Your Favorite Phonics Program

[StartingOver]

Which is your favorite ?

[mjpeter]

We've used Explode the Code and Bob Books for my youngest, and we didn't use a "formal" phonics course with my two older children. We just read to them. :001_smile:

[ElizabethB]

Webster's Speller, of course!

[cshell]

Veritas Press Phonics Museum & Explode the Code!!!:001_smile:

[Mosaicmind]

So far my fav would have to be SSR&W. I taught 5 kids to read with it and had great results. My last dc though didn't like it at all and we used OPGTR, but we never finished it and then he went to ps last year. I am going to use PP with him this year. I checked it out today from the library and it looks good.

[Kuovonne]

For learning to read, I like "The Reading Lesson."

 

For learning to spell, I like "Spell to Write and Read."

[Guest]

We love Abeka's phonics! (But I do love SWR, we'll transition back to it after we learn to read.)

[Dinsfamily]

SWR! Spelling and reading at the same time. I love it.

[Indygirl]

We like Abeka here. I'm kinda surprised it wasn't a choice.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

We are doing Phonics Pathways (I voted for) along with explode the code! So far I am VERY impressed with the combo!:D

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Other.

 

I use a syllabary, McGuffey Readers, and Little Critter phonics workbooks for K-2.

 

This system works perfectly for our family. My youngest son, who just turned six years old, reads a chapter aloud from the King James Bible every day.

[dcurry]

We like A Beka phonics as well. A very good, phonics-based reading program. My kids have done well with it. It does contain Christian content in their readers, though, so if you don't want that then you should choose another program. Maybe that's why it wasn't a choice.

[KrissiK]

I put "other" because we use A Beka and love it. It's kind of a hard question to answer, though, because we haven't used anything else. I knew A Beka was good, we use it, it works well for us, so it's my favorite. But, that doesn't mean much because I haven't used anything else. Something else may be better, but since this works for us I haven't gone looking for anything else.

[BatmansWife]

Well, I voted for McRuffy. But, I kinda wanted to vote for "other" also....because I also really, really like Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt. :001_smile:

[Made Unfit]

I voted other: We use and love Dancing Bears here.

[Miss Sherry]

My favorite phonics program has been Play N Talk. I don't know if the complete program is available for sell at the moment. But it is wonderful.

 

edited to add: Before using Play N Talk, we did the Get Ready,Get Set, Go for the Code Primers along with a lot of hands on activities to learn the letter sounds. Some of the activities were things like baking a cookie in the shape of the letter being learned, painting the letter with finger paints, I had the letters cut out of sandpaper - my dd traced over the sandpaper letters with her finger, also writing the letter shapes with her finger in corn meal.

 

Another fun phonics resource is The Junior Phonics Game. It is expensive new, but I found it used on ebay. I also found Play N Talk in excellent used condition on ebay.

 

I purchased Phonics Games and Learning Activities from Teacher Created Resources and my daughter enjoyed doing a lot of the games. It was like playing to learn instead of doing boring school work.

Here's a link to the Teacher Created Resources item. http://www.teachercreated.com/products/phonics-games-learning-activities-2354

Edited September 9, 2010 by Miss Sherry
to post a link

[Miss Sherry]

I put "other" because we use A Beka and love it. It's kind of a hard question to answer, though, because we haven't used anything else. I knew A Beka was good, we use it, it works well for us, so it's my favorite. But, that doesn't mean much because I haven't used anything else. Something else may be better, but since this works for us I haven't gone looking for anything else.

Sometimes there is just no need to go looking for anything else. Like the old saying, "if it's not broken don't fix it". :001_smile:

I've heard others IRL say they have liked the A Beka phonics program.

[SABE]

Phonics Pathways is the only phonics program that we've tried, but it has worked really well for my two children who have used it.

[nansk]

You'll get as many responses as there are members on this forum. :-D

 

I prefer free (yet great) resources, so we used Blend Phonics, followed by Webster's Speller.

[Closeacademy]

SWR is my favorite and we tried a lot of different programs before it so I've compared.

 

But I also adapt it. We focus on just the phonograms until they are reading well then we start using it for spelling and working through the lists. This is what I do:

 

K-1 1 phonogram per week, 26 letters, a few multi-letter phonograms. I have visual pictures, key words and movements to go with each phonogram. We also have a fairy tale for each phonogram we do for the year.

 

2nd--we do most of the phonograms and a few of the spelling rules. These are linked to Aesop's fables. Again we use the pictures, key words, and movements but I also have silly sentences using the phonograms. I also dictate some of the words and they read easy readers.

 

3rd and on we work through the lists.

 

It's worked with both of my dds. :001_smile:

[*Jessica*]

Tanglewood Education's Really Reading. We used that combined with a little Hooked on Phonics and something worked, because my 6-year-old is reading at a late fourth grade level.

[Aoife]

We've tried a lot so far trying to find the right fit :tongue_smilie:

 

things we tried but didn't work:

 

Phonics pathways - got it read it sent it back way too much of a learning curve for me. It was like looking at something alien with no direction.

 

OPGTR - this worked well for a while but it got a bit too dry and shelved it for a while. Came back to it for a bit and although I love the instruction there is too much I didn't like that weighed my decision. DS is confused by the capital I looking like a lower case l and it drove him crazy. I hate that there are "sight words" introduced instead of a way to pronounce and read them phonetically.

 

100 EZ - this was anything but. The only thing I like(d) about this book was the slider arrow underneath the word which in all honesty did help DS to understand what it was to blend. However the font was way too confusing for him.

 

SSRW - good idea but same thing can be achieved for less money, better workbooks and more consistently. We had a great phonics music CD we got for 4 bucks off amazon that DS liked better, we have like 4 alphabet/blend bingo games, have a bunch of alphabet cards to play go fish with so we sold this one ans chalked it up to a learning experience.

 

Sonlight K - I bought this with my core and quickly sent it back enough said.

 

If my kiddos were older I might have gone the route of phonics road which is my grass is greener plight however I have decided to go with dancing bears. Out of all the programs suggested to me that I really looking into closely dancing bears looked the best to me for the best value. We should be getting it any day now and fingers crossed that this is what we've been looking for!

[Guest momk2000]

Christian Liberty Press. It isn't colorful, but it is a very solid program. I used this with my oldest (now in 4th), and am now just starting with youngest dd, 5yrs. :001_smile:

[Disney Dreaming]

A Beka!

[Free Indeed]

I have not read all the replies, but by FAR my favorite phonics program is Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt. I have taught several children to read (mine and some others) with this program, and it is awesome. So simple, and it gets them reading, and they LOVE to read. :D

[Holly]

We use The Writing Road to Reading (Spaulding method). We also use McGuffey readers and ETC. I teach them the phonograms, then we move onto the McGuffey primer and ETC 1.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Recipe for Reading leading into The Phonics Road...hands down.

[Guest CarolineUK]

Jolly Phonics. Oxford Reading Tree generally, Floppy's Phonics is their take on phonics.

[Mosaicmind]

Recipe for Reading leading into The Phonics Road...hands down.

 

Can you link me to Recipe for Reading?

[StartingOver]

Awesome, keep the opinions coming. I see so many starting this time of year, asking about phonics. So just wanted to get lots of opinions in one place.

 

In the old days we used HOP and 100 Easy Lessons, along with I See Sam, & HOP readers.

 

With my son now I used OPGTR, along with Sonlight readers, HOP readers, McGuffey Eclectic Readers, & anything else I can get my hands on. It has worked wonderfully for him. He is reading very well. Of course we also love Leap Frog DVD's & Starfall. It is much easier not to use a very wide approach to reading.

[BatmansWife]

Can you link me to Recipe for Reading?

 

I believe it's this one:

 

http://rlac.com/store/Recipe-For-Reading.html

 

 

http://orton-gillingham.com/frmShoppingCatalog.aspx?intCategoryID=4&intProductID=18

 

 

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/dynamic/pop-ups/rtu_pop-up.asp?series=491M&seriesdescription=Recipe%20for%20Reading

[Heather in VA]

VP's Phonics Museum and then Phonics Road. I prefer not starting Phonics Road until after they are reading.

 

Heather

[Mosaicmind]

I believe it's this one:

 

http://rlac.com/store/Recipe-For-Reading.html

 

 

http://orton-gillingham.com/frmShoppingCatalog.aspx?intCategoryID=4&intProductID=18

 

 

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/dynamic/pop-ups/rtu_pop-up.asp?series=491M&seriesdescription=Recipe%20for%20Reading

 

 

Thanks

[LaurainMD]

All three of the "phonics" tools we use are "other" on the poll... :)

 

1. Reading Eggs -- best computer-based system I've seen.

2. AAS -- teaches the phonograms systematically in a way that is engaging and really works for my kid. I love that she is learning encoding and decoding at the same time.

3. McRuffey Eclectic Primers -- love love love. I feel like we are learning our phonics and our history at the same time. ;)

[MrsMe]

My dd used LLATL Blue. She's hands on, so she loved it!

 

We continued with the phonics books in R&S Reading, but just the phonics.

[SkateLeft]

For my girls, who were early readers, my favorite phonics program was K12's Phonicsworks.

 

For my son, my favorite phonics program is definitely McRuffy... very easy to use, no bells and whistles, short lessons, and enjoyable readers.

[MaMa2005]

Explode the Code - easy to teach and covers all the bases.

[MyLittleWonders]

For us, it is Phonics Pathways and All About Spelling. We also have been using Hooked on Phonics with good success, but I brought in Phonics Pathways because it had more practice/drill. And though I bought (and use) All About Spelling for a spelling program, it has been wonderful for increasing their reading ability as well.

[Jackie in NE]

Veritas Press Phonics Museum & Explode the Code!!!:001_smile:

ditto

[Hen]

I voted 'other', I really liked using Headsprout phonics, it is an online course, we put 3 kids through it and we were very happy with the program.

[Jumping In Puddles]

ABeCeDarian

 

It's simple and effective!

[Oakblossoms]

my youngest has struggled. He was in Speech Therapy for a few years. He never received a diagnosis though. We have tried a variety of those in the poll. but, what has finally worked is HOP. It seemed so expensive. But, our VA pays for it. I wish Ihad tried it sooner.

[Marie in Oh]

Learning to Read- it is awesome.

[Guest]

I like Calvert's K reading program, and R&S. HOP seems good too.

[mom31257]

My favorite at this point is CLE's LA and reading programs. I wish I had know about it before the middle of last year.

 

I did use A Beka's K4 with my two to learn initially. The blending that A Beka teaches really helped mine understand blending. I didn't use it for K and up. I just think it is a great starter for preschoolers.

 

I really liked Horizon's K program that I used. It is very, very fast moving. I used it over K and 1st. I switched to CLE half way through 1st. I had the phonics book, a grammar book, a spelling book, and copywork for penmanship. CLE really simplified my life! It was all 4 in one.

[AudreyTN]

Explode the Code worked for my oldest 2. Now I'm using ABeCeDarian with ds 7.

 

But in my perfect world :D we would use Explode the Code Primers to learn letter sounds and then move to Ordinary Parent's Guide.

[Ellie]

 

Spalding, which technically isn't a "phonics" program, as it teaches children to read by teaching them to spell. :)

[Whereneverever]

Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading + Hooked on Phonics.

[Aoife]

If we are adding readers into the mix .......

 

our lineup is :

 

Dancing Bears

bob books

sonlight K readers

tag reader short and long vowels series

mcguffey readers

some made by mom

and we also own and love the leap frog DVDs

[flobee76]

we LOVE Spell to Write and Read here. It's amazing!