One of my kids really grappled with reading. They knew the letter sounds and spelling rules but they struggle to decode words that they were unfamiliar with. Even familiar words that had a prefix or suffix added were causing this child trouble. Reading had become a dreaded task and the joy of learning through books had been sucked dry.
I wondered if a reading specialist would be needed but it wasn’t in our budget. So I did what most homeschool moms do. I spent hours researching online. I also spent hours working with this child on reading but progress was slow.
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Overcoming Reading Challenges with All About Reading
Several people I knew were using All About Reading (AAR) with great success but their children probably could have learned to read with any reading curriculum on the market. Could AAR work for my child? And while it was cheaper than hiring a reading specialist, All About Reading was still an investment. Would the cost of the curriculum and the time I had to spend implementing it pay off?
I had the All About Reading level 1 teacher’s manual and readers tucked away in my used curriculum tubs. I pulled it out and realized my child was past level 1 but decided to implement it as best I could (without the student materials). We blew through level 1 but I was able to notice several key reading skills had been missed by this child using other curriculum. I found that starting with level 1 and going at a quicker pace ended up being a good idea.
Half way through AAR Level 1, I ordered AAR Level 2. Reading lessons became a lot more fun with all the student pages and activities. Reading was still a challenge but my child’s confidence was growing.
It became apparent that the All About Reading program was going to be what my child needed to overcome their reading challenges. They enjoyed the lessons, their confidence was building and their reading challenges were diminishing.
We are still working through the All About Reading curriculum but I have seen so much progress in such a short amount of time. I know we still have reading hurdles to face in the future but I’m more confident than ever that we can overcome them with the help of All About Reading.
Why All About Reading Worked for Us
So why did All About Reading work for this child? I think it came down to the systematic approach to teaching a child to decode words and the fun activities that kept them engaged in learning.
My child had learned how to break words up into syllables for spelling with another curriculum. They had been improving in their spelling over the years. The struggle was in knowing how to break a new word up into chunks to read for the first time. All About Reading gave them the tools to see a new word, break it up into syllables, apply rules and read with more ease.
Another aspect of All About Reading that I found helpful was the amount of exposure to new rules and words that were provided before asking a child to read from the reader. By the time my child was asked to read a story, they were already familiar with most of the words. This was a huge confidence builder for my child and provided the needed motivation to continue moving forward in reading skills.
Finally, All About Reading was easy to implement in my home. I was worried about having to learn a new curriculum but the open-and-go lesson plans and detailed instructions made it easy to learn the method and teach it to my child.
While the price scared me off at first, I found it to be well worth the investment. Plus, I discovered a way to organize the materials so that I can use them over again with other children. That’s a homeschool mom win in my opinion!
Have you used All About Reading? Share your experience in the comments.
I am so happy to hear you found success with AAR! I am just finishing Level 2 with my daughter. I am learning things I never knew and it’s so fun to see her grow! We already have Level 3 ready to go for when we need it! ♥️👍🏻
I am beginning Homeschooling my first grader and fifth grader this year and purchased AAR for my 1st grader. I am torn between All about Spelling or Spell to Write and Read (which came highly recommended by a friend). My 5th grader needs remedial spelling although she is an avid reader. Do you have any experience with AAS? I listened to your video on Spell to Write and Read but am still daunted although I can tell it is a good program.
All About Spelling is a great spelling curriculum. They do suggest that you start with level 1 or 2 even for older students which can be discouraging for older kids who see these lower levels as “babyish”. However, with older kids you will work through the AAS levels much faster. Spell to Write and Read takes some time on the parents part to learn how to implement but your child can start in the upper lists of the program and still learn all the spelling rules. Again, both programs would help a struggling speller. It just depends on what works best for you.
Hi Janelle!
Through your blog and videos, I discovered Spell to Write and Read. I bought the entire thing practically brand new off the Facebook marketplace for $40 and have been using it (with modifications and only as it stays light and fun and exciting) with my gifted 4-year-old since August 2020. It’s been going great! She takes to new things in the program very quickly, and we are both really enjoying it. Her handwriting has taken off, she spells like a champ, and I can see using it as time goes on. Liz’s videos on starting SWR in preschool with modifications has been really helpful too!
I am noticing that she cannot decode as well as she can spell, probably at least partially because of her age. I definitely do not want to push her and whenever it seems like SWR is too much, we lay off for a few days or week until she wants to do it again. I’m in NO hurry. I wouldn’t do it if she didn’t express interest. BUT, she has expressed a lot of interest in being able to read.
Do you think that working through AAR level 1 alongside SWR (at whatever pace is comfortable specifically for us) is a compatible match? We have a new baby coming in June/July, so we’ll have a newborn, an almost 5-year-old, and a 2-year-old. I anticipate taking a lot of time off from school at that time, naturally. But, I’m anticipating wanting something less prep-intensive than SWR while moving her along toward her reading goals.
Long story short, do you think the two are compatible, given that SWR is pretty adamant on the encodability (totally not a word) and decodability (again, definitely not in the Wise Guide. ha!) of the majority of English words?
Thanks!
Hi Melissa! I used All About Reading with a struggling reader while using SWR and it was a great combination. And congratulations on the new baby coming soon!