For years, I felt helpless. My child, who was bright and creative, just could not seem to crack the code of reading. I heard phrases like “he’ll get it eventually” or “Some kids are just late bloomers.” But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. How I Helped My Child Overcome Reading Struggles? It was not until I stumbled upon the Orton Gillingham Approach that everything began to change for both of us.

Our Turning Point: From Tears to Triumph

Reading time at home used to end in frustration, tears, and shut-downs. My child hated reading. I realized I needed to find a new approach… something rooted in how the brain learns to read. That is when I discovered the Orton Gillingham Approach, which is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling. I devoured everything I could about phonemic awareness, phonics, and structured literacy. And then I took what I learned and began to apply it at home. One resource that helped me understand my son more than any other is the book Overcoming Dyslexia.

How I Helped My Child Overcome Reading Struggles: 5 Ways I Used the Orton Gillingham Approach at Home

1. We Focused on Phonemic Awareness First

Before my child could read words on a page, he needed to be able to hear and manipulate sounds in words. We played games like:

  • Sound swapping (“What word do you get if you change the /m/ in ‘mat’ to /s/?”)

  • Oral blending (“What word am I saying? /c/ /a/ /t/”)

  • Rhyming and segmenting games

This became part of our everyday conversations while driving, cooking, or playing. A wonderful phonemic awareness resource is Equipped for Reading Success.

2. We Used Systematic, Explicit Phonics Instruction

Instead of guessing from pictures or memorizing whole words, I taught him the code of English explicitly and systematically. We worked on one sound-spelling at a time, practiced blending, and used decodable books that matched his phonics skills. A list of highly recommended books is found here!

3. We Ditched Leveled Readers and Guessing Strategies

No more leveled readers that encouraged him to guess from pictures or context. We switched to decodable readers where he could apply his skills and feel successful… no guessing required.

4. We Built Daily Routines (In Bite-Sized Chunks)

Instead of overwhelming him with long sessions, we kept it short, structured, and consistent:

  • 10 minutes of phonemic awareness

  • 10 minutes of phonics practice

  • 10 minutes of reading decodable texts

Small, daily steps added up to big progress over time.

5. We Celebrated Every Win (No Matter How Small)

Reading had been a place of failure for so long. How I Helped My Child Overcome Reading Struggles? I made sure every tiny success was celebrated, whether it was reading a simple word or mastering a tricky sound.

The Results: Confidence, Progress, and Joy

Little by little, the tears faded. My child stopped dreading reading. He started noticing words on signs, in books, on menus, and reading them. He still had to work hard, but he was given the tools to decode words. Most importantly, his confidence soared.

Final Thoughts: You Can Do This Too

If you’re a parent watching your child struggle with reading, I want you to know that you are not alone. And it’s not too late. You just need to understand how reading works and give your child the explicit, systematic instruction they deserve.

Learning the Orton Gillingham Approach gave me the knowledge I was missing and turned my son’s reading struggles into reading success. And if it worked for us, it can work for you too.

To learn more about the Orton Gillingham Approach, click here! To peruse OGOA’s training opportunities: Orton Gillingham Online Academy Training 

Engaging Orton Gillingham materials that can be used at home can be found in OGOA’s Marketplace