Express Readers Foundational Skills And Reading Program

Name: Express Readers Foundational Skills And Reading Program
Brand: Express Readers

by Express Readers

ElaGrades K–2

Express Readers Foundational Skills: Orton-Gillingham Based Phonics Program

Express Readers Foundational Skills And Reading Program is an Orton-Gillingham-based phonics curriculum designed for grades K-2, with particular emphasis on supporting struggling readers. The program uses systematic, multi-sensory instruction with scripted lessons and requires mastery of each skill before progression.

Best for

Teachers working with struggling readers in grades K-2 who need intensive, systematic phonics instruction, particularly those seeking an Orton-Gillingham approach with detailed implementation guidance

Evaluation Criteria

3 strengths · 3 concerns · 2 neutral · 1 insufficient evidence

Teacher TrainingStrength

The curriculum includes comprehensive training materials for implementation.

Includes 'Pride Reading Program Training Videos and Sample Lessons' and 'lessons are so detailed and thorough that whoever is teaching can simply follow the lesson plans'

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum strongly emphasizes direct, explicit instruction throughout.

Lessons are 'tightly scripted' with detailed teacher scripts, and 'the teacher is always teaching and eliciting responses from the student' using interactive methods

Systematic PhonicsStrength

This is a strength of the program with highly systematic Orton-Gillingham phonics instruction.

Uses 'intensive phonics using multi-sensory approaches' that is 'highly structured and scripted' and 'teaches phonograms' with three lessons per skill (introduction, practice, reinforcement)

Knowledge RichConcern

The curriculum does not appear to systematically build domain knowledge across subjects.

EdReports rated it 'Partially Meets Expectations' for building knowledge through texts, and reviews focus exclusively on phonics skills rather than content knowledge

Text ComplexityConcern

EdReports indicates the curriculum only partially meets grade-level text complexity expectations.

EdReports rated it 'Partially Meets Expectations' for alignment to grade-level text demands and text quality/complexity

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsConcern

The curriculum appears to focus on phonics instruction rather than whole book reading.

Reviews describe student workbooks with 'word lists, sentences, and stories to read' but do not mention complete texts or literature

Retrieval PracticeNeutral

The program includes some practice elements but limited evidence of systematic retrieval practice.

Includes 'fluency drills' and 'progress checks using assessments,' and students must 'master each skill before moving on to the next module'

Writing InstructionNeutral

The program includes some writing components but appears limited in scope.

Students 'write phonograms, words, and sentences from dictation' and workbooks have 'pages for writing from dictation,' but no mention of structured writing instruction across genres

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

Limited evidence of systematic vocabulary instruction beyond phonetic decoding.

Reviews mention 'sight words' cards but do not describe comprehensive vocabulary building strategies or morphological analysis

Sources: edreports.org, cathyduffyreviews.com