Beth Slingerland was a general education classroom teacher at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, during the 1930s. While teaching at this well-respected private school, she worked with students who—despite many advantages—did not respond to the reading instruction available at the time. Through her classroom experience, Mrs. Slingerland noticed a clear pattern: many students who were bright, capable, and engaged in learning still struggled with reading and writing. She believed these students were not lazy or unmotivated—they needed something different to succeed.

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Mrs. Slingerland studied research on language-based learning differences. She trained directly with Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman, developers of what is now known as the Orton-Gillingham Approach. This approach emphasized structured, multisensory instruction—teaching through seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing—to support students.

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At the time, Orton-Gillingham was typically taught one-on-one. Mrs. Slingerland believed that this powerful approach could also work in whole classrooms. She adapted the principles of Orton-Gillingham into a structured, multisensory method designed for whole-class instruction. With the support and approval of Gillingham and Stillman, this adaptation became known as the Slingerland® Approach.

 

They encouraged Mrs. Slingerland to train teachers in the approach.

 

Beginning in 1960, Mrs. Slingerland taught teachers through a summer comprehensive course—the same format used in our program today. As word of the program and its success spread, teachers and administrators from across the country arranged training at their schools.​