A home for their hearts Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I'm really on the fence about this. It seems like a lot of money for what it is. I know it includes a lot, but it just seems like there might be a lot of fluff? What are your thoughts? I want something for my dd3 that works on beginning reading skills, is there anything else that might work instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofabcd Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I personally don't think it's worth it, and it does seem to have a lot of fluff and gimicky. Although I love AAS. Really, how hard is it to teach your child the ABC's and their sounds? It's also easy to do phonemic awareness activities in everyday life. Spend your money on something else.:D That said, maybe Levels 1 and up will be a whole different ball game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I thought the Pre-level looked like some of the million things you can get for free off the web - so not worth it. It looks cute but I already have a bunch of similar worksheets from various places, plus my dd already knows her letters and letter sounds. I am waiting to see what Level 1 looks like when it comes out. If my dd hasn't already gone past it by the time it comes out, I may consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I recommend Leap Frog Letter Factory for letter sounds. I also let my kids play starfall.com at that age. Once letter sounds were down pat, Webster's Speller got us going on reading syllables and words. I just do it at the white board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I don't think so. I bought it for my 5yo because I needed something structured to work with her on. She tends to get "left out" because some of my others require so much intervention. I thought it would help me teach her the letters and sounds. She already watches Letter Factory but it hasn't "stuck." She has multiple dyslexic siblings, so I tend to be a little more paranoid than others. It really isn't worth the money it costs. She likes it, but $80 for a couple of books that don't cover much is pretty steep. If I would have spent more time looking at it, I would have realized that I could get the same thing from a rhyming game and alphabet print-outs from the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jujudalu Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I have been looking at AAR for the exact same reason. I wanted something structured for my DD3 (almost 4) so she could "do school" while her older brothers are "doing school". My children also have dyslexic issues and AAS has worked like a charm for them. I think I will go and have another look at what is included. My finger has hovered over the buy button a couple of times. I have everything made up for Reading Reflex which I used with success with my older son many moons ago. Perhaps I will just wait and use that. My daughter has also enjoyed the Bob Books app for ipad. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4maybabies Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I'm going to have to agree and say I don't think it's worth it. Is it fun? Yes...my ds4 likes it...however, he knows his letters, and most sounds. I do have 2 more coming up behind him that I can use it with so that helps justify the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Well, my daughter knew most of her short letter sounds at 4, courtesy of Leap Frog. I thought AAR Pre-1 was expensive, I balked, but I bought it. And we couldn't be happier. The phonological awareness activities have actually proved challenging for this child (who has recently turned five). I'm very sure that she is building valuable pre-blending skills. And it's SO fun and easy to use. My eight-year-old even sits in on it she likes it so much...and my three-year-old too. She also really, really wanted to do something schooly, but isn't blending yet, so this has fit the bill perfectly for us. So, I'll be the dissenting voice and say that, yes, for us it has been worth it - and yes, we got the puppet. The children love him :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I don't know, but I'm considering buying it for the 2012-2013 school year for my youngest to have something that's hers. The All About Reading Packages are available at a discount through Rainbow Resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the floating cottage Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I think it is very much worth it, depending on your needs. The quality is high and it is well written. So easy to implement, just open and go. Even though it only takes 15-20 minutes for each session, alot is learned. It is more than just learning letter sounds, it really does a good job of the 5 skills she lists. I bought it because I have a struggling boy reader and he just wasn't getting it. His father was never a good reader and I was determined to change that. Even though it seems gimmicky my son (7) loves it. He is all about Ziggy and ca't wait to play the rhyming card game. He usually hates to color but he loves these sheets. My only hang up is the production schedule. I can not wait for the next level because he has caught up and is ready to take off but if I had little ones and the extra money I would buy again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jujudalu Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 So.... my finger is still hovering :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednkirstin Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I haven't used AAR, so I'm not sure if it's worth it. But I have used AAS and I can't say enough good about it. I have used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for all six of my kids with great success. I also make sure my toddlers watch the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD regularly. I started several of my kids on the 100 lessons book at age 3 (the ones that seemed ready and eager). I could give you some tips on how I use it if you want to PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I think it is very much worth it, depending on your needs. The quality is high and it is well written. So easy to implement, just open and go. Even though it only takes 15-20 minutes for each session, alot is learned. It is more than just learning letter sounds, it really does a good job of the 5 skills she lists. I too think it depends on your needs. This is the kind of program I looked for when both of my kids were learning to read, with the phonological awareness skills built into the program and the high interest level. We floundered a lot, and I ended up putting together an eclectic mix of things after wasting a lot of time on things that didn't work for us. We got there--but I think it would have been less painful with AAR! My kids were definitely in that 34% of kids who struggle to learn to read, and they are very bright in other areas...they just needed the right method. Here's a post from the Chatterbee you may be interested in reading, that I think does a good job of explaining why the components included have a lot of value for many kids. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildwood Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thought I would share a post regarding AAR Pre-Level 1 that I wrote some time back. Maybe you will find some of it helpful... I am using AAR Pre-Level 1 with my daughter who just turned four last week. Although my daughter has known her letters and their sounds for quite some time already, I was also interested in the program for components other than learning the letters and their sounds. I bought the program so that I could have some specific, structured learning time with my daughter that provided the opportunity for fun, crafts, games, and overall interaction with me AND my 7 year old daughter as well. I ended up purchasing the complete package that included Ziggy the puppet. My daughter absolutely loves Ziggy as part of her 'school time'. The program has scripted portions that tell when Ziggy is to speak and how he interacts with the games and your child. Of course, you could have Ziggy participate however you or your child likes if that works better. I sometimes have Ziggy 'say his part' as the guide indicates and sometimes the three of us take turns with Ziggy so he can interact in ways we each personally like. Ziggy is very well loved here and my daughter takes him to bed with her as well. I would not hesitate to recommend the Ziggy puppet as I feel that it adds a lot to the program and really makes the program come to life for little ones. As far as liking the program here at our house, it absolutely gets 5-stars from me, my 4 year old and my 7 year old. It is fun, educational, and very well done, in my opinion. The materials/content are top notch and the actual products themselves, are absolutely super quality and quite beautifully done. The puppet is of high quality, the books are hard-bound and beautifully illustrated, the alphabet posters and letter/picture cards are sweetly done. Even the box that stores the cards is precious. I even appreciate the beautiful color palette that they selected to theme the program with. It is just good quality, beautiful stuff and I feel like I absolutely got what I paid for. My 4 year old often requests to 'do Ziggy', sometimes multiple times in one day! She adores the rhyming games and loves the coloring/craft sheets. I like that the program is easy to implement, has a variety of interesting activities and crafts, and offers our family time together learning and just having fun. I would recommend this program for any age that *you* feel is appropriate. It just depends on your personal goals with your child. For us, my daughter is beyond the actual learning letters and so on but, I looked at the other components---structured learning time, crafts, fun family interaction, learning games, and good old fashioned fun with a puppet---these components are what helped me to make the decision to purchase the program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 (edited) I just ordered the first one. The man at AAL said the next level is coming out in August. :) I am planning on using it for my K and 1st graders. My almost-7 yr old is still really struggling with letter identification, so I'm hoping it will help her (please, for the love of all that is holy in Mouseland, let it help her!). I just ordered it on Friday, so I haven't even looked at it yet. Edited July 12, 2011 by pfamilygal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I just ordered the first one. The man at AAL said the next level is coming out in August. :) I am planning on using it for my K and 1st graders. My almost-7 yr old is still really struggling with letter identification, so I'm hoping it will help her (please, for the love of all that is holy in Mouseland, let is help her!). I just ordered it on Friday, so I haven't even looked at it yet. I just ordered it too after my 4.5 y.o. started crying when I pulled out The Reading Lesson. I went through the samples with him on the computer and showed him Ziggy and he was so much happier. I don't think AAR would have been right for my older "just the facts" kid, but for my crafty, snuggly one I think it may be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4maybabies Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The materials/content are top notch and the actual products themselves, are absolutely super quality and quite beautifully done.The puppet is of high quality, the books are hard-bound and beautifully illustrated, the alphabet posters and letter/picture cards are sweetly done. Even the box that stores the cards is precious. I even appreciate the beautiful color palette that they selected to theme the program with. It is just good quality, beautiful stuff and I feel like I absolutely got what I paid for. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakim Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Can I ask about how much time per day I should schedule in for this? I'm working on some very rough block scheduling and am ordering this for the little guy. Obviously this varies - I'm just looking for a ballpark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 20 minutes together, maybe an extra 10 for coloring if he is a details kind of guy :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnG in Arizona Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 We just started AAR Pre-1 this week and are loving it. My son is *so* proud to finally be doing school like his sister! When Ziggy came out on the second day, my son's face literally lit up with joy. :) We personally have gone through 2 lessons so far in 4 days (2 days on Capital A, 2 days on Capital B). As a reference, my son is just turning 4 this month. We've spent maybe 15 minutes tops each day, not including the general read aloud time which we do separately. Question for those who are further into the program: how much time is it taking you to do each lesson, assuming your student is right at the target age (I mean, not 6 or 7 and doing this remedially or just for fun)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Can I ask about how much time per day I should schedule in for this? I'm working on some very rough block scheduling and am ordering this for the little guy. Obviously this varies - I'm just looking for a ballpark. 15-20 minutes for lessons, and then 20 minutes for reading aloud to your child sometime during the day. I wouldn't spend more than that on lessons--if you need to stretch them out, let a step take more than a day. Better to do a little and keep them interested than to let things take too long. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Ours came yesterday and the kids love it! It is so pretty and well made and they had a blast. Took us 20 minutes or so, plus read-aloud time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyjoh62080 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I don't think it's worth it. I purchased it and resold it within a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettucepatchkids Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I just put my order in for it yesterday and am super excited to get it!!! Yes it is a lot of money for a preK/Kindy language arts program, and that is what I was mainly having a hang up on.... BUT (from what I could find) there are no other programs like this out there that are open and go... which is something I'm coming to find I need at this time in my life. I got the basic package and ordered a zebra hand puppet from Rainbow Resource for $7.20... just a small way to save some money ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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