I received a complimentary level of All About Reading in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Please read my disclaimer in the footer for more information.
I adore reading.
It’s not just a pastime in our home…more like an obsession. Books can be found in every room of the house. One of the boys is always walking around with his face in one. The librarians know us by name.
I find myself reading at every nook and cranny of my day – reading to the kids any time I can get their undivided attention for even five minutes, and playing books on audio at bedtime.
Clearly, reading is a pretty big deal to us.
When the boys became “of age” to learn to read, I stayed relaxed and kept reading fun. I didn’t want to pressure them in any way and by and large, I’d say my approach worked. I fostered a love for reading first and that made their desire for learning to read come naturally.
It wasn’t until they were really reading that I felt the need for a little help.
See, we had combed and re-combed Starfall.com, Bob Books, Phonics Pathways and every easy reader that caught their attention. These resources had all served us well, but I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t leaving any gaps and thought it was time to search out a comprehensive reading program.
I knew I wanted something that was laid out for me; the whole reason I was looking, after all, was to make sure all my t’s were crossed. I needed to be sure that the program was thorough. I knew I wanted something tactile, working with manipulatives, because our boys are very hands-on. I also wanted to be sure the early readers were enjoyable and forgive me, but not too “twadddly” (I know you Charlotte Mason fans are nodding right now!).
Enter All About Reading.
When I found All About Reading– a mastery-based, multi-sensory, building block program that motivates kids through fun activities – I was more than excited to review it.
So, what makes All About Reading unique?
Let’s watch a quick video to answer that…
Here’s a great quote from the website that sums it all up:
All About Reading is a fun and engaging program that starts with essential pre-reading skills and continues on to teach all five key components of reading. It contains everything your student needs to become a fluent reader for life!
So how do we use it?
Because we homeschool, that is the view I write this from. That being said, All About Reading is also a great supplemental program for those who need some extra help. You can see here that AAR is especially helpful for struggling learners.
When our twins were diagnosed with autism, we knew that would become the lens we saw things through when making choices for them – especially academic choices. We knew, like with any child, we needed to play to their strengths in looking for curriculum. One of the quickest things I began to understand about the way they learn is that they do better when they are naturally motivated to engage.
All About Reading does just that.
This is not your average reading program. Flashcards (which are great for playing “giant steps” with!), letter tiles, activities for every lesson and fun stories do not take away from the fact that they are learning essentials to make them strong readers. I have even learned a thing or two (did you know the letter “o” actually makes four sounds? Let me guess, your kindergarten teacher only taught you two sounds too, right?).
We’re currently in Level 2 of All About Reading.
Level 2 is the 2nd of four reading levels. Levels are not dictated by grade level and by the end of Level 4 the student will have the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out high school-level words.
Level 2 focuses on decoding (phonics), decoding (structural analysis), vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
So you’re thinking…sounds great, how do I get started?
In addition to having an amazing curriculum, All About Reading has one of the smoothest sites to navigate and they make it really simple to figure out where to start your student with easy to use placement tests. If you are still unsure, the customer service at AAR is fabulous so just shoot them a quick email.
Once your child finishes the placement test, pick the level you want to start with. In addition to the level kit, you’ll need to purchase an interactive reading kit. You can also purchase complete sets of the levels which includes the kit.
Then make sure you check out AAR’s blog where Marie posts a lot of really helpful tips.
Have you ever heard of All About Reading? What do you look for in a reading curriculum?
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