Has anyone used the SRA reading program? For lack of no reading program being used for my 9th grade students, SRA is what the Teacher is now trying. Do you know if this is a researched based program? My child is reading at 3 grade level in 9th grade.
Re: SRA
Hi Beth,
I’m not familar with the SRA reading program, but I have used used some books in their series to help my son with fluency. Are they designed for children with LD’s?
What specific LD’s does your child have? Are the reading difficulties decoding, fluency, and/or comprehension?
Re: SRA
Hi Beth,
I just found this forum tonight and it was four hours ago when I sat down….I just can’t stop reading and taking notes and (crying).
When I read your post I just had to reply. I completely understand your frustration. My son is LD, 14 in the 8th grade and getting ready to enter high school next year. He reads at a 2ed grade level and is getting no help from his SDC. We just had an IEP meeting and it seems like he doesn’t matter at all to them, they won’t listen to me and won’t even consider changing/modifying his reading program. They couldn’t even tell me the name of the reading program they were using. I wanted to research it myself. I love his teacher to death, so does my son….I just don’t think the school is providing what is neccessary for him to benefit from his SPED. My son is very bright, his math ability is years above his reading (still very low, but SO much higher than reading, so he’s teachable) and he BEGS for harder work and more homework. I told the IEP team that he shouldn’t have to beg them to teach him…..they should see it and do whatever was in their power to give him the support he needs and wants so badly, but I swear to you, they just don’t seem to care. I feel sometimes that if he were physically handicapped, or it was obviously apparent that he has a LD that they would take it more seriously, but because he’s a very well behaved, polite, helpfull, cheerful, handsome young man that their efforts would be better spent somewhere else. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s what I believe….especially after his last meeting and the response I got to my requests. His regular ed teacher didn’t even bother to show up at the meeting…….huge violation on their part.
At any rate, since they denied him the opportunity to FAPE, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve enrolled him at Sylvan Learning Center 2 days a week for 2 hour sessions. (It’s all we can afford until the summer months roll around) but he needs something NOW. I looked into Linda-Mood Bell, but there isn’t a center closer than 3 hours from me.
I’ve spent SO much time reading and studying the law that I’m numb, blind and shaken to the core. I’ve started my letters to the school, but I don’t see anything happening for him at school anytime soon. *sigh* I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do next. My son is very excited about going to Sylvan and even agreed to give up his summer vacation to attend…..he wants to read!
I’m sorry for babbling, I just had to reply……when I saw that somebody had a child about my childs age and the LD……I couldn’t resist. I know my post did nothing to help you, I wish I could! But I think it helped me to cry my last tear for the evening and maybe I’ll be able to close my eyes.
Good luck!!
Re: SRA
(1) Sylvan, in general, is not a good way to go. Now, you have already signed, and you may luck out and get a knowledgeable teacher, so give it a try. But if you see absolutely no real progress, just more of the same that the school is doing, tell them that it is a failure and try hard to get your money back.
(2) What you need is a solid organized reading program with a strong phonics base and development of vocabulary and fluency using that strong phonics base. He’s had memorization for ten years, and what good has it done him? He may have had something they called phonics, but in general in most schools it’s a scattered and disorganized hand-waving program, not the organized system he needs. If you luck out at Sylvan and do get something planned and organized, OK. If not, I have real help here.
(3) Some time ago I typed up a long and detailed lesson outline for this kind of reading program. You can do it yourself or you can hire a private tutor and give him/her the materials and instructions. (Or, if you happen by pure luck to be in my area, I’d be happy to work with you.) Email me and I will send it to you.
(4) Yes, I have done that, yes, others have done that (See Shay’s posts — she works with Grade 11 kids in exactly the same case as your son) and yes, it is possible. It just takes those three little words, time and hard work. Please email me. And Shay accepts email requests too.
Re: SRA
Hi Victoria,
Thank you for your reply. I emailed you.
Again, I just want to say that all you teachers here that care so much for your students, even strangers children, are a God send. I wish more than anything that my son’s school had such caring teachers that were willing to go out on a limb and do what was right. Your students/children are truly blessed.
Of all the sites/forums I’ve found, dealing with these issues, I’m most excited about this one……You guys are great!
Brenda
I used SRA’s Corrective REading with ninth graders and it worked very well. WHat was important was getting the kids grouped into the right level, really sticking to the way it’s written even though it seemed so strict (go back to the beginning of a row for every mistake — but the rows are short… and before long the kiddos figure out that it takes longer to argue about it than to go back and read those four words) and getting them to buy into it (I told them to try it for three weeks… they all voted to keep it since at least “it goes faster” — it’s so structured it’s less boring… and at best lots of the kids could really see progress and finally knew they were learning something.)
There are other SRA programs — if all they’re doing is reading the “practice passages” in the different colors like the SRA when *I* was in grade school, then odds are it’s better than nothing but not much.
But yes, direct instruction has a fair amount of solid research backing it up … — if it’s done right. (Of course, that’s true for an awful lot of things…)