What is the
Slingerland Approach?
The Slingerland Approach is a structured way of teaching reading, writing, and spelling that supports learners of all ages—especially students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences.
The Approach is designed to help students progressively build skills while gaining confidence and a positive attitude toward learning.
The Slingerland Approach:
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Uses a multisensory (multimodal) method to teach language skills
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Works in whole-class, small-group, or individual settings
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Supports both general education students and those with learning differences such as dyslexia
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Has diagnostics built into each lesson to indicate areas of growth, areas of need, and support differentiation
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Adapts to any existing curriculum, subject, and most reading materials
An Approach
that Works
​The ultimate goal of the Slingerland Approach is independent language arts skills including oral language, reading, writing, and penmanship. The Approach is rooted in the Science of Reading and trains teachers in comprehensive, multi-sensory (multimodal), structured literacy instruction.
Research in the Science of Reading shows that structured, explicit approaches like the Slingerland Approach are effective and efficient for teaching literacy skills. Because instruction is systematic and cumulative, students are supported as skills build over time.
"I love the multi-modal aspect of the program. So many kids will benefit from what we learned. It also gave me tools to apply with emergent bilingual students."
- Cristina Carter, TX
Bilingual Reading Interventionist
Approach, not Program
The Slingerland Approach is a structured way of teaching reading, writing, and spelling that supports all learners—especially students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. It is designed to help students build skills step by step while gaining confidence and a positive attitude toward learning.
The Approach is multisensory (multimodal), meaning students learn through seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing at the same time. For many students who struggle to learn literacy skills, it is not a lack of intelligence that causes difficulty—it is the challenge of connecting these parts of language. The Slingerland Approach helps strengthen those connections.
While some publishers sell pre-made structured literacy boxed programs, the Slingerland Approach empowers teachers with the research, understanding, and practices to differentiate and directly teach any skills students may need. The Approach provides an instructional framework that is intentionally flexible to effectively teach in a whole class, small group, or one-on-one setting.
How is the Slingerland Approach DIFFERENT?
Traditional Reading Instruction
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Often expects students to “pick up” literacy skills ​​
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May rely on memorization or guessing from context
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Spelling, writing, and reading are often taught separately
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Weekly spelling lists focus on memorizing words
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Students who struggle may feel frustrated or discouraged
The Slingerland® Approach
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Teaches all literacy skills step by step (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
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Uses seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing together
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Connects spelling, writing, and reading so skills reinforce each other
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Focuses on understanding how English works, not memorizing
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Builds confidence through structure, routine, and success
Structure and Strategy
Teaching through the Slingerland Approach supports student learning by systematically and sequentially introducing and practicing skills that move from least to most complex. Students are supported to build upon success and prevent failure.
In an English class, writing instruction begins with the basics, such as individual letters and sounds. Students learn how letters look, how they sound, and how they feel to write. From there, they move gradually to words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.
Slingerland and
Orton-Gillingham
The Slingerland Approach is the only whole-classroom adaptation of the 1-on-1 Orton-Gillingham approved by Anna Gillingham. It is effective for general education classrooms and particularly effective for struggling readers (e.g., students with dyslexia, ELL needs, or other language-based learning challenges).