Great Leaps vs. Read Naturally

The only comparision I did was to compare price. I believe Read Naturally was about $100 PER grade level. Each Great Leaps book covers about 3 grade levels. I bought the 3rd-5th and it was around $100. So if cost is an issue and you teach multiple levels, you’d want Great Leaps. A component that RN has that GL does not is audiotapes. But I believe you can give a child books on tape and still use GL.

Janis

Gail,
Besides price, the main difference is the setup of the program. Great Leaps is a one-to-one intervention. If you are a resource teacher, you will only be able to do a few (if that many)kids a day and also teach. If kids are doing independent work, you could work with others pulling them one at a time to do GL with you but you need to be able to work with a student for about 10 minutes, at least three to four times per week, preferable every day. I have year of experience using GL and none with Read Naturally but I have been to two of their workshops, seen it demonstrated and have the catalog. It can be done with a whole group type setup because each student is using their own tape (depending on what story and level they are on). There is some writing and some comprehension built into the program so each session is longer than GL. I’d love to have it but you’re correct in that the price is much higher, especially if you need lots of levels as in a resourse setting. Both programs have good research results. I think it depends on what your needs are and what kind of intervention are you looking for: do you have to deal with whole group or do you have the opportunity to work one-to-one!
Hope this helped.
Ann

As author of Great Leaps (and a frequent poster) I will answer to points. I try not to use this board as an advertising medium - ever.

Point One: Though it is difficult to do one-on-ones as a teacher, there are aids, volunteers, after school workers, and parents to enlist in the help.

I would prefer behaviorally that a student reach the end of the story via their own reading rather than their listening. I am well aware of the strong research concerning following along reading. I base my theories on this on unproven anecdotal evidence - children are very motivated to see what happens next - they also get a reinforcer in finding out what happens on their own (an inherent thrill of “real” reading.) If you wanted tapes of Great Leaps stories, it wouldn’t be all that difficult to make them.

An interesting point: I have met more than one teacher who uses both programs for fluency development!

The Read Naturally program is well-researched, I just wish they could advertise themselves differently than THE Fluency Program - How should I (for Great Leaps) respond??

Great Leaps: Fluency and More!! Oh, well, we don’t advertise as of now. Perhaps with a good campaign then I could charge like the big boys. Oh, well…. Ken Campbell

Of course Sopris will be coming out with a fluency program that can be done it 6 and a half minutes - it’s what I get for saying mine takes 7. I told their rep in Chicago that we’ll be adverting the five and a half minute reading program - and if they push it, I’ll have to come up with a thirty second program.

Ken,

I think I posted this elsewhere, but GL was mentioned and referenced in our state IDA conference this weekend in the fluency workshop. :-)

Janis