelling. Instruction begins with alphabet mastery. Students say the alphabet in sequence, name all vowels, arrange letters in order, and visually identify all lowercase letters.
Teachers introduce consonant and vowel phonograms explicitly, including b–boy, c–cat, d–dog, f–fish, g–goat, h–hat, j–jam, k–kite, l–lamp, m–man, n–nut, p–pan, r–rat, s–snake, t–top, v–van, x–box, w–wind, y–yo-yo, and z–zebra. Vowel phonograms include a–apple, i–igloo or itchy, o–octopus, u–umbrella or up, and e–Eddie (elephant).
Next, instruction introduces consonant digraphs sh–ship, th–this, ch–chin, wh–whale, qu–queen, and ck for reading only. Students also learn long vowel silent-e phonograms, including a-e (safe), i-e (five), o-e (home), u-e (cube), and e-e (Pete).
Reading Instruction
Reading instruction focuses on closed syllable words using taught phonograms. Students read closed syllable words with initial and final consonant blends, silent e syllable words, and two-syllable words divided between two consonants (e.g., ban/dit). In addition, students learn a core set of learned words, including the, a, said, was, are, were, to, do, of, and I.
Concept Instruction
Alongside skill development, students build conceptual understanding. Instruction explicitly teaches the meanings of syllable, vowel, consonant, consonant digraphs, consonant blends, learned or sight words, closed syllables, and silent e syllables.
Spelling Instruction
Spelling instruction directly mirrors reading instruction. Students spell closed syllable words using taught phonograms, closed syllable words with consonant blends, silent e syllable words, and two-syllable words divided between unlike consonants. Instruction includes the FF, LL, SS spelling rule (FLOSS) and the generalization that /k/ is spelled with c at the beginning of a word. This level reinforces alphabet knowledge and core phonological concepts within an Orton-Gillingham instructional framework.
6. Level Two
Vowel Teams, Diphthongs, and Early Morphology
Level Two expands phonetic knowledge through systematic instruction in vowel teams, diphthongs, r-controlled vowels, and early morphology. Phonograms introduced include tch–catch, ck–black (reading), ay–play, ee–feet, igh–night, oa–boat, ea–eat, y–my, y–candy, ow–snow, ow–plow, th–thumb, oe–toe, oo–food, oo–book, er–her, ir–bird, ur–burn, ai–rain, ar–car, or–corn, ie–pie, ou–ouch, and aw–saw. Teachers explicitly teach that er, ir, and ur make the same sound, reinforced with the phrase, “Her turn first. Her bird burps.”
Reading Instruction
Reading instruction now incorporates words containing Level One and Level Two phonograms. Students read two-syllable words divided between two or more consonants (e.g., nap/kin, ath/lete) and practice common family patterns such as all, old, ild, ost, ind, ing, ang, ong, ung, ink, ank, onk, and unk. Instruction also includes words with common suffixes, including s (plural), ing, er, est, ly, y, and ed. Learned words expand to include one, two, does, done, goes, gone, once, come, some, they, and from.
Concept Instruction
Concept instruction deepens students’ understanding of syllable types and word structure. Students learn to identify diphthong (vowel team) syllables, r-controlled (“bossy r”) syllables, and open syllables in one-syllable words such as he and go. Instruction also addresses plural and singular forms, base words, suffixes, and past tense.
Spelling Instruction
Spelling instruction emphasizes accuracy and clear generalizations. Students spell words using Level One and Level Two phonograms and focus on words with one clear spelling per sound. Teachers avoid vowel teams unless a specific rule or generalization applies. Instruction explicitly teaches ck versus k at the end of one-syllable words (sock, take), the tch versus ch generalization (catch, rich), and vowel y rules, including y representing /i/ at the end of one-syllable words ( my) and /e/ at the end of multisyllabic words ( candy).
Additional instruction covers ay representing long A at the end of a word ( play), common family patterns (all, old, ink), plural –s, two-syllable words divided between unlike consonants, and suffixes such as –ing, –ed, –er, –est, –ly, and –y that do not change the base word. Learned spelling words, including the, do, to, are, of, said, was, and were, receive continued review.
7. Level Three
Advanced Phonograms, Multisyllabic Words, and Word Origins
Level Three addresses advanced phonetic patterns, complex syllable division, morphology, and etymology, which is the study of word origins. Instruction introduces phonograms such as ph–phone, ough–thought, ought–bought, wr–write, kn–knife, gn–gnat, mb–lamb, and ed with its three sounds. Additional phonograms include au–August, ew–new, ei–vein, ey–they, eigh–eight, dge–fudge, ti–nation, si–tension, ci–special, ie–chief, ei–seize, ey–key, ture–nature, sure–pressure, ear–early, our–journal, and ould–could. Teachers explicitly teach the ould pattern using the mnemonic “o-u-lucky-duck.”
Reading Instruction
Reading instruction includes words containing Level One through Level Three phonograms. Students read compound words, two-syllable words divided before a single consonant (e.g., o/pen), and words that incorporate learned words from previous levels. As instruction progresses, students apply syllable division strategies to increasingly complex multisyllabic words.
Concept Instruction
Concept instruction emphasizes advanced syllable types and word structure. Students learn open syllables, consonant-le syllables, vowel digraph syllables, and syllable division patterns such as V/CV (ti/ger) and VC/V (lem/on). Instruction also includes homophones, suffix spelling rules such as e-drop and consonant doubling, root words, prefixes, suffixes, word parts, and word origin, including Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon influences.
Spelling Instruction
Spelling instruction requires consistent application of advanced rules and generalizations. Students spell words using Level One through Level Three phonograms, apply e-drop and consonant doubling rules when adding suffixes, and spell words with prefixes and suffixes attached to base words. Instruction also includes homophones such as there, their, and they’re, words with silent letters such as kn and wr, and multisyllabic words divided correctly. Finally, students spell words containing Greek and Latin roots such as phon, spect, and dict, reinforcing both meaning-based spelling and vocabulary development.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Is Orton-Gillingham a program or a method?
Orton-Gillingham (OG) is not a single reading program. Instead, it is a research-based instructional framework for teaching reading, spelling, and writing, particularly for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.
OG provides a set of principles and instructional practices, including:
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Explicit, systematic phonics instruction
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Multisensory teaching (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)
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Diagnostic and prescriptive instruction
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Structured progression from simple to complex skills
Because OG is a framework rather than a boxed curriculum, it can be implemented in many different ways, depending on the student, setting, and materials used.
Why are teachers trained in Orton-Gillingham?
Even though OG is a framework, it is highly specialized. Teaching Orton-Gillingham effectively requires formal training in:
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Phonology, phonics, morphology, and syllable types
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Multisensory lesson design
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Error analysis and targeted remediation
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Adjusting instruction based on student response
For this reason, teachers and tutors pursue formal Orton-Gillingham training or certification. Educators who declare themselves as “trained in Orton-Gillingham” or promote “OG tutoring” demonstrate their understanding and faithful application of these principles.
In other words, they are trained to teach using the OG method, not just to follow a script.
How do programs like Wilson fit in?
Programs such as Wilson, IMSE, Sonday, Fundations, Barton, and Recipe for Reading are Orton-Gillingham–based programs.
This means they:
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Are built on OG principles
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Provide a defined scope and sequence
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Include structured lesson formats and materials
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Offer their own program-specific training
For example:
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Wilson Reading System is an OG-based program with a highly structured, scripted format
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IMSE teaches OG concepts and allows more flexibility in pacing and materials
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Fundations is an OG-aligned Tier 1 classroom program
A teacher trained in Wilson is trained in one specific implementation of OG, but may not be trained across the broader OG framework unless they have separate OG training.
Why are OG training and program training different?
A helpful way to think about this is:
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Orton-Gillingham = the instructional framework and principles
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Wilson, IMSE, Sonday, etc. = specific programs built using those principles
Because of this, educators may:
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Be OG-trained and use multiple OG-based programs or custom materials
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Be trained in a single program only (such as Wilson)
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Combine OG training with Wilson, IMSE, or other structured literacy resources
This is why experienced tutors often say:
“I am trained in Orton-Gillingham and use Wilson-based materials.”
That statement tells parents the tutor understands the method, not just one curriculum.
Why do tutors advertise “OG tutoring”?
Parents seeking dyslexia support recognize Orton-Gillingham as a gold-standard approach. When tutors advertise OG tutoring, they are signaling that they provide:
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Structured literacy instruction
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Evidence-based reading intervention
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Multisensory teaching methods
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Individualized, diagnostic instruction
Advertising “OG tutoring” communicates methodological expertise, not reliance on a single program.
The Key Takeaway
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Orton-Gillingham is the framework, not a boxed curriculum
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Wilson, IMSE, Sonday, and similar programs are OG-based
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Teachers train in OG to learn the principles
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Teachers train in programs to learn specific implementations
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“OG tutor” means the educator understands how reading works and how to teach it effectively
Both OG training and program training are valuable, and many skilled educators hold both.
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Orton-Gillingham 13-Book Series – These are decodable passages following the OG sequence. They start with short-vowel CVC words and progress to compound and multisyllabic words. Perfect for parents and teachers.
Optional Editable Version
For an optional editable document of this Orton-Gillingham Overview page, please visit Instant Downloads. The document includes an easy-to-read outline of the Orton-Gillingham level components.
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This page was last updated on January 12, 2026.
