PP vs OPGTR

[hsmom]

Anyone able to compare the two for me? Pros, cons anything.

[TxMama]

Bumping this up for you.

 

OPGTR is scripted with a smaller font.

 

PP is not scripted and the font is bigger with more space between each words. PP has a lot of lessons on blending.

 

Both will give you several years of phonics instructions.

 

HTH

[eloquacious]

I don't own PP .. yet, though I'm considering buying it next month when the new edition comes out. I want to get Reading Pathways to use alongside it.

 

I own OPGTR, and I love the non-program bits, especially about how to encourage early literacy skills and such, but the program itself bores me to tears, and I don't like the set up. I wind up transferring the words to be read to a separate document in larger font, then uploading that to my Kindle and having my son read them from there. It's less confusing for him, but then what I am left with is very basic simple word lists, which I could have gotten for free from Blend Phonics or Word Mastery or one of the other old, free programs online.

 

Ironically, the primers like OPGTR or even PP, which as I said I do still want to buy, teach me about how to teach and why things are introduced in certain orders... which then empowers me to use the words lists I mentioned earlier. ;)

 

If I had it all to do over again, I'd see about checking out PP and OPGTR from the library, take extensive notes on the how tos and wherefores, and then use something like Rebecca Pollard's series (free on Google books).

[carrie_irene]

I have both. I like both. :D They have different strengths in my mind.

 

OPGTR...I used and continue to use this with my son. He is nearly 6. The progression of lessons is well done. The speed is nice and slow. BUT...the vocabulary is often WAY above him. I know that this could be a time to introduce him to new words....but frankly, he needs success and confidence that the word he is trying to read he already knows. I often skip words that are just not going to help him. I use PP to work on stuff he is struggling with

 

PP....I continue to use this with dd. She started wanting to read REALLY early. I knew the vocab in OPGTR would be beyond her. PP has moved nice and slow for her, but developed her fluency and confidence. I will probably switch her over at some point to OPGTR.

 

I like them both....and I think that for my kiddos, using a blend of them is good.

 

HTH!

[Mabeline]

Have you checked your library? Mine has both and it was really helpful to see them both. You could even try them out on your child see which one works with him better.

[In2why]

I own both of these and I prefer OPGTR for just learning to read and I prefer PP for later on. PP introduces all of the vowel sounds at the same time with consonant blends and my littlest gets frustrated. They are not actual words but blends so it doesn't compute for him. When we began using OPGTR it made more sense because it starts with the letter A and the word families that it makes and allows practice before moving on to the other vowels. It also introduces some sight words so that we can then read BoB books. But later on with my 7 year old we switched to PP because I like the pyramids to build fluency and it is easier for me to match up where we are in our spelling lessons so I can practice the spelling/phonics rules at the same time. But the biggest postive are the reading pyramids. I use part of a manilla folder and he is able to really increase hid speed and ability.

[Samiam]

I had and used OPGTR for the first 30 lessons and then ditched it. Although DS did learn letter sounds from those lessons, I am not much for the whole sing-song, lets' do rhymes type of stuff. OPGTR has them learn a poem about letter sounds. It is very scripted so that is good if you need that sort of thing. I did not like that the student information, the stuff they are supposed to read is all right on the same page as the stuff you read. For my son, that was wayy to much clutter on a page. Overall, I found it boring, simple yet boring.

 

We have, and are now using PP. First keep in mind that it starts expecting that your child would already know letter sounds. So someone mentioned that it teachings the consonents AS they are learning to blend...that is not exactly right....PP is just reviewing the sound during the blending process because they expect that the child already knows those. If they don't, PP recommends stopping and getting those sounds down first before progressing.

 

I love PP. We have used it for about a month now. The pages are not cluttered, and just have the student information on it. Large font. It is the first curriculum that makes sense to me, as it has them blending from the get-go....as in saying "ccccaa" "ccceeee" "cccciiii" etc. That is what my DS needs....he knows those sounds but he needs to put them together. I like it shows us how to blend...it is not c-a-t...but "cccccaaaaatttt". Looking ahead in the book, I like the reading pyramids, that have similiar words but progressively harder. I like that there are options for hands-on and games, if you want to use those.

 

Overall, I would describe OPTGR as having a very, well, serious tone in the instructions to the parents. Good instructions, but I can see a very serious straight-laced teacher talking to me when I read it. PP has a light, encouraging, with some humour thrown in there in the parent instructions. When I read that, I see someone who is talking to me, with a smile on their face, and friendly. Silly, I know but just how I see it.

[hollyh]

Is PP short for Phonics Pathways?

[hsmom]

Yes it is short for Phonics Pathways.

[MeganW]

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 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, and I got it, 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!