The day you tell another parent your child has dyslexia, you'll probably leave the conversation with three program names rattling around in your head: Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton. Each one comes with a story about how it changed someone's kid. What rarely gets explained is how these programs differ, which one fits a particular child's situation, or why the same program can produce dramatically different results depending on who delivers it.

If you are sorting through these options right now, here is a neutral breakdown to help you cut through the noise.

What These Programs Have in Common

Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and Barton all belong to a category called structured literacy, an evidence-based approach built on explicit, systematic phonics. Rather than expecting a child to absorb letter-sound patterns through reading exposure, structured literacy teaches decoding directly: phonemes, spelling rules, and phoneme patterns in a deliberate sequence.

All three programs are multisensory. Students hear the sound, see the letter, say the word, and often trace or tap while they learn. Research on how dyslexic brains process language consistently supports this multi-pathway approach as one of the most effective ways to build new reading skills.

Where they diverge is in delivery: who teaches it, how structured the lessons are, what training is required, and what the family's time and financial commitment looks like.

Orton-Gillingham: The Foundation, Not a Single Program

Orton-Gillingham is not a packaged curriculum with a box you can order. It is a teaching methodology developed by neurologist Samuel Orton and educator Anna Gillingham in the 1930s. An OG-trained tutor uses that framework to build lessons tailored to a specific student rather than following a fixed script. This means a skilled practitioner can adapt in ways a scripted program cannot, which is genuinely useful for children who need a lot of customization.

The limitation is that quality depends entirely on the person in front of your child. "OG-trained" covers a wide range of preparation, from a weekend workshop to hundreds of hours of supervised practice. Before working with any OG tutor, ask directly: what is your certification level, where did you train, and how many supervised practicum hours have you completed? Those questions tell you a lot.

OG instruction is always one-on-one, two to five sessions per week, 45 to 60 minutes each. A realistic timeline is one to three years, sometimes longer depending on the severity of the reading gap.

Wilson Reading System

Wilson Reading System is one of the most extensively researched programs in this space. Barbara Wilson developed it in 1988 for students who had already tried other reading interventions without success. Each session follows the same 10-part lesson format, and that consistency is deliberate: when the structure of the lesson is predictable, more of a child's focus can go toward the reading work itself.

Wilson tutors must complete a formal certification program. Level 1 involves approximately 30 to 40 hours of training plus supervised practicum hours, and you can ask any Wilson provider for their certification documentation. Wilson is listed on the What Works Clearinghouse, which reviews educational programs against research standards. That external validation is worth something when every program seems to make the same claims.

Private tutors typically charge $60 to $120 per hour, though rates vary by region. Wilson is generally recommended for students reading two or more grade levels below where they should be.

Barton Reading and Spelling System

Barton was designed specifically for families who need a workable option outside of expensive private tutoring. Susan Barton built it so parents could deliver the instruction at home, no specialized background required. The program comes in 10 levels; each level includes videos that walk the parent through how to teach the lessons. You are the tutor.

A single level runs $300 to $450. Over the full program, the cost adds up, but for many families it is a fraction of what years of private sessions would cost. Scheduling is entirely yours, which matters when your week is already stretched thin.

Barton is a solid choice for mild to moderate dyslexia. Many parents use it alongside school-based intervention rather than as a standalone approach. For children with a significant reading gap, some specialists recommend pairing it with professional support. The methodology is grounded in the same structured literacy research base as Wilson and OG, though it has fewer independent outcome studies.

Questions to Work Through Before You Decide

The right program is partly about evidence and partly about what your family can sustain. These questions help you assess both:

• Can you maintain the required frequency? A program delivered consistently three times a week will produce better outcomes than a more intensive program you have to pause repeatedly. Consistency is the variable that makes or breaks these interventions.
• For OG and Wilson, what are the provider's credentials? Ask for certification level and practicum hours. For Barton, your consistency and follow-through are the credentials.
• What is the school already providing? Structured literacy intervention may be available through your child's IEP at no cost to your family. Ask what program is being used and what training staff have received. That information should be available to you.
• What is the size of your child's reading gap? Students reading two or more years below grade level tend to benefit from an intensive, professionally delivered program. Milder delays often respond well to parent-led or supplemental approaches.

Whatever program you choose, ask the provider how they measure progress and how often they share those results with you. A practitioner who can show you concrete progress data over time is giving you the feedback loop you need to know the investment is working.