[SENco-forum] reading/spelling resources

So as not to throw out the baby with the bathwater I will have to separate
out my gut reaction to the Cowling's from a product which has been
recommended as being useful for learners.  See 'Dodgy Logic'
http://www.wordwasp.com/dodgy_logic.htm  on the website.

I have fought long and hard for my kinaesthetic child to have multisensory
teaching which proved to be really successful following failure with
ordinary input and the failure of Toe by Toe (for her)  I am glad that Toe
by Toe worked for their child originally, but it is by no means the be all
and end all of literacy teaching.

 I visited the Wasp Website with a view to possible purchase and do not like
what has been written there.  It is very unprofessional. It is one thing to
vent one's spleen in private or as a frustrated parent, but I would not
expect to see this carried over into a seemingly more professional arena.

My personal dislike of Toe by Toe (or the Ron Davies method for that matter)
would not stop me using these techniques with a student who found it
helpful.  It appears however that anyone that does not respond to Toe by Toe
or Word Wasp will not get the same benefit of any alternative support from
the Cowlings - all other methods being deemed as 'memory gimmicks' or in the
case of wooden letter training 'mind numbing banalities'.

My daughter and many others felt liberated and benefited from wet cornflour
and wooden letters and it is very unprofessional of him to denigrate their
individual choice and personal learning preferences.

What is it about Word wasp that makes it successful?  I can only see one
sample page and it just appears to be a phonic or rule based, progressive
word family list.  Is it the repetition for GLD that works well? That it is
simple enough not to require any other input?  Does it push learners through
lower level work quickly and success breeding success?

What happens when the student reaches a word or word family that gives
particular difficulty. Do TA's stop and play games or provide any other
input or does Word Wasp do it all by itself?  What is it that is actually
creating the success?  Is there any new 'method' or is it just like any
multisensory programme with word lists (without the multisensory bits!)?  Is
it the minute tracking of progress that makes it work?

Thanks

Sharon Tringham

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