Aspasia Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 MCP Plaid Phonics workbooks are 300 pages long and the first one appears to cover all the material that is covered in Explode the Code books A, B, C, 1, 2, and half of 3. Granted, there may be a little less repetition. For example, the short vowel coverage in ETC is about 100 pages (all of Book 1), while Plaid's short vowel coverage is about 80 pages. Still, it has 300 pages and is only about $3 more. I guess I'm wondering if I'm overlooking something or if I just don't understand something. Why is ETC so much more popular if Plaid seems to be a better deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 i need to hear about Plaid -- it looks pretty cool to me -- :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I think ETC has little distraction. Some kids are very distracted by all the color on the Plaid books. I used the Plaid books all the time with ETC in the beginning. Often I would cut up the pages of the Plaid book to make a game. I have also used the Plaid workbooks for upper level studies - great for suffixes and prefixes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Isn't Explode the Code a newer series? I found the Plaid books at a private school book sale years ago for 25 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I like them both for different reasons. I think Explode the Code gives more reading practice, while Plaid Phonics gives approaches the phonics more from a spelling standpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 I like them both for different reasons. I think Explode the Code gives more reading practice, while Plaid Phonics gives approaches the phonics more from a spelling standpoint. Interesting. So do you use both? At the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Interesting. So do you use both? At the same time? I have, depending on what the child needed. I'm currently only using Plaid Phonics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savmom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 If you prefer black & white, get the 1998 edition of PP. You can view all the levels here but I found my copy on Paperback Swap! If you click the grade level you want then Phonics Student Edition, you can see the ISBN for either color or b&w. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Because my kiddos think ETC is hilarious. :D I like repetition and parctice, so we used ETC, but I also did a level of Plaid Phonics and Spectrum Phonics here and there over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twins05 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We've used some ETC books (Before the Code A-C and the first four levels of ETC), but now my ds6 and dd6 are finishing up Plaid Phonics A. They are much more motivated to do Plaid than they were for ETC. The pictures are clearer than ETC, I think. There are more poems and stories to read, but not as many direct questions that rely on reading. I think I'm going to stick with Plaid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We used to use ETC, but we now use Plaid Phonics in conjunction with Spelling Workout. My dc actually found ETC a bit confusing - it didn't explain the rules to them as well Plaid Phonics. I guess that's just a matter of the way you think. Anyway.. our PP-SWO combo seems to work really well, so I'm happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I don't think so. EPS was publishing ETC before I started hsing in 1982. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 With my youngest I purchased some of the ETC books and they were awful. The pages are unattractive in layout and the pictures are unclear. I could make something that looks better using the simple paint program on my computer. We moved on to CLE LTR and CLE LA/ Reading 1st with the provided 1st grade schedule using everything including all the giant flashcards in K and then to MCP Plaid Phonics C in 1st. This year we are using MCT Plaid Word Study D in 2nd. I have enjoyed the scope of material, the wording of the spelling guidelines, and the clarity of the pictures used to represent the phonics. Also, I wanted something that I could use instead of a formal spelling program prior to 3rd grade. MCP Plaid Phonics fit the bill. In February we began using Spelling Plus. This is the first time that my 8yo/2nd grader has had spelling lists, but he spells very well. Part of this may be innate ability, but I attribute a huge chuck of it to the clarity of the phonics and the spelling guidelines he received in CLE LTR and then in MCP Plaid Phonics. However, since we will be continuing with Spelling Plus, I don't think we will use MCP Plaid Word Study E next year. I am considering Spectrum's Word Study and Phonics grade 5, because it spends more time covering word structure, vocabulary, and dictionary skills/ word origins. Plus, Spectrum is cheaper and contains the answer key. If I were going to use MCP SWO for spelling, I would continue with MCP Plaid Word Study. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We do both. My oldest does well with high repetition. I figure after 3 or 4 times doing it, he will actually know it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 ok here is another question: the differnce in the editions is: ?? 2003 edition, kaola bear on it http://www.rainbowresource.com/cartdetail.php?sid=1300805732-1142032&id=023940 -- 8.50 and 1998 http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Plaid+Phonics+K+%281998+Edition%29/004831/1300805732-1142032 roo and kite on teh cover -- is 13.75 ok i don't really care about that small a $ differnce, buttttt i doesn't understand it and am afraid i am missing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennay Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I have used both at different times with different children. The sequence is slightly different - Plaid introduces long vowel sounds before ETC does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 My dd hated the look of ETC and we both hated how the pictures were sometimes difficult to decipher. I don't like anything with such bad artwork, tbh. It's one reason I also dislike Moving Beyond the Page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savmom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 ok here is another question: the differnce in the editions is: ?? 2003 edition, kaola bear on it http://www.rainbowresource.com/cartdetail.php?sid=1300805732-1142032&id=023940 -- 8.50 and 1998 http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Plaid+Phonics+K+%281998+Edition%29/004831/1300805732-1142032 roo and kite on teh cover -- is 13.75 ok i don't really care about that small a $ differnce, buttttt i doesn't understand it and am afraid i am missing something. We have used everything from the 1993 to the 2003 editions & the differences are very minor. I personally prefer the older b&w editions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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