Success For All - literacy programme

[cockles]

has anyone any experience of it, either as parent, or teacher? Our school is using it and I'm a bit concerned about the apparent rigidity and rote-based learning involved.

[Malaleuca]

ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

I've not used this, and am not familiar with it. However, it has been assessed by the What Works Clearing House and you can google that to see if it is an effective evidence- based programme.
It may be a Direct Instruction programme which is scripted. Generally speaking DI programmes are very effective although not that many teachers are skilled in using them.
The school must have good reasons for using such a programme as they do not come cheap!

[Feenie]

Information here on The Standards Site.

Not had any experience of it myself, but phonics programmes do tend to be systematic, don't they, because that's how they work. Doesn't mean it won't be fun though?

[cockles]

Interesting, thanks - I hadn't thought about cost. Am surprised our poverty stricken school can afford it. It has had some ferocious critique in the US for its authoritarian and punitive approach but maybe the UK version is different.

[Malaleuca]

DI programmes are often criticized, despite the fact that they are highly effective. Looking at Feenie's link, it seems that the UK 'Success for All" programme is used more by low socio-economic schools. DI programmes do not generally require input from families after school.

Consider the amount of parents who come on to mumsnet to find out how to supplement their children's school instruction - great if you want to and are able to do that - but many parents really want to rely on school and do not have the wherewithal to buy or supplement instruction, or in some cases do the job themselves. Many children are entirely dependent on what school teaches.

Do you know if the criticism against 'Success for All' is directed at that particular programme or at DI in general?

None of the DI programmes I am familiar with are punitive - you'd soon lose the children if they were! On the contrary they build in a great deal of rewarding comments, all legitimate as the children take quite small achievable steps and feel successful! Children are grouped in homogeneous, smallish groups and are reguarly reassessed to ensure they are correctly placed, so not getting bored by work that is too easy or too hard.

I would say that a DI curriculum is authoritative rather than authoritarian. It does not leave any latitude for teachers to change and tinker.

[cockles]

That is really helpful. Ours is indeed a low socio economic school and a number of the parents (or mums anyway) do not speak English so might struggle with helping with literacy in English at home. Quite possibly those complaining are not the main target group!