Mom28kds Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I was just wondering as I try to make some final curriculum decisions how much stock I should take into Cathy Duffy's reviews? Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesa Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I usually look at her review for what I'm already considering on buying... I dont always listen. I didnt care for her spelling power rec. at all. I did enjoy MUS and TT though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I was just wondering as I try to make some final curriculum decisions how much stock I should take into Cathy Duffy's reviews? Any thoughts? I tend to trust her. I look more to like-minded people here (as I can know their tastes and what their children have liked), but I think her fair. Now then, she likes to be sweetness and light, and if there is a well known curr out there she DOESN'T review, I take it to mean she might well trash it if asked off record. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I have read a lot of her reviews over the years and appreciated them. On the other side of actually doing the subjects w/her recommendations, I don't completely agree with everything (but what's new..). I have her green book (forgot the name) and funny thing, the things she says are "high maintenance" are the things that ended up on the shelf and unused. So that part is helpful. Which review are you referring to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I don't use her reviews at all. And I really do not have any plans to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I think she does a pretty good job describing the curriculum she reviews, but her reviews seem to always be positive. :iagree: She doesn't list the cons good enough for me. Reading the reviews I have read it seems all the curriculum is perfect.. pretty much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I think she does a pretty good job describing the curriculum she reviews, but her reviews seem to always be positive. :iagree: Also, some of the things she lists as "secular" definitely aren't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted April 9, 2011 Author Share Posted April 9, 2011 I have read a lot of her reviews over the years and appreciated them. On the other side of actually doing the subjects w/her recommendations, I don't completely agree with everything (but what's new..). I have her green book (forgot the name) and funny thing, the things she says are "high maintenance" are the things that ended up on the shelf and unused. So that part is helpful. Which review are you referring to? I'm referring to Phonics Pathways. She highly recommended it and I will need to do phonics with 3 kids next year and different levels. I'm not much for all the manipulatives and was looking at this one. If you know of a link on WTM where I could get some good reviews that would be great :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I'm referring to Phonics Pathways. She highly recommended it and I will need to do phonics with 3 kids next year and different levels. I'm not much for all the manipulatives and was looking at this one. If you know of a link on WTM where I could get some good reviews that would be great :001_smile: What are you looking for in a phonics program? All you do in PP's is go over several pages a day (amount of pages depends on dc ability). There are no writing activities or readers to go along with the program. It is very through, but doesn't have any reinforcement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Phonics Pathways was too busy for us. My dd5 took one look at the page of stuff and immediately announced she couldn't do it. Also, it didn't feel like reading to her. It felt like sounding out with no benefit of a story. We switched to OPGTR and she took off. No complaints most days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 We used PP here, but I reinforced it with frequent reading together (taking turns reading aloud) and ETC workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 As a reviewer it's a good starting point for any curriculum. I read the cover off of Mary Pride's book when I first considered homeschooling. I remember thinking that if I didn't choose an "approved" curriculum, I would be doomed to failure. After years of experience, I read the reviews, but still consider the material for how it serves my kids, their learning style, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 I'm looking for a thorough phonics program that gets the job done without alot of manipulatives that the kids will enjoy (arent' we all, haha). I also want a workbook because I think it helps to reinforce what they are learning. With my older kids I used ABEKA. The 1st grade book will be too advanced for my DS and I don't want him to use the same book as his younger sister. I will be doing a next year 1st grade (coming out of PS) knows CVC words K - knows letters & sounds (thanks to Leap Frog video :001_smile:) Pre-school - learning letters & sounds I will also be HSing a 5th grader so I will need to split time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Well, you have to read her reviews in the light of how your family works. In that respect, her reviews are great. Her top picks aren't nessecarily mine, but her reviews are a fantastic resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I've taken some of her reviews into consideration, but I've gotten much more useful information reading or asking questions about curricula here. Her reviews give a good sense of what's involved in a program. As far as PP, I used it with ds 6 and am currently using it with ds 5. I like it because it's very straightforward--I pretty much just wanted something to give me guidance as to what to teach and in what order. I do supplement it with games and other activities, both the ones PP offers and some of my own (or found elsewhere), and we have some BOB books and other early readers that we use with it (as well as books from the library). It works well for us. And it was inexpensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) It seems like the two most highly recommended phonics programs on this board are: -“The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading” by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington -"Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling” by Dolores G. Hiskes OPGTR is VERY scripted. VERY. She says every single thing you are supposed to say – you read it word for word. It is dry, boring, and extremely thorough and effective. Kids that learn to read that way WILL be VERY strong readers, if you can get through it. It starts at the very beginning with the sound each letter makes. If your kids already know those, you can skip the first 26 lessons. It takes the average kid about 2 years to go through the whole book (10 minutes a day), and they will be reading at a 4th grade level when they are done. Most kids are ready to start this program between ages 4 & 5. If you get to a lesson that they don’t get, you are expected to park it and do the same lesson daily until they get it. You don’t move forward unless they have the lesson down. PP is the fun, unscripted version of OPGTR. Same phonics, same skills, same results. I was determined to use PP for the fun factor, but I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around exactly what you are supposed to actually do. So we ditched that and are now using OPGTR. To make it work for more than one kid, I use a big magnetic whiteboard and magnetic letters rather than having them look at the book itself. It’s not the most fun I’ve ever had, but I am confident that I am doing it right and not screwing this up! Edited April 10, 2011 by MeganW ETA - not sure why the weird underlining, but it won't let me fix it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I agree. The Old Schoolhouse magazine reviews are even worse in their always-glowing commentary, but at least Cathy Duffy tends to point out pros/cons and which type of learner or family would do best using a particular product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I love Cathy Duffy's review, especially her 100 Top Picks. She and I think alike, so maybe that is why I find her stuff so useful. Pp's are right in that if you want to find the negative side of the curricula, you need to go to a forum like this. I often use Cathy Duffy's books to make a preliminary plan. Then I try to find all of the negative reviews on forums to see what people didn't like about something before I buy it. I try to see if their reasons for not liking something would be the same as my reasons for not liking something. Sometimes people don't like things just because they are workbooks or because they are advanced or other reasons like that, not because the program is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I'm referring to Phonics Pathways. She highly recommended it and I will need to do phonics with 3 kids next year and different levels. I'm not much for all the manipulatives and was looking at this one. If you know of a link on WTM where I could get some good reviews that would be great :001_smile: Phonics Pathways was perfect for us. Simple and straightforward. We just needed some readers that introduced letters in the same order. Abeka readers (lots of these around used) and Bob Books worked fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I'm referring to Phonics Pathways. She highly recommended it and I will need to do phonics with 3 kids next year and different levels. I'm not much for all the manipulatives and was looking at this one. If you know of a link on WTM where I could get some good reviews that would be great :001_smile: We loved PP, but we did it after getting fairly solid on the phonics cards from SWR. Kiddo could spell pretty darned well, but needed practice scanning right to left and blending as he did so. We enjoyed it. Kiddo thought the pyramids just peachy, and the sentences fun. By doing a pyramid, you build in a word or 2 each line, and you get practice without the drudgery. Kiddo was eager to find out what word would be worked in next. We also did REading Pathways as a follow up, and then for something more, as he just wasn't quite ready to launch into reading at his age level, I moved to Victory Drill. I'm glad I didn't start with it. He'd have been too wiggly without those clever pyramids. What levels of phonics do you mean. PP starts with je ga hi ba mu se, etc and then adds the third letter. You could start in the middle, however. Or just with Reading Pathways. Ask over on K8, or search PP over there. It is often abbreviated. (Ugh, how babbly. I'm tired, need to go to bed.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I was just wondering as I try to make some final curriculum decisions how much stock I should take into Cathy Duffy's reviews? Any thoughts? What do you think of her reviews of curriculum that you use? Or that you've tried and don't use? I've read through her book and didn't agree with her opinions on many things (curriculum junkie here). Personally, I wouldn't consider any of her opinions. I prefer to look for like-minded people both here and on other forums/review sites. Most important to me are the negative comments; it's easier for me to see if those issues would be of concern to me.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I honestly do not use Cathy Duffy reviews. When I first began homeschooling, I purchased a couple of things that she raved about. I didn't like them. Now, I just ask at forums and read reviews at homeschoolreviews.com - I tend to get more accurate feedback that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I have never used them, although I appreciate their existence. I prefer a review from someone who has actually used something in a real context, rather than just looking at it. If I had known about her sooner in my HSing life, maybe they would have helped, but I have been led astray by many a RR review, so maybe not. I prefer the "great minds think alike" concept, and pay attention to what other people who use some things I like, use. Much better dud to success ratio, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnG in Arizona Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I'm looking for a thorough phonics program that gets the job done without alot of manipulatives that the kids will enjoy (arent' we all, haha). I also want a workbook because I think it helps to reinforce what they are learning. With my older kids I used ABEKA. The 1st grade book will be too advanced for my DS and I don't want him to use the same book as his younger sister.I will be doing a next year 1st grade (coming out of PS) knows CVC words K - knows letters & sounds (thanks to Leap Frog video :001_smile:) Pre-school - learning letters & sounds I will also be HSing a 5th grader so I will need to split time. Would you consider McRuffy? I use it with many of the sliders (a small part of the program) but without the games (which don't appeal). There is one colorful workbook page per day, and a different reader for every week of the program. The readers are cute and often funny - especially for 5/6 year olds. :) I love that I haven't had to scramble to find readers to go with the program - they are already there and tie in perfectly to what we're learning that week. Based on what you described, I would start your K'er at the beginning of the K program and then start your 1st grader at about the last 2/3rds or 3/4s of the K program, where McRuffy begins long vowels. Just a thought . . . good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfside Academy Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 We used PP here, but I reinforced it with frequent reading together (taking turns reading aloud) and ETC workbooks. :iagree: This has worked very well for us as well. I tried OPTGR with my K'er and he just didn't like it. I switched back over to PP and he's taken off. Kids are funny that way...OPTGR is a great program but it just didn't click with him. I always like to look at Cathy Duffy's reviews. I use them as a jumping off point for my curriculum research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I think she does a pretty good job describing the curriculum she reviews, but her reviews seem to always be positive. Even the positive reviews you find of a curriculum can give clues as to how it might work for you. Unfortunately, newbie homeschoolers are always directed to her site/book and are unlikely to be well versed in the true meaning of terms like "open-ended" "discovery oriented", "research based" etc. Those terms would send me running depending on the subject or intended student, but then again, it's not my first rodeo. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Researcher Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I have never used them, although I appreciate their existence. I prefer a review from someone who has actually used something in a real context, rather than just looking at it. If I had known about her sooner in my HSing life, maybe they would have helped, but I have been led astray by many a RR review, so maybe not. I prefer the "great minds think alike" concept, and pay attention to what other people who use some things I like, use. Much better dud to success ratio, IMHO. :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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