My oldest son went to a so called top notch private school. At the end of first grade not a single child in the class could read. As parents we were given the glorious story of whole language. Immediately called a Tudor to teach my son phonics.
So much for the brilliance of the educrats. They’re still at it.
So, Stuarts were unsuitable?
I’ve heard my own story about a private school using sight-words. I think that 20 years ago, it never happened. Somehow the sales people have figured out what buttons to push.
This mother explained to me that her third grader needed tutoring and then she repeated the sales pitch that the whole-word people use: “Of course they learn phonics. But some words don’t conform to the rules ETC.” It really is pathetic. And you’re telling a situation where not one student learned to read after nine months. But the people in charge don’t relent? That really is sick.
All the phonics people tend to use the same figure for how long it takes to learn to read: about four months.