Why I Don’t Use Fundations® in My Literacy Therapy Sessions

An Orton-Gillingham Trained SLP’s Perspective on Reading Intervention

If you are a parent searching for an Orton-Gillingham trained SLP, chances are you already know something important:

Your child is smart.
Your child is trying.
And something about reading still feels harder than it should.

Many of the students I work with have already been exposed to reading programs in school like Fundations®, guided reading, leveled literacy intervention, or “balanced literacy.” Some children make progress. Others learn to memorize patterns, scripts, or routines without truly developing strong decoding and spelling skills.

And that is exactly why I do not use Fundations as my primary literacy intervention approach.

The Problem: Some Reading Programs Teach Children to Follow a Script

One of my biggest concerns with Fundations is that many students become heavily dependent on routines, prompts, and teacher-led scripts rather than developing flexible, automatic reading skills.

I often see students who can:

• Recite sounds in isolation

• Follow a classroom routine

• Tap out sounds when heavily prompted

• Memorize “red words”

• Perform well during structured drills

…but then completely fall apart when reading unfamiliar words independently.

Why?

Because true reading is not about memorizing a sequence.
It is about developing an internal understanding of how language works.

Children with dyslexia, language disorders, ADHD, and other literacy-based learning differences need explicit instruction that builds:

• Phonemic awareness

• Orthographic mapping

• Decoding flexibility

• Morphology awareness

• Automaticity

• Language comprehension

• Writing integration

Not just compliance with a program routine.

What I See as an Orton-Gillingham Trained Speech-Language Pathologist

As both a speech-language pathologist and literacy specialist, I approach reading differently than many traditional tutoring programs.

Reading is language.

That means literacy difficulties are often connected to:

• Phonological processing

• Oral language weaknesses

• Working memory

• Word retrieval

• Executive functioning

• Narrative language

• Vocabulary and syntax

When children are taught through rigid scripts alone, they may appear successful in structured lessons while still struggling with:

• Reading fluency

• Spelling

• Writing

• Reading comprehension

• Generalization to real books

• Independent confidence

I frequently evaluate children who were “doing fine” in school interventions but still:

• Guess at words

• Reverse letters

• Struggle with vowel patterns

• Avoid reading

• Exhaust themselves trying to compensate

• Read accurately but cannot comprehend

• Spell the same word differently every time

That tells me the foundation was never fully built.

Why I Prefer an Orton-Gillingham Approach

I use a structured literacy approach grounded in Orton-Gillingham principles because it is:

• Explicit

• Diagnostic

• Multisensory

• Sequential

• Individualized

• Responsive to the child

Most importantly: it is flexible.

I am constantly adjusting instruction based on how the child’s brain is processing language — not just following a scripted manual.

In my sessions, children learn:

• WHY words work

• HOW sounds connect to print

• HOW to manipulate sounds

• HOW spelling patterns connect

• HOW morphology changes meaning

• HOW to self-monitor and problem solve

Instead of becoming dependent on prompts, children begin developing independence.

That is the goal.

The “But My School Uses Fundations…” Conversation

To be clear: I do not think teachers are the problem.

Many teachers work incredibly hard and care deeply about their students. They are often required to use district-selected programs with limited flexibility.

And for some students, Fundations may absolutely provide helpful exposure to phonics concepts.

But children with dyslexia and language-based learning difficulties often need:

• More intensity

• More individualized instruction

• More diagnostic teaching

• More repetition

• More language integration

• More flexibility than a boxed curriculum can provide

A program is only as effective as its ability to respond to the learner in front of you.

Signs Your Child May Need More Than a Scripted Reading Program

Your child may benefit from a comprehensive literacy evaluation if they:

• Read slowly or laboriously

• Guess at words

• Memorize books instead of decoding

• Struggle with spelling

• Avoid reading

• Have inconsistent reading skills

• Reverse letters beyond early elementary years

• Read accurately but cannot explain what they read

• Work significantly harder than peers

• Have ADHD, speech/language delays, or dyslexia

• Cry, shut down, or become anxious during homework

Looking for an Orton-Gillingham Trained SLP in Monmouth County, NJ?

At NRC Therapy Services, I provide:

• Structured literacy intervention

• Orton-Gillingham based reading therapy

• Dyslexia-informed intervention

• Speech and language therapy

• Executive functioning support

• Literacy evaluations

• Parent consultations

• Mobile and teletherapy services

I work with children throughout Monmouth County and surrounding areas who need individualized, language-based reading intervention — not just another scripted program.

If reading still feels harder than it should, trust that instinct.

Sometimes children do not need more practice.
They need a different approach.