OPGTR or R&S Phonics 1?

[keyjoh62080]

I am still going back and forth between the two for my first grader and having a hard time deciding. For those that have tried both which one would you choose and why?

 

I am beginning to think that it may be easier to just start trying out a curriculum for myself to see which one works as opposed to spending hours on end reading others reviews about it :confused:

 

I just don"t want to spend another year (this is the end of my first year) trying curriculums and then having to change for some reason.

 

I have to say that we used Saxon Phonics K last year and really enjoyed it. I do have Saxon Phonic 1 & 2 as well but I just don't think that I feel like fooling with all the components that come along with Saxon this year. I need something a little more simple but yet effective since I am also homeschooling a soon to be 3rd grader and have a BUSY 2yrd old boy at home.

 

I am just having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of using a simple curriculum without all the bells and whistles all the 'stuff' may not necessarily make the program any better. I think??

 

Too many choices...

 

Thanks SO much!

[daybreaking]

I used both OPGTR and Rod and Staff phonics. For my son, R&S was a much better fit. I know a lot of folks like OPGTR, but it just didn't work for us, plus we found the letter magnets to be too distracting and cumbersome. When we switched to R&S, I found I loved the simplicity of the program, as well as its effectiveness. In one year's time, my ds went from having trouble sounding out short vowel words to reading at a fourth grade level, all without the "bells and whistles." We finished R&S Phonics 2 this past school year and on our end of the year testing, my 8yo ds scored at a 10th grade level on overall reading and "post high school" level on reading comprehension. I credit R&S for the great foundation it provided. (Note: We also used the other components of R&S BNRS, as well as the readers from HOD's emerging reader set.)