The effectiveness of the Orton Gillingham instructional program when used in conjunction with a basal reading program

The problem of students reading below the academic grade level in which they are placed has been documented in the results of several studies. Following a constructivist perspective, the purpose of this research was to determine whether the implementation of a supplemental reading program into an existing reading curriculum would increase reading achievement scores. The specific research question of the study examined the reading achievement scores of students who were taught to read through the Orton Gillingham (OG) phonetic instructional program paired with a basal reading program compared to those who were taught to read using only the basal reading program to test the additive effect of the OG supplement. The quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design included 50 students enrolled in 1st - and 2 nd -- grades in a mid-sized rural elementary school in west central Georgia. One experimental and one control group classroom was designated for 1st - and 2nd -grades respectively. Independent sample t-test were used to analyze differences in standardized reading test scores across the paired groups. Although all groups demonstrated significant within-group improvements in reading, no significant between-group differences were found to indicate an added benefit from the OG program. These results can contribute to social change by informing teachers and administrators to who seek to incorporate some type of additional phonics instruction into their existing curriculum. Such research-based decision making can support providing students with the specific additional skills needed to become more effective learners instead of learners who continuously struggle to read.