I’ve read this bulletin board for the last couple of years, but rarely have I contributed. It’s been great following the discussions on various topics, especially since I teach in Japan for the Department of Defense and don’t have access to much in the way of reference/research materials.
Anyway, this year I’ve been using the Reading Reflex book that I stumbled across with my 2nd and 3rd grade LD students, with some success. Great Leaps has also been very successful with them. I’ve read the Read America website and requested their free magazine and Phono-Graphix training schedule, but I’m undecided as to whether to spend my time and money on the training. Many of the participants on this bulletin board seem impressed with the program…please convince me that it isn’t exclusively a marketing ploy to sell their materials and/or promote their clinic. Is it a program that is only useful in a one-on-one situation, or can it be used with a small group (and if so, how small)? Please share some success stories…
Thanks in advance for your help.
Re: Sell me on Phono-Graphix
PhonoGraphix is an excellent methodology for teaching reading to all kids, not just kids with LDs. Here in the Washington, DC area many private schools are sending alll their primary grade teachers for PhonoGraphix training. Also the most highly regarded private schools for children with language-based learning disabilities are using PhonoGraphix more than any other reading program. I have heard several speech therapists from these schools expound on this. Not only does PhonoGraphix make sense to kids, I think overall it is a “quicker” way to teach reading and to remediate than other methods.
Re: Sell me on Phono-Graphix
Hi everyone, I haven’t been on the board for a while because I have been working on 10 IEPs and just too busy. I am, as usual tutoring all over Fairfax county this summer. I have used PG in the classroom for the past four years. This year, my students began school reading in the range of pre-primer and 4th grade. I have been giving them Informal Reading Inventories this month and they are all on grade level except for the pre-primer child who is in the range of 4th-6th grade. It is extremely easy to teach and generally I am done with PG in about a month. I then use a fluency program called Read Naturally. Second semester, I review PG before we start a novel. We are reading Where the Red Fern Grows in class and the students are doing great! I was trained four years ago and I am a trainer as well. I highly recommend that you take the training. I, initially, used the Reading Reflex book to teach my first class but did much better after I was trained. Definitely not a ploy to sell something that doesn’t work. Go get trained. I hope that this has helped.
You should join the ReadNOW list at http://www.groups.yahoo.com. There are teachers there who have used PG in small groups and classrooms, as well as those who tutor one-on-one. Post there and/or check the archived messages. I think you will be encouraged by what you find.
Mary