Reading schemes - what's best?

[yesitsuptome]

Hi,
I'm trying to support a school to pick a reading programme. I've already asked in the 'Staffroom' section, but does anybody on here have any experience of reading programmes and which ones were really good? I'm looking mostly at Key Stage one kind of age but all reflections welcome! Any indications really appreciated as the school has to choose really quickly and it would be amazing to get something that really brings up standards for their kids (school is not in UK, so doesn't have access or experience of all the stuff available here).

I like big cat phonics because the books are more engaging and look like "real story books". I like read, write inc because it seems like a genuine phonics program that builds up the skills required. Wasn't a fan of ORT as the books were dull and not particularly phonics based.

Thanks PFHB. I've been looking at Bug Club, but I was wondering if the actual books are any good. It's hard to tell when you are looking online. I've never heard of Read Write Inc! I'm having a look now, thank you.

I would look into Sounds-Write and the Dandelion Launchers/Readers.

Otherwise I would put together a range of decodable phonics books including for example:
Songbirds
Jelly & Bean
Big Cat Phonics
Floppy's Phonics

That would give you roughly 36 books per 'level' I think, for the basic phonics (roughly up to 'yellow' level/stage 3, if you want to measure it in the old book colours). Unfortunately most of those schemes stop at that point but Songbirds continues to orange/stage 6. After orange, the phonics aspect becomes less important. You could look at the Project X books as part of a further scheme.

The books are called Phonics bug and are published by Pearson. I use them as additional books to support our main scheme (Dandelion Launchers and Readers) as Phonics Bugs don't provide enough structure alone. Personally I'm not a fan of RWI.

My kids school uses RWI in the classroom and then the books that are sent home are a big mix of all the schemes people have mentioned up thread. They vary in their strengths and weaknesses. The school re -band them to ensure they're on the right level.

I like songbirds - julia donaldson.

Rwi seems to work but their "books" are boring as hell.

You're advising a school on reading but have never heard of read,write Inc? Really?

I do agree with PP, Read, write, inc is a very well known and well used scheme.

Op not in the UK I think Russ.