Ordinary Parent's Guide vs. Phonics Pathways

[MsAlimar]

I have both curricula and I can't decide which to use. Is there a method to determine which one would fit better with my daughter?

 

I tried OPG in September but she was not ready for blending so I set it aside. I checked PP out of the library and it looked like it might help. Nope. She just wasn't ready. I think that she is ready now to start working on phonics again but can't figure which would be a better fit.

 

Can you give me the pros and cons of both programs? Which one worked best for you and why? What should I be looking for in determining which one will be a better fit?

 

Thank you!

 

ETA: How much time would you give one program before trying the other? 1 month? 2?

Edited April 25, 2009 by MsAlimar

[ElizabethB]

They really teach about the same things in the same manner, both are good strong phonics programs. The font in PP is bigger, but at a young age, I like working from a white board anyway, it holds their interest better and is more interactive. (You just write out words from the lesson on the board whatever book you are using.)

 

I personally like PP better because I know all the rules and how to teach after tutoring with phonics for 16 years, but several friends who don't have a strong phonics background really like OPG and how detailed the instructions are. (PP has instructions, but they're shorter and more to the point.)

 

Here are my basic tips for teaching a young child to read:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/newstudents.html

Edited April 25, 2009 by ElizabethB

[Laurel]

I used OPG with great success. (I haven't used any other programs, other than Explode the Code for reinforcement, so I can't say whether it's better than any other program, just that it worked great for us.) OPG is thorough and easy to use.

 

I do want to reiterate Elizabeth's suggestion of using a white board. In the beginning, I did most of the lessons on a white board. The amount of text on the page (with instructions and teacher's script) was too distracting for a beginning reader, and the print was also a bit too small. So I wrote all the words to be read on the white board.

[coffeegal]

Both programs are great. My preference is for Phonics Pathways for younger readers. Phonics Pathway's font is larger and spends more time drilling single words rather than sentences. My young children found it easier because the larger font is easier to see and they didn't have to hold their attention for an entire sentence. We could attack the book one word at a time.

 

One last thought... I actually use 100 EL to get my children started blending. We use the first 30-50 lessons and then switch over to PP. If the child runs into problems, we turn back to a point where the lessons are super easy and start over. Using this method, my oldest and youngest were reading well by 6, we started at age 4. My mistake with my middle 2 was jumping ship instead of simply going back to review.

 

HTH!!

[mom2abunch]

Thanks, this was a helpful thread

[MsAlimar]

Thank you!

 

ElizabethB: I read your web pages and will re-read them as I go along. Thank you for the link!

 

I think I will start with PP (after getting it spiral bound for ease) and give it a month or so before deciding if it's working for us.

 

I need to sit down with the book and figure out how it actually works and what I need to do. I've never done this (teaching phonics or anything else for that matter) before and want to make sure I do it correctly.

[ElizabethB]

I need to sit down with the book and figure out how it actually works and what I need to do. I've never done this (teaching phonics or anything else for that matter) before and want to make sure I do it correctly.

 

It's actually quite simple: you teach the sounds and teach them to sound them out from left to right. If you don't teach sight words and teach all the sounds, they will do great! If you watch my spelling lessons, they teach all the phonics you need to know to teach a young child to read! In the days of on-room schoolhouses, young teenage girls used to teach all their children to read while teaching the other R's to the rest of the children! (They probably used Webster's Speller or another similar method and would have seen it taught at least a half dozen times in their own one-room school.)

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellinglessonsl.html

[Tabrett]

Did you try the Train Game for blending in PP's. My dd couldn't blend and that is what got her blending. You have to make sure that your stretch your sounds out and don't stop the the sounds when going from one letter to the next.

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Did you try the Train Game for blending in PP's. My dd couldn't blend and that is what got her blending. You have to make sure that your stretch your sounds out and don't stop the the sounds when going from one letter to the next.

 

HA, this is old, but thanks for the tip!