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All About Reading is a multisensory, mastery-based program that starts with essential pre-reading skills and continues on to teach all five key components of reading. This complete program teaches phonics, decoding, fluency, and comprehension in a fun and engaging way. Suitable for all ages and learning styles!
Website: All About Reading
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(33 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: Some stories and activities can be boring for students, especially older ones
Grades Used: K-3
Overall AAR is a good homeschool reading curriculum that covers ALL areas of reading, but I would say that many of the stories or activities could be boring, dull or predictable. Wouldn’t be one of my top recommendations.
Grades Used: 1
I am a retired first grade teacher and reading specialist who found myself back in the saddle with my grade-2-age granddaughter due to the pandemic. I purchased All About Reading after reading reviews stating that is worked well with older children. My student was almost 8 and still didn’t reliably identify all letters and sounds, so I wanted something that didn’t seem babyish. All About Reading is reasonably priced, easy to use, and has a logical and developmentally appropriate scope and sequence. While I would recommend it to anyone, it was an especially good fit for my granddaughter, because the books are hardbound and have an authentic, grown-up feel to them, and the illustrations are fantastic. She loves art and animals and one of her favorite things to do after a lesson is to sketch the characters. Investing in “real” art for these stories makes them much more interesting-since they are 100% decodable (and therefore somewhat stilted in their language and content), this makes a huge difference. The phonogram and word cards, and the workbook are super easy to use, and the manual lays everything out so that any parent can feel comfortable using them. Best of all, my student went from being a total non-reader to a Guided Reading level G in 40 days of school.
This is NOT a complete reading program. While comprehension questions and activities are provided, the stories don’t contain enough real literary elements to effectively teach comprehension. The authors emphasize that you need to read aloud to your student every day, and it’s extremely important to do this. Additionally, I supplemented the program with natural-language leveled books from Pioneer Valley in order to provide a reading experience with more genuine “book language.” This has proven to be a winning combination for us.
Overall, highly recommended!
Cons: Long lists of words to read, which can be boring
Grades Used: Kinder
After a lot of researching I decided to buy this program for my 6 yr old who was starting kindergarten. I purchased it because she loves animals and many of the stories include animals, which helps to peak her interest. Most stories have been interesting enough considering kinders can't read too many words yet, but some are silly and don't make a lot of sense. The activities are fine. There is a warm up page to read before each story and often an extra page of practice words to read. My kiddo hated reading boring lists of words so I skip the lists and have her read the story again if she needs extra practice. All in all, I've been happy with the program and we are buying the next level soon. We manage about 1/2 to 1 full lesson a day. (30 min) Reading hasn't been difficult for her so we finished the first manual in 4 months, averaging 4-5 study sessions a week. I hope this review was helpful!!!
Cons: more prep work on me but worth every second of it!!
Grades Used: 2nd
I chose this program after a lot of research and talking to other parents of ADHD children... I was very happy to learn this program was one of the best for children who need a little extra hands on stuff. As an ADHD mom it was overwhelming to figure all this out but once I got started it was just as fun for me and it was for my son!!! I LOVE that I no longer have to fight with him to sit and do school work and what an awesome feeling it is to see him flying through this program!
We have really enjoyed using All About Reading. My son has made a lot of progress.
Cons: Fluency sheets can be a little long
Grades Used: 2nd
We started using All About Reading in second grade after trying two other programs which weren't working. Reading does not come as easily to this child as to my other two. However, with this program she is making more progress than with the other two. I really like how she is learning the rules for decoding words, love the review each day. She really enjoys reading the stories in the books. I also like the activities that are followed up with the skill that was just learned. I also need to mention how easy it is to prepare for the day's lesson. Thankful to have found this.
I heard about All About Reading when I saw posts from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine on FB. I used Abeka with my daughter, but I was struggling with my son. Abeka just was not a fit for him and I felt that it was so hard for me to gather EVERYTHING needed for Abeka's curriculum. When you have 3 different grades going it can be overwhelming. Hearing him reading and seeing smiles instead of frustration lets me know we made the right choice. Awesome stuff! I feel like it is a more simple format for teachers than Abeka. No extras to buy! Everything you will need is included in the package. One can go completely broke buying all the recommended teaching aides from Abeka.
Cons: costs
Grades Used: k
Im a first time home schooling mother to a 5 year old boy. When I first started homeschooling I thought I could never be able to do it. But all about reading lays its all out simple. I love there app for phonograms, when im unsure of sounds I simply check it out before the lessons. Once we start I say the sound for him plus let him try on the phonogram app. I enjoy the bedtime syiries with ziggy it gives reading that extra touch especially when it can sometimes be a challenge to have my boy sit long enough. Often I read to him and let him hold it while we read. I love the fact that there is little preparation for me. I simply open the manual and suppplies and lessons plan are laid out simply. My favorite thing in all about reading though by far has been seeing the growth in my childs reading. When we started he only knew the letter names not sounds but now he starting to blend letters. Everyday I watch him with a smile as he takes one more step to independent reading.
Cons: None
Grades Used: Grade 1
I have to share my thoughts about teaching my daughter to read, especially for all those parents who have a child who struggles to read. At first we were using Ordinary Guide to Teaching Reading which is a good book but wasn't working for us. The search began for a new reading curriculum. I knew I needed something that was easy for me to prepare (life is busy with 4 kids). It had to be interactive, not just reading words off of a plain book, and it needed to be for someone who flipped her letters frequently. I found All About Reading. It is exactly what I was looking for. It is fun, cut and paste activities, games, lots of repetition with different mediums, easy to prepare (there is none). Best of all after 3 months of taking it slow with the curriculum she is reading with fluency and confidence. When I ask her to read she no longer has a fit, because she isn't frustrated anymore. It is perfect for a Grade 1 and can be adjusted (you just eliminate some of the activities) for a child who is older. I am even learning reading rules (hacks) that I never knew. Totally worth the investment. They also have a spelling program which is just as amazing.
Grades Used: K
Love the multi scensory approach. We tried a few different reading programs before AAR. Finally one that didn't bring tears!
Cons: Non
Grades Used: Pre-k, K
We love all about reading and spelling products. Both of my boys love the quick, fun lessons. It is easy to pick up and go, which is great for our busy schedule. I am looking forward to trying more products in the future!
Grades Used: Level 2
We pulled our kids (twins-3rd grade) out of public school half way through the school year. And we started with level 2 of All About Reading. One of our children was just a little behind and the other was really struggling. Both of them are advancing nicely. Our son who was really struggling isn't complaining about reading now and is having an easier time with sounding out words. This program is easy to use. Open and go...some cutting for prep (kids like to help with that). But the lessons are nice and short and easy to follow. The price could be better...but we feel that this program is well worth the money. Really seems to be filling in the gaps that the kids (and I) have.
Grades Used: PreK-K
My 4 year old loves the use of Ziggy, the Zebra Puppet, to help learn to read. It adds some fun to sometimes boring day of school. We also enjoy the supplemental games that go along with some of the lessons and they way everything is setup to help teach each lesson. I recommend this to all my friends.
Cons: Fluency sheets are long
Grades Used: Level 1
It took me 3 years to decided on a reading program. Two friends of mine had started to use All About Reading and did nothing but RAV about it. I took a look at their books and fell in luv right then and there! I can't stop talking about this program when people ask, "What curriculum do you use for reading?" ALL ABOUT READING!!!! I'm already praising All About Spelling even though we haven't started that yet. We are just so impressed with the program! My daughter was reading a little b/f we started but once the lessons were presented to her ..... WHOOSH!!!! Her ability and confidence to sound out words has opened up a bigger reading world. We will finish level one this May and will continue on to Level 2 as well as Spelling 1. THANK YOU ALL ABOUT READING for giving ME the confidence to teach my child! The instructions are easy to read and follow. I've even relearned a few things. 🙂
Cons: We wish there were extra readers!
Grades Used: 1st
This is the first year homeschooling my 1st grade daughter, and I've been nothing but impressed by this program. I love that it's all laid out for me, the lessons are easy to follow, my daughter loves the activity sheets and reading from the books. It has been a positive experience and definitely worth the investment. We are looking forward to continuing on to Level 3 soon.
Grades Used: Level 1 and Level 2
My daughter was struggling at public school Kindergarten. I pulled her out to homeshool for first grade and started the level 1 All About Reading curriculum. When we began, she despised reading because it was so difficult for her. She was only able to read a few words. We have been homeschooling for 8 months, and we are about 2/3 through level 2. I am sure we will finish it by the end of first grade. She went from struggling to read a word to reading chapter books! The best part? She now WANTS to read. She looks forward to it and enjoys it. I found that she learns in a different way. She needs multi-sensory experiences, visuals, activities, and lots of practice. All About Reading does this for her in an enjoyable way. Two thumbs up!
Cons: none
Grades Used: Kindergarten (level 1)
We began using level 1 around the time my son turned 5. He was interested in reading, so I thought we'd give it a try. Though we really enjoyed the activities, it was a bit of a slow start. He could remember the letter sounds easily, but had to sound out every word for quite some time. Then, almost magically, at the end of level 1 everything really clicked for him. Now, he is doing so well. He tries to read EVERYTHING he sees. Many words are beyond what he has learned, but All About Reading has given him such a strong foundation. He loves reading!
Also, I really like the layout of the program. Each lesson is setup to be quick and easy to teach! I like everything about this program and plan to continue using it in the future and for all of my kids.
Cons: I don't have any
Grades Used: 2
We started AAR level 3 this year with our daughter. We are so thankful that we invested the money into this reading curriculum, it has helped our daughter have confidence in reading. The lessons are laid out so nice, opening the book and just being able to start has been a huge help. My husband and I both teach different days so knowing either one of us can pick up and continue the lessons with no planning is wonderful. Our daughter loves the activities, and the stories that always keep her interest. This reading curriculum has been a big blessing to our family. We cannot wait for level 4 to come out.
Cons: can be lengthy for struggling readers
Grades Used: K, 1st, & 2nd
I absolutely love this program! I have a struggling reader, and I needed a multi-sensory program. I cannot say enough positives things about All About Reading. The student's pages are made into a game, so my son have never complained about doing it. It is actually his favorite part of the lesson. Sometimes the fluency lessons can be too much for him. We started to break the pages up to make it less stressful. Overall, it is an amazing program!
Cons: Fluency sheets can be a little long
Grades Used: Level 1 for Kindergarten
We just finished Level 1 with my kindergarten daughter and are beginning Level 2 soon. I debated on which program to use for months. Being a former teacher for upper elementary I struggled with how I would teach my kids how to read. I decided on this program and couldn't be happier! My daughter has blossomed into a confident young reader. The readers are very cute and go from easy to more challenging as you go. The fluency sheets were a bit much at times but with proper motivation (chocolate chip after each section, jumping jacks, breaking them up into 2-3 days etc), and sometimes skipping bits here and there, I could definitely see the benefits of them. The activities with each lesson were always engaging and reinforced what she was learning. We also used the Ziggy supplemental games and my daughter absolutely loved them. It broke up some of the hard stuff with fun stuff. She adores ziggy! Looking forward to starting level 2!
Cons: Would love to see color illustrations
Grades Used: Pre k/kindergarten
We just started all about reading level 1 last week with my son. I love how easy it is for me to just open the teachers book and go. No extensive prep work or lesson planning for me, which was very important to me. My 4.5 yr old is pretty advanced for his age in terms of reading so we are breezing through the lessons on level 1, but I don't think he is quite ready for level 2. But that's what I love, is that I'm able to pick and choose what topics I feel we need to focus on, and skip over the tasks he already has mastered. This program is laid out so nicely and my son really enjoys it . We look forward to starting the All About Spelling program too! Customer service on the phone has been extremely helpful and they are so knowledgeable. I am so happy that we found this program and look forward to progressing through the levels!
I started my daughter on All About Reading about three weeks ago. She has been using the program for two weeks now and there has been a huge difference. My daughter struggled with reading until we started All About Reading. Since she was given the techniques in All About Reading to help her read she has excelled. I started on level 2. She went from barely reading to reading everything she can get her hands on. She has only read three of the stories in her reading book but she reads them fluently and without mistakes. I was amazed with the results and how quickly they occurred. My daughter has no learning curve, when she gets it that is it. I do not expect my younger daughter to pick it up that quick, but I will still be using with her too. She has started the pre-reading program and is loving it.
Cons: Price
Grades Used: Pre-K and 1st Grade
We just started using All About Reading Level 2 with my 6 year old son and Pre-reading Level with my 5 year old son. English is my second language and teaching my kids to read can be a little difficult for me. This program is helping me a lot to be better as a teacher for them. I absolutely love the CD with the sounds. We are using Level 2 for my 6 year old son right now. He is a really good reader already and this Level is very easy for him. I decided to still go over it with him because I want to make sure he didn't skip any rules. He loves the activities and asks to start our school day by All About Reading. I highly recommend this curriculum and already recommending it to my friends!
Cons: I can't think of any!
Grades Used: Levels 1 and 2
Absolutely love All about Reading. I used it for my oldest who was already reading, but this program gave him such a good review and foundation. My youngest has just completed level 1 and started level 2 this week. He felt so accomplished to finish level 1 and he is making such good progress! He feels confident and reads more on his own. I can't say enough about the kind customer service at All about Learning. I have emailed countless questions, and they quickly respond. Not just with a canned answer, but with thorough and thoughful ideas that address your child's needs. We have also used All about Spelling 1, 2, and 3, and will be purchasing level 4 this summer. My one regret is that I didn't use the pre-reading level with Ziggy!
Grades Used: K and 1st
This is a great program that allows you to meet the needs of your child. We went from a very struggling reader to one that has confidence and excitement when it comes to reading. He is starting to excel and catch up to his peers. IT is easy to use, the lessons are straight forward and easily modified to meet your needs. You can go slow or fast, there is no need to worry that you might miss something as everything is reviewed and you can always go back and review something if you need. I love that it is a reading program that I can use for a wiggly little guy. Can not wait to use it for our daughter when she gets a little bigger.