Rating: 
Summary: A Must for Those Serious in Literacy
Review: As a primary, Montessori teacher, I found this book invaluable in aiding children towards enforcing phonetic reading. This book is for parents and teachers only. The Spalding learning style is very similar to that of Montessori. The materials contained therin are useful to make lauguage (flash) cards. I currently have a twenty-six month old who started reading last month and I know I will depend on this book at home now. I encourage everyone who takes literacy seriously to consider buying, but more than that, USING this book. You will find your little reader(s) taking giant strides just as I have seen in my pupils.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars are not enough for this book!
Review: Having homeschooled my children for 12 years (in California), beginning in 1977, I was indeed fortunate to be given an old, dog-eared copy of Romalda Bishop Spalding's The Writing Road to Reading. After countless visits to teacher's supply stores looking for a 'reading' program for my (then) young children (and being distressed at what was available), I knew this was our answer. I was especially captured by the fact that not only did this method teach INTENSIVE phonics, using all FOUR avenues into the brain (seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing) which no other method did even if it claimed to be intensive phonics, but that it did so in a straightforward fashion without a bunch of toy-type gimmicks to confuse the issue. Rather, this method requires pencil and paper, and very little else (other than the child's mind), and in the shortest time imaginable my children were not only reading flawlessly, but understanding what they were reading, (and we were using old, 'obsolete' textbooks with 'real' stories in them -- you know, the kind that have big words, and an actual plot, with believable characters, and important values). Within six weeks of beginning the Spalding program, my older child had 'graduated' to books on a fifth and sixth grade level among these old texts, which were certainly more complex than the currently available material for her 'age group'. Talk about FUN!!! There was no turning back. The highest form of punishment for my children was to deny them a book. When my son was in (homeschool) second grade he accompanied me to the chiropractor one day, with a book in hand (of course, of course!). The chiropractor greeted him and asked what he was reading. My son turned the cover of the book over so the chiropractor could see the title, which happened to be J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in the original. The chiropractor nearly fainted and questioned my son as to whether he was UNDERSTANDING what he was reading. My son assured him, with sparkling eyes, that indeed he did, and it was his 'favorite' book!! My son is 27 years old now and the memory of that day is still one of the high points in my heart of the incredible privalege of teaching my own children to read. I do not mean that comment as a plug for homeschooling, but only as an example of what The Writing Road to Reading can do. Yes, it takes commitment, but once you read the book carefully and begin to absorb the format and the markings used to indicate which sound a phonogram makes in that particular instance, you see the rhyme and reason to it. Then when you actually do it with your child and you see the results. . . . .who can argue with success? The plain and simple truth is this method is the only one I would ever consider and I feel so fortunate have had it. It WORKS, and it works fast. It is incredibly empowering to the student, who sees the fruits of their labor using only pencil, paper and their MIND. There is something highly energizing about real 'work' for little people. It is honoring to them, and validates their inate intelligence, rather than 'dumbing down' to them with gimmicks. There is nothing so thrilling as to place in the hands of a child the finest literature in the unabridged version and see him or her captivated by the magic of the written word. Romalda Bishop Spalding (whom I was privaleged to meet in the late '70's) has given the world a profound tool. I, for one, find it hard to express my thanks adequately. If you care about your child's ability to read WELL, and you are willing to commit (I loved re-learning so much about the English language right along with my kids; the work had a payoff) buy this book!
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Summary: The Spalding method works!
Review: I am a product of the Spalding method. It was used in my first grade classroom in 1963-1964, and my mother owns a copy of the second edition of the book! I have also used it with my own children. Besides helping children learn to read and write, it also helps them learn to SPELL! Learning the spelling "rules" in the book all those years ago helped me be an excellent speller all through school as well as today, and it is helping my children. An excellent book, one that has stood the test of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, it is tedious but so far I'm impressed.
Review: I am currently implementing this program with my four year old. I used her 70 phonograms to teach the sounds. Because my child was ready to read before she was ready to write, I used "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" to introduce reading. This was an excellent approach; my four year old is reading on a second grade level or higher. I then went back to the Spalding method and taught writing skills. I'm finding the book a little hard to sort through; I didn't purchase an extra lesson guide. It also seems a little tedious, but so far whenever I've done it her way I've been impressed. I'm concerned about being thorough and this book is definately that. Great book, but get ready as the instructor to do some work, especially if you're like me and don't know the spelling rules yourself. I'm excited to complete my education as well.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, it is tedious but so far I'm impressed.
Review: I am currently implementing this program with my four year old. I used her 70 phonograms to teach the sounds. Because my child was ready to read before she was ready to write, I used "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" to introduce reading. This was an excellent approach; my four year old is reading on a second grade level or higher. I then went back to the Spalding method and taught writing skills. I'm finding the book a little hard to sort through; I didn't purchase an extra lesson guide. It also seems a little tedious, but so far whenever I've done it her way I've been impressed. I'm concerned about being thorough and this book is definately that. Great book, but get ready as the instructor to do some work, especially if you're like me and don't know the spelling rules yourself. I'm excited to complete my education as well.
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Summary: Confusing and difficult to implement...
Review: I have read the book and am scrambling to impliment the resource. It has already taken me hours to read it and am currently looking for the lesson plans to actually use the material. A method it is, a set lesson plans it is not. I have learned a lot, however, with a total of two students as homeschool parent, my investment is now growing. I am however, hopeful for good results whether my search leads me to forming my own lesson plans or if I can buy the lesson plans.
ADDENDUM:I found the lesson plans for the method from the Riggs Institute. Armed with Orton's method and now equipted with the lesson plan------my daughter is starting to understand and predict the nuances of the english language. All students would benefit from the method!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Writing Road to Reading: The Spalding Method of Phonics
Review: I teach remedial and special education students in grade four, five and six. This program has been the best thing that I've used to teach spelling and reading in thirty years. Yes, it is complicated but the English language is complicated. This approach helps the students who just never discovered the structure of language and assumed that something was wrong with them. Students, with an enthusiastic and organized teacher, love this method.
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Summary: Confusing and difficult to implement...
Review: I'm a homeschool teacher and a former public school teacher, but found this book to be a great disappointment. I found the implementation to be difficult and disagree vehemently with some of the author's suggestions. For example, the author doesn't recommend reading or writing independently until the child has mastered a high level of mastery. In my experience, this is counterproductive to teaching a love of reading and writing. There are other phonics programs on the market that are far simpler and work much better. I'd urge homeschoolers, or other parents, to find a different method.
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Summary: Research Proven Methods and Results
Review: The Writing Road to Reading (WRTR) is an amazing method. It is based on the research done by Dr. Samuel Orton beginning in the 1920's. His research delved into the how and why of learning to read and the difficulties some children experience. His results were nothing short of astonishing. He discovered how all children can learn successfully. His method used all the modalities: visual, auditory, kinestic and tactile. Romalda Spalding, a teacher, worked with him for approximately two years. She developed the Spalding Method based on his research and his direction. The Spalding Method is laid out in full in the WRTR. This program is a K-8 complete curriculum. The cost is amazingly low, while the benefits are amazingly great.
I am teaching three of my children this method; two have started this method at the beginning of their school career, the other began at age 10. Although, the 10 year old did not have difficulties with language the method greatly benefited her logical reasoning when reading and spelling. It also greatly improved her cursive handwriting. My second child was destined to have learning difficulties; he exhibited all the signs. He now is meeting all his milestones.
The research I and others have done on language arts curriculums demonstate that methods that are based on Dr. Samuel Orton's work are superior to all others. The Spalding Method, being written by a teacher, is far easier to teach and more logical for the students then all the curriculums I have reviewed. The Masters of Education that I am currently working on is in Curriculum Development.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is a wonderful system and it's very easy to impliment. I saw this demonstrated once and immediately recognized that it hit all the areas of learning. By writing and making the sounds and seeing the letters and hearing the sounds children begin to read. When my son wanted to read I tried this method. My three year old and I began doing this with the flashcards although he really wasn't up to writing the letters with a pencil. I provided him with markers and other writing tools that use large motors and we began learning together. He is now reading. I didn't find it tedious or difficult or hard. I particularly like that this is a method you can use to suppliment school or do at homeschooling and I like that it will be effective for many grades with spelling words provided. Wonderful program.
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