Like Maverick, I, too, am a reading tutor (and a professional linguist). Also like Maverick, I agree that the ORT (and other similar "word-based achemes, which are based on the incorrect assumption that children learn to read by looking at "whole" words) is very largely responsible for the crisis in literacy in the UK. Unfortunately, teaching training still apparently perpetuates the myth that "children learn to read using different methods" - simply because the teaching establishment is too embarrassed to admit that it is wrong, and most trainee teachers are too young + naive to question what they are taught at college.
If we get a change of Government at the next election then it is likely the ORT will be shown up for what it is (i.e. an ineffective and confusing method) since a) schools will have to publish the name of the reading scheme they use on their websites, b) all children will be tested at age 7 to ensure they can read fluently and c) Ofsted will be forced to assess all schools on how effectively they teach reading - which - almost incredibly - they do not do at present. (Bear this in mind when looking at the Ofsted Inspection Report for your local primary!).
In the meantime, if your local primary is using the ORT, pester the Head Teacher to change the method used, but if they refuse, use a phonics-based system at home. Primary Phonics published by Educators Publishing Service (obtainable from Better Books) is excellent and has both worksheets and readers - or any other phonics-based scheme. If you have a child who is genuinely dyslexic -and the use of a phonics-based scheme such as Primary Phonics will show this up very quickly, since it deliberately introduces words like "ban" and "dan" at a very early stage, because a dyslexic child is likely to struggle to recognise the difference - then I would recommend "Teaching Reading and Spelling to Dyslexic Children" by Margaret Walton published by David Fulton Publishers, which can easily be used both by parents and non-specialist teachers.
Minette Marin writing in the Sunday Times yesterday summed up what primary school teachers should do very succinctly:
"Stop worrying about everything except one thing - do you know how to teach children to read? Were you taught how to? Can all the children in your class read (after age 7) and if not, why not? Forget all the other stuff that is imposed on you."
To which, I (and I suspect most other parents) can only say, hear, hear!