What is your favorite Phonics program and why

[King Alfred Academy]

I'm thinking ahead for next year for my Ker and am curious as to what has worked for you. I am familiar with OPGTR but want something more than just scripted word lists. Something with pictures (maybe) and/or manipulatives (does that even exist in a phonics program?) He is a visual, hands on learner. Sing, Spell, Read & Write is way too expensive to consider. Any other suggestion? What about Phonics Pathways? Would love your thoughts on curriculum for Phonics. Oh, and maybe I should mention I plan on using All About Spelling. I noticed Phonics Pathways incorporates spelling.

Thanks for your help!

[siloam]

I'm thinking ahead for next year for my Ker and am curious as to what has worked for you. I am familiar with OPGTR but want something more than just scripted word lists. Something with pictures (maybe) and/or manipulatives (does that even exist in a phonics program?) He is a visual, hands on learner. Sing, Spell, Read & Write is way too expensive to consider. Any other suggestion? What about Phonics Pathways? Would love your thoughts on curriculum for Phonics. Oh, and maybe I should mention I plan on using All About Spelling. I noticed Phonics Pathways incorporates spelling.

Thanks for your help!


Well I don't recommend you follow in my footsteps, but I use a combo of SL LA and Spell to Write and Read. Why both?

Sonlight (SL) LA is word family based and follows a traditional progression to introduce words: long vowel, short vowel, diphthongs, ect... I find the word family approach an easier, more encouraging way to learn to read, but not that through on phonic because once the child can read them it doesn't really every cover them again.

Spell to Write and Read (SWR) is a vertical phonics system, so basically introduces all the letter sounds upfront. So A says /a/ as in bat, /A/ as in bake and /ah/ as in father. The author has an dyslexic child so multi sensor approaches are used, which I love. This method doesn't use any early readers and just works on spelling till reading "clicks" for the child and they can at that point read almost anything around a 3rd grade level.

Practically what does that mean? Daily I cover phonics via SWR which means phonics bingo, using sand letter cards, writing our letters in sand, listening to the CD or working with flash cards. Reading I cover with SL via dictation and early readers (lots more than they schedule).

If I had to choose one it would be SWR, but add in the easy readers. You can use the SWR spelling words to make easy dictation with. I just had SL because I use it with my oldest so I continue to make use of it.

Heather

[one l michele]

SWR because then you don't need a phonics program, it covers spelling too, and is non consumable.

[Gamom3]

.

[Kathie in VA]

My favorite is Alpha Phonics but it doesn't have any pictures.... but that worked great for us. It's simple, bare bones, straight to reading. Quick and easy to use and follow. and it really worked great! :)

[Free Indeed]

I have used Reading Made Easy with my 2 girls and am using it now with my 3rd dd who is 4. I LOVE it! It is scripted, but the stories (a sentence at first, then adding more) are illustrated - you are supposed to cover the picture while they read, then show it to them and discuss it. It has copy work included (the story you just read) if you are ready for that and you write the words from the story (or 1 sentence from the story) on index cards for the child to arrange in the proper order. There are visual clues (bold a says long a- gray a is short vowel sound- sight words are underlined, silent letters are dotted) She has bingo games too for the sight words. We have really enjoyed this program and the kids love reading.
http://www.valeriebendt.com/ReadingMadeEasy.aspx This link has sample pages- and it is about $45 on her site- I think it is less at Rainbow resource. HTH! :D

[Trivium Academy]

Sing, Spell, Read & Write which is our #1 pick for K, we're using Horizons Preschool starting in September (if ds will wait that long) and I figure we'll assess where he is after Horizons to make a final decision on a phonics program.

Sing, Spell, Read & Write seems to be a good fit for what you're looking for, manipulatives (games) and visual elements. I love how it makes learning to read look like fun, my ds will love the race car!

Have fun researching

[Aletheia Academy]

has been great here. It has no bells and whistles. It's just very simple, clear, incremental steps, and it can be used as a spelling primer, too. My kids are on the young side (almost 5 and 3 1/2), so we often do less than one page a day, and I write out the lesson on a white board for them. They love it. Honestly, the progress they have made since September with that very little effort has been amazing for them both.

I do supplement with Explode the Code. The kids really enjoy the fun workbook pages- about 4 per day- and it reinforces concepts already leadrned in PP. It's easy and makes them feel good to know the material- confidence builder.

[3lilreds in NC]

The program itself is wonderful, perfect for K IMHO. The phonics is wonderful, and you do use some manipulatives - you get a textured alphabet puzzle which they use to trace letters with fingers and spell things out on a "blend ladder," and they have suggestions for making playdough letters or tracing in sand, etc. It's a wonderful multisensory program in all areas.

www.mfwbooks.com

[3lilreds in NC]

We're using All About Spelling as a follow on to MFW and it's working really well, BTW.

[Karin]

We also do a combination of Phonics Pathways and Explode the Code. In addtion, for ds, we did Handwriting Without Tears. I bought Sing, Spell..., Pre-K, but didn't really use it as ds wasn't ready and my eldest required a lot of time and energy. We didn't do a lot of manipulatives outside of HWT (lots of stuff for letter formation), but did do some things with fridge magnets and an extra set of Scrabble letters dh found.

[Lisawa]

my son used Horizons K and 1st grade. No more phonics after that...

My middle daughter ( who was a very "late" reader) Alpha Phonics, Saxon phonics K-2 and explode the code.

RyLee Saxon Phonics K-2 thats it. :) I dabbled with others, but these were the ones that worked.

[nukeswife]

I know many don't like computer based systems but my dd loves Click n kids online phonics program. We tried OPG as well as headsprout (another online program) and like Click n kids the most. OPG was boring for her, headsprout was ok but I didn't like that if I didn't think she'd gotten the lesson I had to call the company to have them reset it back a lesson or 2, with Click n kids if I don't think she did well enough to move on I just go to the student list and put her back a lesson or 2. I also like that the subscription is forever. Once she finishes the 100 lessons I can delete her and put my next child on (if you need 2 kids at once there is a $10 charge I believe) also when we're completely done we can give our subscription to another family free of charge, it's kind of like a pay it forward thing.

HTH

[kfrench]

All about spelling. It is SWR in scripted form simplified and spelled out with colored letter tiles, Flash cards and built in review. And you can move at your own speed. I could never figure out SWR but this program uses the same phonogram system and teaches all the rules of spelling, it starts from the very beginning with alphabet sounds and includes blending 2 sounds and then 3 sounds and then from there. My kids love the colorful letter tiles. It seems to make words stick better with the colorful tiles. My dd that struggles with spelling took to the tiles and is suddenly getting her spelling words the first time instead of the 50'th. She says she can see which way looks right. It uses sight, sound, and hands on so that you can teach all the types of learners. Non of the other programs clicked because my kids needed the daily review of the flash cards and spelling rules.

kris

[Amy+2]

I used Alphaphonics with ETC for my oldest. Worked great for him...but, with my youngest, we just finished McRuffy K Phonics and Reading. It was WONDERFUL! So gentle, yet completely thorough. I love it because it covered all the bases. Copy a sentence daily, wonderful readers, great sliders-that my son loved cutting out each week, awesome teacher manual-no prep time necessary; all in all I think it is the best program I have ever used in our homeschool. And, that's saying a lot considering all of the curriculum I have bought and sold over the past 3-4 years.:rolleyes:

[Melissa B]

Hooked on Phonics -

Because it has worked for my first two children, because we move directly into reading without any other programs and because I have never tried anything else!

[Ellie]

which technically isn't phonics; it teaches children to read by teaching them to spell. It also covers penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and basic writing. With the addition of the teacher guides, it can also teach grammar and more complex writing.

[JABarney]

both my children love HOP and have fun with ETC online. Not cheap, but worth every penny!

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Explode the Code, 3 pages daily *and* Easy Readers (bob book, nora gaydos, etc) 2 per day read to mom

has really, really been working VERY good for my boy. :D

Have you ever looked at Happy Phonics for your hands on dc?

I could see myself doing this:
2 pages of ETC earns you a Happy Phonics game with mom! ;)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Phonics Pathways is my favorite because it worked so well with both of my children. There are no bells or whistles, but it's thorough and rigorous. It leaves nothing out. My kids were reading at a fourth grade level when we finished, and they could sound out practically anything they saw. I will use it again when my 2yodd is old enough.

[Kelli in TN]

Alphaphonics....no bells, no whistles, no jingles, no games! Affordable, easy to implement, I have used it with six kids ranging from very early readers to very late readers.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We love Phonics Pathways here as well. The sketches on the page are cute but not distracting. The print is large enough to be easily read, and I like that it is all contained within one book. For a little variation, we sometimes took the book and spelled out the lessons with magnets on the refridgerator. We moved the letters closer together to blend into words.

HTH

[LisaTheresa]

I loved this program for both of my kids because it really kept their interest and it gave them a very strong start in reading. It really was fun and worked well for a child with mild ld's as well as a typical learner.

Lisa

[Lori C, Texas]

We did 100 easy lessons when our 6 year old was learning to read but our 4 year old would have nothing to do with it. So, we are doing HOP Kindergarten. He loves it and is really going through it fast! I was at Fry's electronics this morning. I don't know if you all have those where you live but they had each grade level for only $24.99 and with a mail in rebate of $15.99! So, I went ahead and picked up the 1st grade one. I should have went ahead and got the other levels!:)

[King Alfred Academy]

Wow! You all have given me some great suggestions and programs to look at. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post and help me out with this!:D