Discovery program

Is this by chance a Christian school? Some of them use a program called NILD and the class is called Discovery. I checked into it one time, but they are pretty secretive about the methods. It was hard for me to figure out with what other programs it could be compared. However, I just checked and they do have a much nicer web-site now, so perhaps you can get more information (if this is the same thing you are talking about).

http://www.nild.net/index.htm

Janis

I have a friend whose autistic son goes to a Christian school. They use the Abeka curriculum and he is in the “Discovery Program”. I felt that was an oxymoron (sp). Abeka is considered a very advanced/fast pasced curriculum (3 yrs old and counting to 100 in some schools) and yet he is autistic and needs extra help, i.e., discovery program. Gosh, AND he failed K-5. So now he is repeating, and in the same program and it looks like he will fail again. So, apparently the program is NOT for everyone. I would really look into it b4 I spent any $$. Special needs children are costly and you need to make sure you’re getting the “best bang for your buck”.

Leah,

I agree with this completely. Anna went to a Christian school using Abeka for K. I wanted her in a safe environment where good values were taught. She actually did okay in K because they have excellent phonics instruction in Abeka K. But, when I looked at the first grade curriculum, I could see that she would be having 25 spelling words per week! I knew we were not going to be on the advanced end curriculum-wise, so I had to take her out of that school. It obviously was meant to be, because the day I called the charter school (one class per grade) to ask how long the waiting list was, she said we have one opening for first grade. So we moved her there. Saxon phonics there was great. School has been supportive and has taken PG and V/V training. But, now I have to fight a whole language curriculum being used by the new, young second grade teacher. I teach in the public schools and I already know what they do (and don’t do) for LD kids, so she can’t go there.

The reason I knew about NILD was that a really good Christian school a half hour away was considering starting the program and I was considering teaching there and taking Anna with me. But the school decided against it. They were very proud of their test scores which are in the 90th%ile nationally and I guess they really didn’t want to attract LD kids. Makes me sick and I’ve always wanted to write the elders of that church and tell them my thoughts on that, but I haven’t since there are many more important things on my list of things to do!

But I agree, that boy must be suffering in the Abeka. And as far as the NILD Discovery program goes, no one thing works for all LD kids, I think we’d all agree on that. I think the more experience and training a teacher has in various methods the better. I really wouldn’t have been able to teach that one program if I clearly saw that all a kid needed was PG, for example.

Janis

Laura,
Probably your best bet is to ask the school about this “Discovery Program”. I am not familiar with any one particular program and I notice in an internet search there are several groups/schools/organizations that claim to have a Discovery Program so it may be a name that school or school district has come up with. Ask them what curricula they use and what texts. Abeka is a popular Christian curriculum that happens to be based in the city where I live and know it is a good one but there are some complaints about it being very tied to rote practice which sometimes does not yield what is hoped for when children get to middle school and older grades (this is what I have overheard Christian homeschooler parents discussing). Good luck.

My 1st grader started the Discovery program at her Christian school (that also uses Abeka). She had to drop out half way through the year. It involves educational therapy (they make you observe the first 6 sessions, then one monthly after that). But my daughter has ADD and probably CAPD. She was having trouble getting seatwork done in class. Discovery requires work almost every evening, so her workload was about doubled. I think she could really benefit from the program, but it’s just too much work for her at this point. Also, kids I’ve heard about in the program at our school have been above average intelligence (she’s about average). The program is designed to only last 3 or 4 years. Hope this helps someone.