Does anyone know much about Lexia?

[NumptyNu]

DD is in reception, and we recently received a letter home inviting us to use the Lexia programme. It looks like a bog-standard letter that went out to all the kids, but it looks like a tool that is used when children are struggling? Does anyone know much about it and why it might be suggested? DD is currently reading ORT level 4 at school / home.

Lexia is a very expensive, intensively marketed, US based ICT programme. It is built around the Orton-Gillingham phonics programme developed several decades ago for the remediation of 'dyslexics. It is very clunky and long winded and a modern synthetic phonics programme does the job far better and much faster.

The problem with it being computer based is that it can only 'correct' or support a child with decoding by 'telling' them what the word is that they are struggling with. This, in my experience, is ineffective as it reflects 'whole word learning' rather than learning to decode and blend. 'Telling' a child a word does not guarantee that it will go into long term memory; decoding and blending (once or twice, or several times, depending on the child) will secure words in long term memory but Lexia cannot support this strategy because it cannot monitor and respond to the child's efforts in the way that a person can.

Lexia is also weak at supporting spelling because it cannot teach the essential segmenting skills (listening to the spoken word, breaking it into its phonemes and writing the spelling for each phoneme in the correct sequence); it can only show the child the whole word and expect it to memorise the letter string of which it is comprised.

The only ICT based programme which I know of which is really effective is one called AcceleeReadAcceleeWrite and even that needs a 'person' to monitor the child while using it.

The reason the school is pushing it is probably that they have invested a lot of money in it and been persuaded that it is good by the salesperson! I'd tend to suspect that a school which is using ORT (if it's not the 'new' phonics based ORT) doesn't have a particularly secure grasp of how to teach phonics effectively.

Also surprised that it is being used in YR

(I realise I am setting myself up for a stream of posts recounting how well people's DCs have done with Lexia )

Very interesting information, thankyou. May I ask, why is it a surprise to you that they are using it in R?

We bought into Lexia as an intervention programme but won't be renewing our subscription because we have found a number of issues with it. Although it is marketed as the UK version all that has been changed is the voice and our comments have been ignored by the company. We find it has to be used with skilled support which really negates it's usefulness.

I'm surprised they are using it in YR because I think that they are too young to be abandoned to a computer programme! I don't know what mrz thinks.. Did you use it in YR, mrz?

We use it as an intervention with our struggling readers from Y2 upwards, feedback from children and teachers has been positive so far. Our junior children either come in at 8.15 or stay in at lunch to do it, but only if they are willing to, which many are.

My dcs school used it to support the children that were struggling and also the g&t pupils as they could move forward at their own pace

It was awful -clunky, boring, repetitive

They don't use it any more

A couple of years ago our new reception teacher tried it with her class but found it just confused the children. Personally I wouldn't use it for reception (or anyone). The children do like using it and it produces lots of nice graphs and charts to show progress unfortunately these don't match with UK expectations or classroom outcomes.
We bought into a five year package which ends this summer and we definitely won't renew.

I am a teacher in a primary school where we have used Lexia successfully with our children for about ten years now. I bought a Lexia family license about a year ago so that my children could use the program at home. My twelve year old daughter has dyslexia. My ten year old son is good at reading but was still keen to use it. In order to make progress, the program recommends at least three 20 minute sessions a week...so little but often. My son and daughter both have homework to do and are involved in a lot of clubs so Lexia has fitted in brilliantly.
The first time my children did Lexia, the program gave them an assessment test and, as a result, placed them on the part of the program which was matched to their reading ability.
The Lexia graphics are colourful and motivational. If your child struggles with a particular skill, the program gives them extra practice without them really knowing they have made mistakes. As they complete different activities within a level, a rung on the activity ladder is filled. They also receive a certificate when they complete all the activities in a level.
As a parent I have found "managing" my children's work on Lexia relatively stress free. On the odd occasion where they have been a little tired, I have been able to remind them that they only need do twenty minutes. I think it is important to show them you are interested in what they are doing and achieving on the program. I often go into the room where they are working on the computer and ask them how they are getting on. Once or twice I have had to give them some help and guidance as to a skill they might be sticking on a bit. I think the program may soon be available on the i-pad which will no doubt add to children's motivation in wanting to use the program.
Both my children?s reading has improved a great deal, especially my daughters. Her English teacher has commented on her improvement and the fact that she has become more confident in class too.
Overall - In my opinion Lexia is a great motivational reading program for both boys and girls.

How can they not know Sally when the program puts dots on the screen to indicate errors?