Thanks Penny & Alistair.

I'd forgotten about the ITA disaster. I remember a kid down our street who flat out refused to learn it because it wasn't 'real' reading.

My own daughter had a similar problem. She was way ahead in arithmetic and went to a new school where they used Cusenaire Rods. She came home and said "These teachers have the stupid idea that a pink rod and a yellow rod equals a green rod" (Or whatever the colors are).

Do teachers still use these *%^$&# gimmicks to bring everyone down to the 'idiot level'?

Bert.