it's so tricky, isn't it? I often wish I had experts who could just *be the expert* and do the right thing. However, I've found over and over again that I need to be the expert. I need learn everything there is to know about....asthma, dyslexia, adhd, blah blah blah. It's a time sucker:)
<<I was not impressed with SRA>>
are you not impressed with horions sra because of the content of the program? or just the disparity between the lack of progress in school v. the progress with the private tutor? I can't find any 'evidence' supporting the use of Horizons for dyslexic kids. I'd ask to see it. Either call the publisher (faster) or ask the school (slow route:))
If there is evidence to support it's use and *if* it actually is an evidence based intervention with an excellent success rate (big if), then one of three things is happening
1)teacher training/experience (are they properly trained/expereienced)
2)is the program being implemented properly? every day? for the sufficient amount of time?
3)group instruction v. private 1:1 instruction can make a massive difference.
<< I probably think this would be my son's diagnosis at some point.>>
you need a dx. *right away* then and only then can you get appropriate action/intervention. time is critical with dyslexia. earlier interventions are more effective than later ones.
<<She had to fight the school to change her son's reading program to Wilson and then go for tutoring after school with Ortan-Gillingham method.>>
Wilson Reading is *one of* the Orthon-Gillingham programs. it also fits the bill as
direct instruction
explicit phonics
systematic
comprehensive
mastery based
evidence based
multisensory
<<She also informed me the Masonic home offers it free with a waiting list of 2 years.>>
You can wait 2 years. Remediated properly now, you *will not* need a Wilson tutor now.
Heck, buy the Wilson training dvd's and the program and do it yourself. Call Wilson....find an *experienced* trained tutor in your area. Pay them to train you (instead of paying them to tutor your son).
Alternatively, consider Barton Reading.....Barton is totally completely scripted for the lay person to tutor without error. Wilson requires some work to 'get it' - and fully understand it and fully implement it properly. it'd doable (I'm doing it with my 9.5 yo and I'm not trained in it) but it's work. Barton is just read and go.
<<I guess I am waiting to see progress with the SRA reading program.>>
Don't wait. His future is too important.
<<It might not be the right reading program for him.>>
I'm betting it's more the teacher, the length of the lesson, that it's being used incorrectly or that the group instruction isn't being done in a way that's effective for these kids. Group instruction for reading for dyslexic kids is tricky.
Another excellent program is a different Horizons....it's HEC Reading Horizons. They have a free online training (free for 30 days) and lots of great materials. It's also o-g based and has much good evidence for it's use. You could teach yourself to do it. However I must warn that they make pronounciation errors in virtually every phoneme prounouced - ie they say 'buh' for 'b' instead of /b/ (done correctly it's clipped of any vowel sound).
http://www.readinghorizons.com/
wishing you all the best,
K
