What to look for in a quality reading program

The key to a good reading program is logical progression - building ability like a house, from the foundation up. In reading, the foundation is broadly called phonics; teaching students to identify the sounds of letters and letter combinations, and how these sounds are represented in written language. To be effective for most kids, a reading curriculum must include a major phonics component. True, some children are able to translate written language into the language they hear and speak without phonics instruction, but research shows that they are a small minority.

Once phonetic fluency is achieved, students must develop their ability to comprehend large passages of text. Like phonics instruction, developing reading comprehension is a logical process, based on the idea that children's ability to understand text is driven largely by their knowledge of the concepts the text discusses. An extreme example illustrates this: most adults can read the words contained in a graduate-level physics book. Few, however, can comprehend what they are reading because they have no understanding of the concepts on which it is based. Simply: it takes knowledge to gain knowledge. The following are exemplary programs that meet the criteria that produce the best results for students.

CER's Reading "Best Bets"

SRA Open Court Reading

Description: This program, which typically boosts reading scores by 10 to 20 points in the first couple of years after implementation, combines explicit phonics instruction with challenging reading comprehension. Open Court's greatest accomplishment: launching previously dismal first grade reading scores in Los Angeles past the national average after only one year of use.

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Ryerson

Grades: K-6

Web Site: www.sra-4kids.com/index.php/p1/cproduct

SRA Direct Instruction

Description: Like Open Court, this program uses a combination of explicit phonics instruction and reading comprehension lessons. However, it is different in an important way: Direct Instruction (DI). DI is a fast-paced, highly structured teaching method that has gained fame for its ability to bring children who have fallen behind their peers back up to grade level - and beyond. It cuts out the "fat" found in many curricular models. SRA's is the only DI curriculum officially approved by the Association for Direct Instruction.

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Ryerson

Grades: K-12

Web Site: www.sra-4kids.com/product_info/direct

Saxon Phonics and Spelling

Description: Published by a company that gained national notoriety for math curricula designed around a "building blocks" approach, Saxon's phonics program does the same thing for reading. The Saxon series of textbooks focuses on phonics and is designed to supplement other reading programs, like Core Knowledge.

Publisher: Saxon Publishers, Harcourt Achieve

Grades: K-3.

Web Site: http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachieve.com