Why Orton‑Gillingham Tutoring Isn’t Working for Your Child
(And What to Do Next When Reading Progress Stalls)
If you’ve spent months—or years—using OG, Barton, Wilson, or similar programs and your child is still stuck, you’re not alone.
So many parents I work with did everything “right”—phonics, tutoring, school interventions—and their child is still guessing, frustrated, or falling behind.
Here’s the truth:
It’s rarely about effort or intelligence.
Most reading programs are logical to adults—but they don’t match how a child’s brain, especially one with dyslexia or other learning differences, actually learns to read.
The Big Picture Problem
Only 31% of U.S. 4th graders read at or above Proficient (Nation’s Report Card, 2024).
About 40% score below Basic—even after years of school and intervention.
Mainstream approaches, including OG, simply aren’t closing the gap for a huge number of kids.
Donut chart: Only 31% Proficient, 40% Below Basic on NAEP 2024
What the Research Really Shows About OG
Large reviews of OG interventions have not found consistent, statistically strong gains in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, or spelling over other approaches.
The What Works Clearinghouse notes most OG studies don’t meet strong evidence standards—so claims often outpace the research.
National data: Only about one-third of 4th graders read proficiently, with many still far below grade level—even after years of “gold standard” instruction.
Research finds a sizable minority of students with learning disabilities don’t benefit from standard school interventions unless something changes: the target or the intensity.
Why OG Tutoring Stalls (5 Real Reasons)
If your child made early progress and then hit a wall, these are the most common reasons:
1. OG often teaches rules, not the missing brain pathway
Kids may know the rules, but can’t map sounds to print automatically—so they keep guessing on longer or unfamiliar words.
2. Intensity is usually too low
Most OG tutoring is 1–2 times/week. Kids who are years behind often need daily, focused practice for fluent, automatic reading—not just accuracy.
3. One‑size‑fits‑all plans miss the root cause
Each child can get stuck for unique reasons: phonemic awareness, rapid naming, orthographic mapping, working memory, or visual attention. Tutoring that misses the true root cause can drag on for years.
4. Early decoding improves, but real fluency and comprehension lag
Many kids “know the code” in lessons, but still read slowly and exhaustingly. Fluency must be explicitly targeted—or progress stalls.
5. Some students are “inadequate responders”—unless instruction changes
A stalled child is not a hopeless child—they just need a new focus or higher intensity.
What Works Instead
OG is the dominant dyslexia method in schools and tutoring, yet many children remain below grade level. For a large group of students, OG‑style instruction as usually delivered is simply not enough to build automatic, fluent reading.
Key elements of a more effective plan
Root‑cause snapshot first, so support targets the exact missing skills. - Speech‑to‑print pathway rebuilt (sounds → letters → words → meaning). - High‑intensity, short daily practice instead of one long weekly session. - Orthographic mapping and multisensory work are used strategically, not as routines for their own sake. - Parent coaching so progress continues between sessions, not just during them.
Structured literacy and explicit, systematic instruction provide the backbone. For kids who are far behind, that structure has to be much more targeted and intensive.
“After years of OG and tutoring, my daughter still struggled. With Catherine’s approach, she finally reads with confidence—and best of all, enjoys it.”
— Parent
Why Speech‑to‑Print Re‑Starts Progress
When OG stalls, it usually means your child needs the reading pathway rebuilt from the ground up—starting with speech. Speech‑to‑print (also called linguistic phonics) begins with the sounds in spoken words and teaches children to map those sounds to letters in a clear, systematic order.
This approach aligns with the research base for explicit phonemic awareness, blending and segmenting, and systematic phonics—the skills shown to drive real decoding growth. Speech‑to‑print influenced programs follow these principles because they match how the reading brain actually learns the alphabetic code.
If This Sounds Like Your Child, Here Are Your Next Steps
Option 1 – 12‑Week 1:1 Reading Therapy
If you want this root‑cause, speech‑to‑print approach done with you, learn how my 12‑week online reading therapy works and whether it is a fit for your child.
Option 2 – Lower‑Cost Parent Membership
If you want to start at home with more support but less cost, the Reading Clarity Membership gives you monthly toolkits and coaching so you can use these principles with one or more children.
Free First Step – Mini‑Assessment
Not sure which path is right? Start with the free Reading Clarity Mini‑Assessment to see why your child is stuck and which specific skill is missing. You will get clear next‑step suggestions either way.