Choosing a reading curriculum for your homeschool is no easy task! Options abound and it can be difficult to know what criteria are important to consider.
With six kids reading and two left to teach, I've tried my fair share of reading instruction resources over the years. But we were excited to give PRIDE Reading Program a try for the youngest two!
Here are some of the things we love most about the curriculum.
Orton-Gillingham Instruction
Perhaps the most tested and recommended method of reading instruction is known as the Orton-Gilliagham method. This method of teaching reading was developed over a century ago by a neuroscientist and a teacher-psychologist who had a passion for teaching reading to kids who had processing disorders.
It turns out, this approach to decoding skills is useful for any child whether or not they have an official diagnosis like dyslexia or auditory processing.
Orton-Gilligham is a very methodical, step-by-step approach to reading instruction that builds gradually and incorporates many learning modes including visual, auditory, sensory (touch) and kinesthetic (body movements) to solidify learning through many different neural pathways.
Scripted Lesson Plans
One of my favorite things about the PRIDE Reading Program are the detailed, scripted lesson plans. You don't need to have an official training in Orton-Gillingham or reading instruction in order to be able to use this open-and-go curriculum.
All of the lesson plans are included in digital form on the PRIDE Reading Program website so in order to teach the next lesson, all you have to do it open the course page and follow the instructions.
Notes to the teacher are in black text and instructions to be read aloud to the student are in bright blue text, making it easy and seamless to follow along through each lesson.
Predictable Patterns of Instruction
Each module in the program follows predictable steps of Overview (background information for the teacher) and then three day's worth of learning: Introduction, Practice, and Reinforcement.
With each step, students complete part of the workbook pages for that module and then gradually complete more of each page as they loop through the review and reinforcement lessons on following days.
Students will become familiar with activities like word guessing games, listening for beginning and ending sounds, and finger-tracing letter shapes and sounds. These same activities are incorporated in each module so that practice becomes smooth and seamless, applying the same skills to new letters and sounds.
Robust Teacher-Preparation Resource
While it's true that the PRIDE Reading Program is truly an open-and-go curriculum, I was thoroughly impressed with the comprehensive instructional videos that are available to lay out the program and what to expect. Here's a sample:
Click to play
This training material was well organized and easy to navigate. Every lesson includes videos showing a teacher implementing the various techniques with a student so that by the time you finish the training material, you have a solid foundation in how the program works and what it looks like in action.
Because this training material is available to you as soon as you place an order for the PRIDE Reading Program you select, you'll be able to review it and get your bearings while the printed resources are on their way to you in the mail!
Online Program Placement Assessment
We opted to start with the Beginning Letters & Sounds level because my five-year-old Kindergartener is just starting out on his reading journey. But if you have a student with some prior experience with phonics or reading, this online assessment tool can help you to determine the most appropriate level to order for your student.
The PRIDE Reading Program includes six levels: Beginning Letters & Sounds, and then Levels 1 - 5 each in different colored books.
Resources Included in Each Level
When you order a level of the PRIDE Reading Program, the complete package includes the following items:
- Student Workbook - spiral bound and sturdy with clear, crisp black and white text; visually pleasing without being too busy or distracting
- Teacher Guide - the digital teacher guide (mentioned above) is included as a part of the basic package, but for an additional fee, you can order a print copy of the guide if you prefer
- Sound Cards - sturdy cards with black text and no images; includes not only the letters of the alphabet, but also all letter combinations that will be learned through Level 5
- Activity Kid - whiteboard, markers, eraser, and six-sided die for games and activities you will complete with your child in the program
More Resources from PRIDE Reading
In addition to the core reading programs, PRIDE Reading offers lots of FREE supplementary and supportive resources. For example, there are practice games for every level and articles on everything from recognizing dyslexia during home instruction to ideas for teaching reading comprehension!
Free Orton-Gillingham Introduction Course
If you're interested in looking further into the PRIDE Reading Program, I recommend signing up for the free Orton-Gillingham Introduction Course so that you can get an up-close look at how the program works.
And if you're ready to place an order for your first PRIDE Reading Program, make sure to use coupon code TRYPRIDE to save 10%!
