Phonics Options

[jmjs4]

Do you think OPGTR is a good phonics curriculum, or is something like Logic of English Foundations necessary? I really want something simple and easy to get done everyday. I am also considering The Good and the Beautiful level K, or even just ETC with some readers.

Edited May 28, 2017 by jmjs4

[Hunter]

I think that the phonics programs created for logic stage remediation of students with dyslexia are NOT the DEFAULT best curricula for early grammar stage normal students.

 

If you believe in the idea of neoclassical stages of grammar, logic, rhetoric, then application of rules is a logic stage skill.

 

That is my belief. And my beliefs are no more valid than anyone else's. But, I personally do not drill or use as my core any of the Spalding clones with students not yet displaying logic level development.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited May 28, 2017 by Hunter

[ReadingMama1214]

Do you think OPGTR is a good phonics curriculum, or is something like Logic of English Foundations necessary? I really want something simple and easy to get done everyday. I am also considering The Good and the Beautiful level K.

We used and loved OPGTR. I used it after my daughter new her letter sounds and started on lesson 27. We started at 4 and she finished right before turning 5.5. So about 18 months. She is decoding multisyllable words well now and reading early chapter books. It really gave her a solid phonics foundation and she loved it. We did supplement with some games I found to print offline and with BOB books, Noray gaydos now I'm reading, and some other phonics readers. It was an excellent program and more than enough for us.

[ReadingMama1214]

We are also now using The Good and the Beautiful Level 1. The phonics is all review but the grammar is excellent.

[Ellie]

Do you think OPGTR is a good phonics curriculum, or is something like Logic of English Foundations necessary? I really want something simple and easy to get done everyday. I am also considering The Good and the Beautiful level K, or even just ETC with some readers.

 

OPGTR does a fine job, if you like that kind of method. :-) And it's just one book that you buy, with not lots of moving parts.

 

No, LOE is not necessary, nor any of the other Spalding spin-offs. I like Spalding because it teaches children to read by teaching them to spell, and you only need the manual (Writing Road to Reading) and a set of phonogram cards to teach all your children everything they need to know. 

 

At any rate, your choice. :-)

[fralala]

When it comes to what's necessary, I do think some of the more pricey programs make teaching reading more involved and time-consuming than strictly necessary for many kids. (This doesn't mean there's anything wrong with using them, or with the parents or kids who need them, or enjoy them, but these certainly need not be the default.)

 

I haven't used OPGTR, and it's not exactly the style I use myself to teach reading, but I also like its simplicity. (After trial and error, I have found that for my kids, who thus far don't have any reading challenges beyond the ordinary ones, it works just fine and is enjoyable to use the free songs/videos from Jolly Phonics and an alphabet letter pocket chart to work through the letter sounds.)

[Tawlas]

Really depends on the kid, I think.  OPGTR is great for remediation, for a keen, quick kid, who can focus and doesn't need games.  I liked it a lot, but it moved too quickly for my two oldest (who later proved to be dyslexic) and too slowly for my advanced, osmosis reader.  I'm still glad I have it and I still refer to it or use it ocassionally.

[Farrar]

Here's an old joke:

 

The homeschool mom asked, "Which program will teach my child to read?"

The answer? The sixth one.

 

My philosophy of teaching early reading is throw everything at the wall until something sticks. I generally think you should start cheap and work your way up. So start with something like Progressive Phonics, OPGTR, 100 Easy Lessons, ETC, Nora Gaydos readers, BOB books, various online games... the cheap stuff. If something seems to be working, stick with it. If nothing seems to be working and you give it all some time, then work your way on up to the more intensive stuff like Spalding, and the more expensive stuff like LoE or AAR. Or even to something like Barton if you turn out to have a kid who has reading issues.

 

[ElizabethB]

OPG is good. I have never had a remedial student from it or Phonics Pathways, both good programs that teach to about a fourth grade level.

[Hunter]

Alpha-Phonics REVISED is free now.

http://blumenfeld.campconstitution.net

 

Don Potter's free supplements match the free REVISED edition above. Some of the supplements are more distracting than necessary, but...they are available for those that want them.

http://www.donpotter.net/reading_clinic.html

 

Be careful about purchasing this curriculum. There is a seller of the ORIGINAL edition that is aggressive and misleading and floods the market with their product. If the sample shows an italic font, keep looking. NEWEST edition of the original does NOT mean REVISED.