Understanding Different Methods Of Reading Intervention: Langsford vs. Specialist Schools & Orton-Gillingham
Why Langsford is Better
Finding help for a student who is struggling in school can be overwhelming. Every internet search brings up conflicting reports of approaches and methodologies that did or didn’t work along with panic-inducing price tags.
Let us break down some of the differences between the biggest names and approaches you can expect to encounter when you start looking for solutions – and what is different about how we do things at Langsford.
What are the most well-known systems?
If you’ve gone looking for options in helping students with reading and comprehension, you’ve likely already encountered one player: Orton-Gillingham. You’ve likely also read about private “specialist” schools designed for children with dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences.
What is the difference in approach?
Orton-Gillingham approach is focused on phonics.
Orton and Gillingham met in the 1930s and created an approach to “word blindness” that combined direct, multi-sensory teaching strategies paired with systematic, sequential lessons focused on phonics.
Private schools have multiple priorities.
These schools provide small classes and specialized teachers, but they don’t typically promise rapid, targeted gains in reading. In fact, it’s usually slow progress.
Langsford is holistic.
Langsford was founded in 1992 when Stephen McCrocklin and his wife, Claudia, a special education teacher, developed a holistic approach to reading intervention that incorporates all five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension).
What is the difference in timeline?
The Orton-Gillingham approach typically delivers steady but slow progress. Sessions are often delivered several times a week for up to three years.
Private schools are an ongoing commitment. Unlike an intervention program with a clear finish line, families usually keep their child enrolled in a specialist school year after year. Once started, it’s rare for students to transition back to a traditional setting.
Langsford focuses on fitting the child. Typically, a student will need between 50 and 150 sessions of targeted instruction in reading, comprehension, or writing, often improving two-and-a-half grade levels in 14 weeks.
What is the difference in cost?
Orton-Gillingham costs vary widely. Orton-Gillingham operates through a network of certified instructors, not a single company. Because of this, costs can vary. Expect an hourly rate of $80 – $150/hour stretched over several years.
Private schools require an expanded investment. Most specialist schools cost $20,000 to $40,000 per year for as long as the child needs to attend, and most children never return to their original school.
Langsford has a no-strings-attached policy and doesn’t require contracts.
Most students need at least 50 instructional sessions, at a rate of $99 per 50-minute session. Students complete their program in a matter of weeks, not years.
What is the difference in customization?
Orton-Gillingham’s approach stays focused on phonics. Because of this, it can often lack breadth, not addressing issues that might exist around comprehension, vocabulary, or fluency.
Private schools widen the lens. Specialist institutions often market themselves as a comprehensive solution because they replace the child’s full school experience, not just reading instruction. This does mean removing the student from their established school, community and friends.
Langsford treats every student as unique. More than twenty diagnostic tools are used to pinpoint exact struggles; multiple specialists review and adjust plans weekly. All five pillars of the Science of Reading are incorporated.
I still have questions.
If you want to know even more about how all of this works, schedule a chat with us. It’s free and the pressure will be off. One of Langsford’s evaluation specialists will be happy to answer inquiries while you learn more. At a minimum, our team can help point you in the best direction to help your child. At best? We take the first steps to giving your child reading independence for life.
Langsford made day-to-day in the classroom so much easier.
“Before my time as a student at Langsford, school was pretty difficult. I struggled with comprehending what my teachers were asking me on assessments and homework. I struggled to conjure up what I had to say, to grasp thoughts and put them on paper.
At Langsford, I had more one-on-one time with my specific person that I was working with instead of just having one teacher at school who had to bounce from person to person. I felt like they really tried to understand where I was coming from and see what issues I was having with learning.
After working with Langsford, homework felt a lot easier to do, and it wasn’t as stressful or so draining. The strategies Langsford taught me made things a lot easier when I was struggling to try to understand concepts the teachers taught in class on a day-to-day basis. I was able to get work done a lot quicker and do things I enjoyed, and not spend so much of my time on homework, feeling stuck for hours on end.
I would tell the other kids coming to Langsford to embrace it and give it all your time and energy because it pays off in the long run. It’s made my life a lot easier.”
– Kymani Turner, former Langsford student
Commonly Asked Questions
Shouldn’t my child’s school be responsible for reading instruction?
Your school cares about your child and wants to help them succeed. The problem is they have lots of students who need help, and sometimes a child may need help beyond what the school can offer.
Langsford isn’t a replacement for classroom instruction. We collaborate with our students’ schools the whole way to ensure your child gets the comprehensive, personalized help they deserve.
In short, Langsford will help your child catch up with their fundamentals so they can then keep up with the instruction your school provides.
Does online reading instruction really work?
Absolutely! We’re able to do everything online that we’d do in person, including our research-backed teaching methods, interactive learning activities, and multi-sensory instruction. Plus, your student will be too busy having fun to realize they’re actually learning.
We test all of our students at the beginning, throughout and at the end of their time at Langsford. The results data is clear—online is equally as effective as in person.
How do you know the instruction is working?
Our services begin with a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s strengths and challenges. From there, we put together a customized, step-by-step plan. As we work the plan together, we continually monitor progress and make adjustments along the way.
Finally, we include a wrap-up assessment so you can see your child’s transformation. (Although you won’t need a piece of paper to notice the difference; you’ll see it in their attitude and behavior!)
I’m a parent, not a teacher. What’s my role?
Don’t worry—we handle all official instruction. You may have some tasks at home, such as reading assignments along the way. Our team will equip you with the tools you need.
When asking parents about their experience with Langsford, many do not even remember having any role at home in the process. When your long, painful nights of doing homework become easy because you have a confident reader, it’s apparently easy to forget a few reading assignments along the way.
How long will it take to see results?
Until we understand your child’s unique strengths and challenges, we can’t predict their plan length. After their evaluation, we’ll be able to give a time estimate, and we’ll give you weekly updates so you’ll never be surprised by a change of plans.
While many parents are amazed to see how quickly their young learners improve, we move at the pace each student requires. Typically a student will take between 50 and 150 hours of instruction, but again, every student is different.
Do I have to commit to a certain number of sessions?
Nope! We have a no-strings-attached policy. We don’t require contracts, and you can cancel services at any time without penalty.
Is Langsford expensive?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question because we don’t provide one-size-fits-all programs. Your investment in the program will be hourly on a no-strings-attached policy (you can stop at any time). How much instruction your child receives will be based on their exact needs. Typically a student needs between 50 and 150 hours of instruction, but again, every student is different.
To properly address the question, you must consider the expensive alternatives of other programs or the cost of inaction.
Tutoring will often not help a child catch up—a child who needs a tutor today will often fall further behind because of an undiagnosed underlying difficulty. They may always need a tutor, which is a large investment.
Many parents who have evaluated Langsford vs. specialist schools find that these programs are much more expensive, less effective and also remove the child from their established school community.
Finally, many Langsford parents have come back around to say the best way to think of this is an investment. Just recently a parent told us his investment into Langsford helped his child not only catch up, but go on to get an academic scholarship to college, which would have never been possible had he not become the confident reader he is today.
How does it work?
Many reading programs have some evidence-based elements, but they usually operate with only one or two of the Science of Reading’s five pillars (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension). These programs focus on phonics and sometimes phonemic awareness, but also include material many children may already know. The program therefore spends much of the student’s time reviewing content the child already knows instead of acting on the underlying problem.
Langsford implements all five pillars of the Science of Reading. This approach is grounded in a large research portfolio of nationally recognized studies, showcasing and utilizing the statistical significance of education tactics and processes.
We use adaptive instruction combined with personalized learning to help students improve their silent reading fluency. As a Science of Reading program, we use research-based practices (word repetition, scaffolding, and engagement, as examples), proven to help the student advance. Finally, Langsford is using differentiated instruction, addressing unique learning profiles, interests, and readiness levels of each student to optimize their learning outcomes in reading and beyond.