I have changed my recommendations to much with regards to language programs once I started our journey to learn about dyslexia. About 20% of kids have dyslexia so choosing a program that works for the kids that generally may struggle the most will give typical learners a great foundation.
Teaching kids to read has become a hot topic recently. Seems silly … how long have people been teaching others to read? Well, it’s not so silly and many of the current curriculums are very bad at teaching kids to read. When reading is not automatic, other learning opportunities suffer. What has basically happened in the last 30 years of US education, actually teaching kids to read is out of fashion and instead teachers are taught to teach kids to guess. Some kids do OK with the guessing method, some kids do OK until 5th grade or so, and about 30% don’t learn at all with the guessing and memorization method. Even kids good at guessing start to have difficulty in high school and college when they can not guess the larger words. Certain popular curriculums in the US have pushed the guessing method to the point that teachers are no longer taught in college how to actually teach kids to read.
How to find the best ELA programs for your family
There are many options for ELA programs. There questions I would ask first are
1) Do you want an all in one program, or would you like them split into different programs – grammar, writing separated from reading and spelling?
2) Does your student have any language struggles, any dyslexia diagnoses or even family history of dyslexia (20% of kids)?
3) Are you wanting to hire out a tutor, do an online program, or will you be teaching the entire program?
4) Would you like something that is open and go, or are you OK with more prep and flexibility?
Step 1: So where is the best place to start to Pick a Reading and Spelling Program
It’s not always as simple as picking a program and going with it. When learning how to teach reading, it’s really important to be able to sort the good programs from the bad. I recommend starting with:
- Understanding the Logic of English: This is for a parent or teacher to read so that you understand the basics for teaching
- Dyslexia and Spelling Making Sense of it All: My second choice that has some advice not found in Logic of English
- The ABC’s and All their Tricks: Another nice supplement
Also consider watching Sold A Story. I have not seen it but it’s supposed to be a really good documentary on the way kids are taught to read and our current educational system.
Step 2 for picking a program and method to teach your child ELA:
So you have some basic concepts from the reading now I’m going to throw in some buzz words, terms and curriculums associated with these methods. After getting most of the more common materials listed then we’ll review how to pick the best for your family.
Science of Reading: Advocacy groups focused on research based processed to help kids learn to read. There are several homeschool and parent Facebook Groups that can give good advice on particular situations.
Orton Gillingham (OG): OG was at one time the gold standard of reading instruction especially for dyslexic thinkers. Described as multi-sensory explicit and systematic instruction. The benefits – it usually works for most kids. The risks – it can be slow and may not work for kids with attention problems or who get frustrated with a slow pace. Someone can be OG certified or certified in a particular program.
Orton Gillingham Programs Include
Barton and Wilson: Both of these programs are highly scripted and taught by someone certified in each particular method. They can both be very effective. Tutoring can be expensive (usually $50/hr is good). You can purchase and learn Barton as a parent if you want to put in the training. Our experience with Barton is that it was working at first (we tried for 2-3 years) but then my child got board with the program and started having back slipping.
Logic of English: OG based curriculum. Scripted program with textbooks. Earlier books have phonetic awareness. I like the rules of this program and I like the journal to sort learned words. Otherwise the scripting was too slow for my kids. This can be an all in one system and does include grammar.
All About Spelling / All About Reading: Both of these come up highly recommended in many homeschool groups.
University of Florida Literacy Initiative (UFLI): These free resources that are common in teaching forums can be a very good supplement to other programs.
Pride Reading & Take Flight: These are OG based programs that are more commonly used as interventions
Lexia: Computer program based in OG work, this is generally the most recommend add-on for computer work. I’ve had several teacher recommend this program as an add-on. It can be cost prohibitive.
Nessy: OG based online program that can have sales (look near black Friday) and is a good add-on to other curriculums
Touch-Type, Read and Spell: Typing based program with OG bases, can be a good add-on for older kids
Speech to Print Programs
Speech to print programs are starting to outpace OG programs for effectiveness in reading groups. Many children who struggle with OG do well with speech to print methods. Speech to print may also be faster for some groups of kids.
The most popular Speech to Print Programs are:
Rooted in Language (Pinwheels) – Rooted in Language gets high marks from many of the homeschool groups. Per reviews it takes extra time to set up but seems to be very effective in teaching kids to read.
Evidence Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI): EBLI is the training many classroom teachers who want to learn more about teaching kids are getting. They do have classes for parents and go up to high school level instruction.
Reading Simplified – This program starts with a series of videos. Per other reviews it can take more prep to set up but goes into depth about the science of reading instruction. I did purchase the program but you are not able to skip videos. My kids are older and needed specific areas so this program was not a good fit for us but it does sound like a good program for someone who is starting from the beginning.
Other Reading and Spelling Programs that may be effective add ons
Structured Word Inquiry: Structure word inquiry is a great addition to any reading and spelling program. Essentially by looking up where the word originated and it’s meaning, you can determine the spelling. SWI can be used very effectively at higher level and because the students are learning about the word as they spell it, the spelling is more likely to stick. This also helps in higher sciences so that students can figure out the meaning of new words they have not seen before. Etymonline is a really good resource to explain where particular words come from. Beneath The Surface or Words is another good source. I recommend watching a few you-tube videos to see this effective teaching tool in action.
Heggerty: Heggerty is a school based program that focuses on phonemic awareness. Reading Done Right is supposed to be a similar, free program for homeschoolers. Consider one of these if your child needs additional help at these early steps. Many of the full OG programs have extensive phonemic awareness teaching first.
Toe by Toe: This program can be really helpful for dyslexia students and other kids that struggle to read (does not cover spelling). We take about 15 minutes per day working through the lessons. Each lesson works on pronunciation and many work on splitting syllables. Numerous sections use non-sense words (to help prevent memorization). It’s easy to add and has worked well for my son. Consider this program for kids that are struggling sounding things together. They also have a spelling curriculum as well.
Teach Your Monster to Read: A fun interactive game that can help with extra spelling help especially for younger learners
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: This book is phonics based and works well for some younger kids. I would not use it as a stand alone.
Davis Program: I have not been able to find evidence based materials of this program but it can be popular (and expensive) in some groups. I do feel some of the methods could be helpful for “tricky” words (heart words, or sight words). From what I can find the theory is to change the letters into a visual pattern so that dyslexic thinkers can retain the pattern easily. This is generally done by making a 3d model in clay of the word that the student will be able to memorize easier. I would not use this method completely but the clay concept may help with some common sight words.
Another program specifically for dyslexia but without many peer based reviews is the NOW program. It’s intense and expensive. It has positive ratings online but almost too positive with not a lot of information about how it works. It the company would publish more specifics about how the program works and peer reviewed studies then at sometime it may be worth trying. There are several other similar programs with limited research and high price tags, purchase with caution.
What to Avoid when Teaching Reading
Avoid Whole Based Language Programs and Balanced Literacy
Whole based language programs also called Balanced Literacy are the guessing programs. You will spot them by an emphasis on sight (or heart) words. Terms like stretchy snake or encouraging looking at the photo are a clue that guessing is being used. Struggling students are generally just told to read more without being given adequate tools to actual learn how to read. Students are generally given leveled reading materials that do not increase vocabulary on interest in other topics. Programs that limit what a student can read stifle interest and sabotage vocabulary growth. Population reading levels have decreased significantly since this way of teaching become popular. Lucy Hawkins and Wonders are balanced literacy programs.
Reading is Good but More Reading does not Fix a Reading Problem
It’s common for outsiders and others to recommend more reading as a solution to reading problems. Reading more without giving a struggling student the tools to succeed is not going to be a productive use of time. It’s very common for teachers to ask parents of struggling kids to read more at home. Not only does this not help, it can be frustrating and exhausting for child and make them not like to read at all.
To help a struggling child learn to love reading consider audiobooks and graphic novels while they get the services they need to become a better reader. Both will increase a students vocabulary and love of learning. Free audiobooks can generally be rented through most libraries. Graphic novels are becoming more popular with many options including several history and nonfiction options.
Additional Grammar Programs
If you choose a reading and spelling program that does not include grammar there are some wonderful programs that focus on grammar. My favorite is:
Micheal Clay Thompson
This unique curriculum has been a really fun program for our family. Generally we like to snuggle up and read through the material together as a family. We started with Grammar Island. I purchased the full student version but if repurchasing I would likely get the teacher versions and I may not get the additional books (they are nice, we just already have a lot to read). It takes us about 1 month per book. The curriculum explains grammar in a beautiful and creative way. I have added note cards for each part of speech and the kids learned the material quickly.
Supplements: Paragraph Corrections Workbooks
Writing Programs
The Writing Revolution: This is a parent instruction book that has helpful advice on teaching kids to write well. We use many of the procedures in this book with good results. We choose our material based on other things we are learning.
Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW): Structured format that helps homeschool families with foundations for good writing.
Write by Number: Writing program for kids that need a little more scripting.
Brave Writer: Online resources for writing including classes and tutors.
Night Zookeeper: This is not a full program but it did interest my youngest in writing … for about 2 weeks. It’s a subscription so don’t forget to cancel.
Reading and Literature Studies
I consider literature and book studies separate from the mechanics of learning to read. Students can read traditionally or through audiobooks. What is important is that students are able to analyze works and develop a love a reading. We generally chose books based on where we are traveling or a child’s interest at the time. I use resources from The Writing Revolution to ask questions and I use quizzes that I find online.
A wonderful resource for book studies is Outschool. There are numerous book clubs based on grades and interests. My kids have participated in Harry Potter Book clubs, Percy Jackson Book Clubs, Historical Fiction Clubs and Banned Books Clubs. All have been a wonderful addition to our home-school work. By using Outschool for book clubs, students get to interact with others and it’s one less thing on your to-do list.
Handwriting
Handwriting Without Tears both print and cursive is an open and go program that is easy to follow.
ELA, reading, writing and handwriting can be the trickiest part about a world-school/home-school education. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options. Just pick one, if it doesn’t work for your family, pick another. Most of our learning has been through trial and correction and finding a good balance that works for your families learning style.
