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Groundbreaking Research on the Robinson Reading System: A Dissertation on Its Efficacy Compared to Orton-Gillingham
The Robinson Reading System (RRS), formerly known as the Sounds First Reading System (SFRS), is a linguistic approach to literacy that simplifies English spelling at the beginning stages to help struggling readers decode words more efficiently. A 2013 dissertation explored the efficacy of the Robinson Reading System compared to the well-established Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach for children with language learning disabilities—marking the first formal study of its kind.
This research is particularly significant because it provides empirical data on how the Robinson Reading System performs relative to OG, a widely respected, multisensory approach to reading instruction. The findings suggest that RRS is as effective as OG for children with reading difficulties, reinforcing the importance of linguistic approaches in literacy education.
The Study: Comparing Two Reading Intervention Approaches
The dissertation examined the reading progress of 18 children who received instruction in the Robinson Reading System (formerly Sounds First Reading System) after previously being taught with Orton-Gillingham. The study contrasted their results with a matched sample of 18 children who received two consecutive years of OG instruction. In total, data from 36 children attending a private school for students with language learning disabilities was analyzed.
Key Components of the Study
The study spanned two years and assessed progress using five subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH):
Letter-Word Identification
Word Attack
Passage Comprehension
Reading Fluency
Spelling
Assessments were conducted on three occasions:
Baseline assessment before instruction began.
Assessment 2 after one year of OG instruction.
Assessment 3 after the second year—either another year of OG instruction for the control group or a year of RRS instruction for the RRS group.
A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data, assessing both within-group and between-group factors.
Findings: How Did the Robinson Reading System Compare to Orton-Gillingham?
The most significant finding of this study was that the Robinson Reading System was just as effective as OG in improving reading skills among children with language learning disabilities.
✅ No significant differences were found between the OG-only group and the RRS group in terms of reading achievement on the WJ III ACH subtests.
✅ Both groups made progress, showing that both methods were effective for teaching reading.
✅ Within-group improvements indicated that students benefited from the instruction they received, whether OG or RRS.
Limitations of the Study
As with any research, there were some limitations that should be considered:
🔹 The sample size was small (36 children), limiting the ability to detect subtle differences.
🔹 The study used archival (historical) data, meaning there was no random selection of participants.
🔹 Since all students attended the same private school, the findings may not generalize to different school settings or larger populations.
Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable preliminary evidence that the Robinson Reading System is a viable alternative to OG for students with language-based learning disabilities.
What This Means for Literacy Education
This dissertation is an important milestone for the Robinson Reading System. The findings reinforce that linguistic approaches—such as the Robinson Code—can be just as effective as traditional phonics-based methods like Orton-Gillingham.
Why This Matters
1️⃣ More Options for Struggling Readers – Many students with dyslexia and language learning disabilities benefit from structured reading programs. This study suggests that the Robinson Reading System offers another effective choice alongside OG.
2️⃣ Supports the Use of Linguistic Approaches – The Robinson Code, like Pinyin in Chinese, provides a phonemic transparency scaffold before transitioning to standard English spelling. This research supports its effectiveness in building decoding skills.
3️⃣ Potential for Further Research – While this study was small, it lays the groundwork for larger-scale research on linguistic approaches in literacy education. Future studies could examine how RRS impacts different student populations, long-term reading outcomes, and literacy rates in public schools.
Conclusion: A Strong Foundation for Future Literacy Instruction
This 2013 dissertation marks the first formal research study on the Robinson Reading System (formerly Sounds First Reading System) and provides promising evidence of its effectiveness. While more research is needed, the study confirms that RRS is as effective as Orton-Gillingham for children with language learning disabilities.
As literacy educators and researchers continue to explore the best methods for teaching reading, the Robinson Reading System stands as a scientifically supported, linguistic-based approach that could help revolutionize reading instruction for struggling learners.
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