I was wondering what opinion was on mixing reading programs. Specifically, my first grader who is dyslexic has the benefit of a pure O-G program twice a week after school. In school, she goes to the resource room for reading/lang arts. There they do Explode the Code, which I am told will reinforce the O-G, and I beleive they also use Recipe for Reading which is another Orton based program. Okay…but this week she comes home with homework to write her spelling words using the “sandwich”, which is part of the Stevenson program. (not O-G based at all). I sent a note to the teahcer for her to call me to discuss this ASAP. I cannot understand why they would throw this totally different approach in to the mix. My opinion on the Stevenson program is that it is confusing, more to remember. What benefit is there to using mulit approaches instead of using one program and following it through, from beginning to end in a systematic way? O-G is researched and proven to be effective, she is doing well with this. I am worried the school will confuse her. We worked out her IEP before she was accepted into the O-G program after school, if the school didn’t use whole lang in the classroom, I would consider pulling her out of Resource. Her IEP says that she will have an O-G approach to reading, by the way. That is why this teacher was hired this summer. Your thoughts, please!
Re: Mixing Reading Programs
I think my son has benefited from different but not contradictory methods. More neural pathways?
I’d suggest approaching this from hte “this is confusing for my daughter” direction and de-emphasize the “I know what methods work for my daughter” because that can trigger defensiveness. Of course, first I’d make sure that doing the visual sandwich thing really isn’t “the missing piece” that helps everything click (Stevenson isn’t related to O-G but it isn’t in conflict with it… but it is, as you said, more stuff to remember — so if it’s not amazing and wonderful, why complicate life?)
If this is a case of the teacher looking for worksheets and this is what she’s got handy, then I’d suggest that you suggest to the teacher that in lieu of worksheets you do some O-G spelling practice or dictation with her that she can hand in the next day, or practice flash cards wtih her and write a note & say “this is what we did to practice language skills.”