It is after I get to know the student's strengths, goals, and blocks in the way that I am able to narrow down the choices. My students trust and appreciate me because I am not stuffing anything down their throats with poor promises that it 'will' help them. Based on those observations, I suggest an approach and explaing why. The most difficult students from our county come to me for Literacy training as well as general level compulsory English courses. Given time, I have not had many failures.
All students can learn to read.
I believe this. What we mistakenly do is build up brick walls where they are discouraged, frustrated, and defiant. All kids entering school in Kindergarten or grade 1 expect to learn to read. If we don't know a variety of methods and have the ability to interchange approaches, we build those walls. The mentality of pitching one method against another is futile.