Dollars to spend. Best products out there...

Rue, You are so lucky. We live in Alabama and don’t have money for textbooks let alone anything else!! I’m just a mom so I don’t have any advice. I was just happy for you!! Jan

Ok, maybe not the cheapest thing in the world but the manuals for On Cloud Nine (math), Visualizing and Verbalizing and Seeing Stars are good values. You can teach all these without the training which would be valuable. Seeing Stars might be a bit tricky to make the materials but the others are easy. These are from Lindamood Bell.

Handwriting without tears is a good inexpensive handwriting program. All you really need are the teacher’s guides ($7 ) and some paper (theirs would be better). http://www.hwtears.com

Phonographix is cheap at $20 for the book Reading Reflex.

—des

Des has already named most of my favorites (I love Phono-Graphix and Lindamood Bell everything), but here are a couple of others:

Great Leaps for fluency

many things out of the EPS catalog www.epsbooks.com

AVCO Spelling (on my wish list)

Janis

For Universal Design for Learning curriculum ideas, consider a talking word processing program, spell checkers and several AlphaSmarts. Do you already have Inspiration and/or Draft:Builder software?

My favorites:

Handwriting Without Tears (http://www.hwtears.com )

Reading Reflex (any bookstore)
Rewards (http://www.sopriswest.com/rewards )

Sequential Spelling (http://www.avko.org )
Spelling Through Morphographs (SRA)

When They Can’t Write (http://www.yorkpress.com )
Inspiration (http://www.inspiration.com )

Nancy

DECODING:
1. Phono-graphix (www.readamerica.net) or read about it here pdf: http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcs/speceduc/phono/phono.pdf
2. Real books, like Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, Henry and Mudge, Zack Files, Time Warp Trio after PG

OR: look at these 2 PG SPINOFFS:

2. Phono-graphic Spinoffs that I’m hearing good things about but haven’t used personally but look promising
Or I’ve been hearing about a Phono-graphix spin off see below www.readingfoundation.com see below cut and paste (this appear to be a spin off might have all you need for fluency and comprehension built in)
3. Or www.ounceofprevention.com for a teacher variation getting popular in Michigan

After Phono-graphix I’d try REWARDS:
REWARDS by Sopris West for more multi-syllable practice following PG (www.sopriswest.com)

FLUENCY:
1.Read Naturally (www.readnaturally.com)
2. OR: GreatLeaps for fluency, (www.greatleaps.com) (cheaper than Read Naturally)

COMPREHENSION:
1. MindPRIME http://www.understandmore.com/policy.htm#Ordering (has better lesson plans but costs more)
2. Or Visualizing Verbalizing by LindaMood Bell (cheaper..about 70 us dollars) http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/0945856016/isrc/b-home-search
3. A good book with strategies book is called I Read It but DON’T Get IT: http://www.stenhouse.com/0089.htm
4. The book called Strategies That Work by Harvey : http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/1571103104/isrc/b-home-search

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:
1. http://www.picturevocabulary.com/home_3a.html these are flash cards with visual flash cards to help remember
2. Wordly Wise workbooks found at: http://bookpeddler.us/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=tbp&Product_Code=3866&Category_Code=ww3

WRITING:
1. FOUR SQUARE for paragraphing, (very cheap about $12.00) http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/1573101885/isrc/b-home-search

2. Step Up to Writing www.stepuptowriting.com or sopriswest.com (about $200 with notebooks/posters/overhead/reproducbles) Excellent but it helps to have workshop or videos (400 us dollars)
Inspirations software this is a great program you can download to try www.inspiration.com which really helps kids to organize writing, very multi-sensory, kids love it.

SPELLING:
1. Spelling Power: http://www.spellingpower.com/shopping/spelling/spman.htm
2. OR: AVKO Sequential Spelling for spelling or Power Spelling. http://www.avko.org/Sequential_Spelling/Seq_Spelling.htm

Handwriting: Peterson Handwriting found at www.peterson-handwriting.com If you ask for a guy named Chick he might send you a free video with him teaching this which helped me. It is old but works just great. I am amazed that this program works so fast and has even helped my own handwriting. Plus it is cheap. They even have these triangle stickers to put on the desk with the whole ABC so the student will put the paper in the exact position and then there is a reference to see the whole Alphabet.

Other Software:
Soundreadingsolutions.com
Earobics http://www.cogcon.com/
http://store.yahoo.com/purplus/kids–education.html all 3 of the following below at this website.
1770 Scientific Learning Reading Edge $21.95 1 $21.95 1868 Away We Go Professional Version $24.95 1 $24.95 1602 Away We Go! Bookshelf Win/ Mac $14.95 1 $14.95 (these are only for very young kids)

Then of course once the kids can decode get them as quickly as possible into REAL BOOKS by REAL authors of interest to your class. Time Warp Trio, Zach Files, Magic Tree House.

Math
Math Facts the Fun Way http://www.citycreek.com/
http://www.mathusee.com/
Mountain Math
http://homepage.mac.com/algona81/iMovieTheater37.html this is a cute link to explain it
to buy it check; http://www.mtmath.com/

I’m also considering this: IT’s Elementary
http://www.epsbooks.com/catalogsite/code/epspgebld.cfm?product=2411M

Favorite virtual math website
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/grade_g_2.html

.

I do realize that teachers teach and programs help, but it is always nice knowing what others are using that they find help. Thanks,
Michelle

Would you be interested in a direct, multileveled, multi-sensory decoding method that works with any text? Check out THE SOUNDS OF WORDS at 1stbooks.com. Students who never read before learn to read using this method. See if you think it will be helpful for your speced program. [email protected]

I would highly recommend to you ‘Color Phonics’.

Recommended on another bulletin board. 5 CD Roms (only for computers
using Windows) for$35.95 from…

www.learningstreams.com

Click on Phonics.

Wonderful animation. Recommended by a Speech therpist.

Just received mine this past week. Students love it!!!!!!!

BE

Hmmm…. any chance that the monies could be used for *training* people to use the tools for teaching effectively?

Thanks for all your suggestions. Some of the items we already have and I will certainly check out the possibility of the others.
Sue, the monies are for materials only. We are very fortunate to have an excellent teaching staff in special ed. and general ed. We also are very current on new teaching strategies as our district and area education agency provide regular training to all of our teachers. It is not a matter of teachers needing training, but a case of having money. I know that this is unusual and we are typically begging for every dollar we get. We are not in great need of materials, but we don’t want to lose the money either. Someday we may have a student that would benefit and so I see this as an opportunity to build our resources.
Thanks again for all your expert opinions.

Well, in that case :)

COnsider some math manipulatives too!