What is your opinion on SRA Corrective Reading and Math Program for students withSpecific Learning Disability?

Question

I need to know the pros and cons of the SRA Corrective Reading and Math Program for students with Specific Learning Disability.

Answer 1

I use SRA Corrective Reading, though for math I use another of their programs, Connecting Math Concepts.  I have students with specific learning disabilities as well as students with (other) disabilities and simply at risk kids.  I personally think these are the best programs out there.

(1) These programs maximize instructional time.

(2) These programs provide intensive remediation so that students don't have to stay in pull-out programs their entire school career.

(3) These programs allow for fast tracking.

(4) These programs teach to the lowest student in the group, insuring that every student learns.

The cons are that they are staff and time intensive (but isn't anything worth doing?).

Answer 2

I taught SRA Reading to a class of both LD and "non-disabled" (gray-area) kids.  The LD kids didn't seem to benefit much, but the others did.  In my current school we use Rewards Reading with a lot of success.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the Math program.

Thanks for the question, I'll be interested to see what people say!

Answer 3

They work for some kids and not others. They bore all kids senseless. Here we have a group of kids that don't like reading or math anyway, and we are going to feed them dry, boring stories.

I prefer a literature based program like Success For All, which is research based and had highly entertaining leveled readers. When my whole school used the program, we had amazing results and we were in a ghetto school. One of my boys went from reading at Gr1 to G5 by the end of the year.

Interestingly, when you look at research that is neutral, there are no significant gains using SRA. Almost all of the research that shows wonderful outcomes is somehow related to McGraw Hill, which publishes the program.

People should use the teaching program that fits their personality and skill level. SRA is good for new teachers or teachers who need a scripted approach. I am playful and wildly imaginative and that kind of teaching does not work for me. I want my kids to see how wonderful reading can be and SRA does not get the job done.

Answer 4

Please go to www.schwablearning.org and ask this on their parent to parent message board. There are MANY very knowledgable people there including SLP's and they ALL say this is a bad program.

I have been a member there for 3 years and I have never read any good things about this program there.