Q: Which program should I use, Right Track Reading Lessons or Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons? My child is __ years old or in __ grade, which reading program would be best to use with him?
A: While there are individual differences in which program would be most appropriate for a student, the determination is usually based on age and grade level with consideration to other factors. The author’s recommendations are:
Right Track Reading Lessons is specifically targeted for teaching young children how to read proficiently. Right Track Reading Lessons is ideal for beginner readers age 5 to 9 years old (in kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade) and for novice readers (1st, 2nd or 3rd grade) who need to advance skills in complexities and learning how to handle multisyllable words.
The author recommends Right Track Reading Lessons for:
- young children learning to read - beginner level (K, 1st, 2nd or age 5-9)
- novice readers 1st, 2nd who have basic skills but need to advance skills to better handle the complexities and multisyllable words
- Students in 3rd grade who would benefit from more controlled pace of instruction
- Older students who have limited literacy background or who face learning challenges. These students and benefit from learning at the slower rate of presentation in Right Track Reading Lessons
Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons is specifically targeted to the needs of older struggling readers or for improving skills in older students. This effective reading remediation program is ideal for students 3rd grade and older who struggle with reading or who need to further build their skills in handling multisyllable words and complexities.
The author recommends Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons for:
- older struggling readers (upper elementary, middle school, high school and adults)
- students 3rd grade and older who have basic phonologic processing skills but need extra instruction in some of the advanced skills particularly in addressing complexities, and handling multisyllable words. The program includes instruction and techniques for building fluency, expanding vocabulary and developing reading comprehension.
Other considerations:
**Students who are in 3rd grade/ 8-9 years old: This is usually where the author makes the break between the two programs. If the child is lacking foundational skills, has weak phonemic awareness, has limited literacy background, or has struggled significantly learning to read she tends to use the Right Track Reading Lessons program. If the child has basic background skills, a strong literacy background and higher maturity, she tends to use Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons. The author has found approximately half the 3rd graders and a few 4th graders benefit from using Right Track Reading Lessons.
**Older students who have limited literacy background, face other special challenges, are learning the English language, or who encounter other special situations or learning challenges may benefit from the slower presentation, extra emphasis on letter formation, and inclusion of simple decodable sentences that are a part of Right Track Reading Lessons.
If you are unsure of which program would be best for your child or student, send an e-mail to Miscese Gagen and she will assist you in selecting the most appropriate program for your situation. Remember both programs are guaranteed effective.
The National Right to Read Foundation www.nrrf.org independently rated Right Track Reading Lessons preschool-adult and Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons for 3rd grade through adult.
This question was answered by Miscese Gagen a mother with a passion for teaching children to read proficiently by using effective methods. She is also a successful reading tutor and author of the reading instructional programs Right Track Reading Lessons and Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons. The purpose of this article is to empower parents and teachers with information on teaching children how to read. We CAN improve reading proficiency, one student at a time! More information is located at www.righttrackreading.com ~ Copyright 2004-2013 Miscese R. Gagen
