Why Summer Review Matters for Orton Gillingham Learners

As the school year ends and summer begins, many students look forward to well-deserved rest and a break from their usual routines. While it’s important for kids to enjoy the slower pace of summer and spend time recharging, it’s equally important to maintain the academic gains they worked so hard to achieve, especially in the area of reading and spelling.

For students receiving Orton Gillingham-based instruction, consistent review over the summer isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. The Orton Gillingham approach is cumulative, meaning each concept builds on the previous one. When a student forgets foundational skills, it can disrupt their ability to confidently access more complex material later on. Without regular practice, students may return to school in the fall having lost not only knowledge but also confidence in their reading and spelling abilities.

The truth is, literacy skills are not “one and done.” Mastery comes through repetition, and summer provides the perfect opportunity to reinforce the skills students already know without the pressure of daily schoolwork. By setting aside just a bit of time each week to review phonemes, rules, and patterns, students can keep their skills sharp and even make new connections in a low-stress environment.

That is where OGOA’s Summer Home Review Digital Workbooks come in. Designed as a companion to our Orton Gillingham Basic Language scope and sequence (grades K-3), each level gives parents, tutors, and educators a structured yet flexible way to keep learning alive. With ready-to-go lessons, reading passages, word lists, and sentence activities, it’s easy to pick up right where your student left off. The built-in placement assessments help you find the right starting point, so time is spent reviewing exactly what each child needs. We offer the following home review digital downloads:

Here are just a few reasons why summer review matters for Orton Gillingham learners:

Retention of foundational skills: Concepts like short vowels, blends, digraphs, and syllable types are critical building blocks. Without review, these can fade quickly.
Improved confidence: Regular practice helps students feel more competent and reduces anxiety about returning to school.
Continued language exposure: Engaging with structured reading and spelling activities keeps students immersed in the language concepts they’ve learned.
Parental involvement: Summer is a wonderful time for parents to get a closer look at their child’s learning process and offer support in meaningful, hands-on ways.

Whether you use this workbook daily, a few times a week, or just as a refresher before the new school year starts, you’re investing in your child’s long-term literacy success. You are sending the message that their reading journey matters, and that the skills they worked so hard to develop are worth maintaining.

Let’s make this summer a season of growth, review, and confidence-building… one multisensory lesson at a time.