Teach the Orton-Gillingham Method Easily with PRIDE Reading Program

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by PRIDE Reading. I was compensated for my time and honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links.

I’m so happy to use the PRIDE Reading Program to teach my children the vital skills needed to read confidently. Teaching a child to read is one of the most important skills you will ever teach them. But sometimes, it can feel overwhelming! Especially if you have a child with learning differences, such as dyslexia. With PRIDE Reading’s use of the Orton-Gillingham method and multisensory approach, I can easily help my child win at reading.

What is the Orton-Gillingham Method?

What first intrigued me about PRIDE Reading was that they use the Orton-Gillingham method to teach reading. The Orton-Gillingham Method is a structured literacy approach that incorporates multisensory learning with systematic phonics. It is beneficial for all children, however, it is the best reading program for children with learning differences such as dyslexia, auditory processing, or speech deficits.

I first learned about the Orton-Gillingham method when I began homeschooling and had a friend who just finished a training class to learn how to teach it. I was drawn to its focus on phonics and its multisensory approach. However, the price of the class she was taking was not in my budget.

How awesome, then, that PRIDE Reading has a FREE Orton-Gillingham Introductory Course?! If you want to learn more about this method to teach reading, then I highly recommend taking their course. But, you do not need to be trained in using the Orton-Gillingham method to use PRIDE Reading!

No-Prep Needed Reading Lessons!

One of the things I love about PRIDE Reading lessons is all the prep work is done for me! All I need to do is open my computer to the lesson we’re on and follow the script. Their scripted lesson plans are easy to follow and teach.

This open-and-go approach also means there is no need for extensive (and expensive!) training or in-depth knowledge of spelling and reading concepts. (Although, you will of course learn as you teach!)

I appreciate the modules are broken down into units, which are then broken down into small actionable steps. Reading is not my daughter’s favorite subject at the moment. This lesson design allows me to provide lessons that work with her attention span.

When she is willing and engaged, we may get through multiple steps in the unit. However, if she is having a reluctant day, we can do only one step and still accomplish something.

Being able to finish a lesson before her interest wanes keeps her engaged and enjoying learning how to read.

PRIDE Reading Program: Level 1

When you begin the PRIDE Reading Program you start with a placement test to see which level best suits your child. My daughter has been working through PRIDE Reading Program: Level 1 or the Yellow Book.

In PRIDE Reading Program: Level 1, students learn their short vowels, read consonant-vowel-consonant words, learn FLOSS spelling rules, consonant digraphs and blends, and sight words.

Related| Teach Reading Fundamentals with Ease Using PRIDE Reading Program

Multisensory Activities a PRIDE Reading Lesson Uses

I love the multisensory activities that PRIDE Reading uses to teach sounds, blends, and sight words. These activities bring fun to the lesson but also cement learning better than straight drilling or other approaches.

When learning sight words, or red words as they are called in the lessons, students use arm tapping. This is where they tap on their arm with their finger, beginning at the wrist and moving up as they say each letter in the word. For example, t-h-e. Then they slide their finger back down their arm as they say the word.

Students also use air writing to write the letters, or they will trace a word on their palm before writing it on the whiteboard or notebook.

The use of letter tiles to spell words, flashcards, and incorporating a small whiteboard is also used to teach phonics, spelling, and reading skills.

My daughter especially likes the yellow practice games. These are short online games that are directly tied to the learning in PRIDE Reading Level 1. They are an optional resource to allow kids to practice what they are learning.

PRIDE Reading Win

After my daughter had her lesson with the red word “the,” we went to the State Fair. Suddenly, with much excitement, she leaps up and down, pointing at a sign over the doorway, “Mommy, that’s the word ‘the!’ I can read the word ‘the!'” She was so pleased with herself to recognize a word she had been practicing. It was a major confidence boost and an all-around awesome moment.

She has also started writing her own sentences using the words she has learned. She is very proud of herself and her new reading skills.

Overall Thoughts on PRIDE Reading Level 1

This is our second experience using PRIDE Reading and I still love this program. It’s the best for teaching a child to read. I do not have a child with learning differences that would make reading challenging, but this is still the curriculum I would recommend for anyone looking to teach their child to read.

Their phonics is solid, which is really important to me, and their multisensory approach is just awesome for getting concepts to click and keeping the kid’s interest.

Hands down, this is the best curriculum I’ve used to teach reading. If you’d like to try it for yourself, use the code below to get 10% off your order. Expires May 30, 2023.