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! queried whether these students wouldn‘t benefit from a program such as Open Court. Omand said there was no need, as "several Ministryâ€"approved programs, similar to Open Court, are currently doing the job." I was feeling encouraged. I asked him for the name of the programs Omand was silent for a moment "Language Arts Outcomes®. he answered. I‘m not ludding. That‘s what he said, and, with conviction. Thats what a student in need is supposed to ask for â€" Language Arts Outcomes | sull don‘t understand why our Board turned down the pilot project | am, however beginning to understand why there is a new tutoring business in my neighborhood | 1 called Superintendent of Instrucâ€" | tional Services for the Board, Cecil | Omand, for answers. Omand said that | " while "parts of Open Court were \ f f presently being used as a resource", | *4 the Board felt "that we have no need to | k use a full program like Open Court because other projects are already doing the job". In fact, Omand referred me to the high standing Waterloo County students achieved on last year‘s provincial stanâ€" dardized tests (the *Cereal Box" tests) as evidence I asked Omand, if we are "doing the job", then why is there a prolifâ€" eration ol privately run educational services popping up all around us? Last month, a learning centre, part of nationwide chain, opened a branch in my neighborhood, promising, in part, to teach reading using phonics These are not recent initiatives, private tutoring services have been growing steadily in Canada for over a decade l mentioned to Ormand that Sylvan Learning Systems, based in Maryland opened its first Canadian franchise in 1985, and has since pened ») more | also pointed out that the Kumon Educational Institute has 215 franchises and more than 20,000 students across Canada 1{ other projects are "doing the job", why is the business of priâ€" vate tutonng, particularly those programs incorporating phonics and vate tutoring, p Inlls, booming Omand adim:t Omand adinitted that *despite our high standing on the standardâ€" ed tests. some students sull can‘t read by Grade 3 and that some stll g behind acceptable standards by Grafffe 6." Omand said "this is a real roblem and these are the students who use the private tutoring busiâ€" I; 3 I _ c ~| Lisa O‘Connell who had read of the program in a newsletter distributed: l;ylht Organisation for Quality Education (OQE) who our schools â€" a program that has been tried elsewhere to great success, mdwhachcwldimchccnpibwdlncnmmwloalmpaym. The Board turned it down. The program, Open Court, is currently in use in 85 schools in the province. Last year it was piloted in a Grade 1 class at Buchanan Park public school in Hamilton. Marquerite Babcock, principal of Buchanan Park, said that the results were hard to ignore, and that in her career as a professional educator, it was the first time that an entire Grade 1 class could read by the end of the year. Babcock shared her story with WCBE trustees in a recent committee mccungolllwfioud.flabcockwadmculhcnmmwnohpanm Waterloo Town Square 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2 Telephone _ 886â€"2830 Fax No. Suill the Board turned the project down. | wanted to understand why. Nancy Wagner, president of OQE, says that, given a chance, the same strong results can be achieved here in Waterloo County. That is why her organâ€" isation is willing to pick up the $3,000 tab to finance the pilot program. Jennifer Bettke Maureen McNab Gerry Mattice Pete Cudhea (Sp. Ed.) Deborah Crandall Tim Gardner Melodee Martinuk Production: Millie Martin Darlene Royle Denise Tucker (Supervisor) Shannon Blacker Lyn;n Mitchell Classified Major Accounts Bill Karges regional councillors out of toy ed rails. Perhaps they‘ve had a Last month regional staff w And I confess that in the decad the big mysteries of reading For ic" spelled the way it sounds? Thats not entertaining to the youngsters and some teachers apparently feel entertainment importance. It may not have had much glame taught the seniors among us to read and write were but they worked skills And trustees (the enough information) Hamilton public s results after a oneâ€"yes testimonials are avail Critics dislike the r ed, repetitive langua; because it mvolves Waterloo _ trustee broached the pilot ; taught youngsters u gram It teaches read basic grammar and s The public school board could have taken a step toward a solution, but trustees felt they didn‘t have enough information to start a pilot project. And 1 suppose that‘s as good a way of scuttling the idea as any other One for the Books 1{ there‘s one thing that perplexes a lot of parents it‘s why their youngsters have such a tough time learning to read and to write pamemmemmemme Scaled Down The Kâ€"W community escaped the thisâ€"isâ€"tooâ€"early snowfalls that plagued other places Of course, we got a little bit â€" the first snow job in months that didn‘t come from Sid Ryan and his Days of Action loonies Thats not entertair Here‘s one for the books Maybe we‘d better hold off year pil Publisher Circulation Circulation \h.rg"- Jar of town on a c Administration Heather Mitchel Ng t1t lecades since | a change of heart â€" was talking about a third â€" yes DaSl INStan aren ell "9U 00 on funning ouple of dozen assortâ€" ve been pondering why isn‘t "phonetâ€" s and trustees and ment is of prime glamor, but drills write: Boring they AT N R ly represent The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessanly : the views of the newspaper. C3 * y cn \SEA l 3 in + w Waterloo Chronicle The Waterloo Chronicle is pul a division of 75 King St. S., Suite 201, its mostly d spelling NCE OVER |JGHTLY International Stapdard.Seria) Maraber The PR campaign to explain the workings o| hospitd restructuring is m -‘? too late to undo the damage. But PR can work miracles. you don‘t think it can, just remember the millions and millions of people who n>w think yogurt tastes good. The Fairway Group Subscription rates 240 Holiday Inn Dr., Unit F "$45 yearly in Canada Cambridge, On. $90 yearly outside Canada N3C 3X4 +GSIL They not only underestimated, they wildly undercsumated. That raises the point of how plugged in to the community such officials could have been if they weren‘t awar» hat even a hint of closing St. Mary‘s was apt to bring you an invitation to a lynching â€" And some of the hospital In'sydty underestimated the intensity of the community‘s response to the possi>!> <losing nf‘S.( Mzrys Hosp“fl Either councillors never accepted the idea of anâ€"th»r goldâ€" plated study (their story) or else they had second thoughts triggered by press criticism (my suspicion). In any event, the third study will cost up to $50 ) Thats third â€" water and sewage study at a cost of up to $5) 000. would take two years. is published every WMyby The M issue could become a â€" Queen‘s Park issues guidzlincs for m reform. ch\mp‘du_v'h l!! W way / doing lhiné, but the Mfi'lli(udt may not ll- much longer Aemic if uriapal end of 1997, $ from Ontario‘s $ tion expenditur This will affec For decades, safest and most children to and it‘s important fo are safe on the 1 put, the need fo exists today mo This fall, the | per cent from t get. A further announced for But what th afford not to? Can we affor fior Ontario‘s s tion school tru: they prepare th Harris isn‘t this problem. Manning is con try to disiance his MPs and "moderate" He people to teenz and immigrati attributed incre are going dowr year, former pr Dave Chatters A senior m Gallery has c scripted Mike casual encour sis leads him are afraid of v given clear ms Ontarians to k ly is." what he said; until â€" his remark. Whil concentrate . Harris latest | ment is hard useful to focu truths to whid Harris really | that attempts fact are just w to prepare a } The script f as follows: objectionable sition and th outrage; Han L ETT Can we Premier H lately trying offensive rer most recent "an Iranian among Metre ticipants ar blame hu