Question posted by: Mandy on September 22, 2003

Any opinion on Alpha phonics? My ds is not doing well with the phonics program we are currently using it has lots of "fluff" and is not advancing him like he desires to be advancing (he wants to be reading NOW). Any advice, etc., would be appreciated.
 

Answer:  I'm not so sure that the curriculum is the problem, though it could be.

Possibly he just needs to be patient with himself. Some things take time and learning to read could be one of these things.

It would be nice if implementing a new curriculum could be the solution for every learning struggle or hurdle, but it's not always best to throw out what we've got and expect a new program to solve the problem.

But, on the other hand, sometimes the curriculum product is the problem and a switch can facilitate things.

It's very difficult to tell, esp. from the angle I'm viewing from. :-)

We used the beta-type version of Alpha-Phonics found in the back of The New Illiterates. It worked well for one of my children and not the other. It's definitely no frills and straightforward.

It's much like Phonics Pathways, and I think if I were to teach another child to read, that's what I would pick instead of Alpha-phonics.  If you're going to choose one of them, please don't forget to consider which one appeals to you.  Of course, ask your son which one he'd like to try by showing him the interior of the book (if possible), but if one really doesn't appeal to you, don't use it.

Our library has Phonics Pathways in circulation.  You may want to check there to see if you can evaluate either or both books prior to puchasing one of them (if you do decide to switch programs).

I recently wrote a review of Phonics Pathways, and a few years back I wrote a review of Alpha-phonics.  Both programs get the student reading fairly quickly if the student already knows the sounds of the consonants.

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