AAR level 1

[3peasinapod]

Can I have some honest reviews of AAR level 1? We are doing pre-1, and we like it. I am concerned levels won't be out when I need them and wondering if I should just go with something else after we finish pre-1.

 

I am looking at SL's new LA K that looks like the writing portions have evened out and the child isn't expected to write letters they haven't even learned yet.

 

Any thoughts to help my frazzled brain? :001_huh:

[FairProspects]

We loved AAR Pre-Level 1, and I just sent back AAR 1. It moves at a snail's pace and every other lesson is reading from the readers, so the whole manual contains about 25 phonics lessons, most of which were incredibly easy (IMHO). Once a kid can read log, they usually don't need another 10 lessons on cat, hit, bed, etc. Yes, there are a few lessons on digraphs, and compound words made out of CVC words, but I'm pretty sure ds could intuit those himself. I just felt like it was quite expensive for not a lot of content and moved too slowly. Just my 2 cents.

[squirtymomma]

We loved AAR Pre-Level 1, and I just sent back AAR 1. It moves at a snail's pace and every other lesson is reading from the readers, so the whole manual contains about 25 phonics lessons, most of which were incredibly easy (IMHO). Once a kid can read log, they usually don't need another 10 lessons on cat, hit, bed, etc. Yes, there are a few lessons on digraphs, and compound words made out of CVC words, but I'm pretty sure ds could intuit those himself. I just felt like it was quite expensive for not a lot of content and moved too slowly. Just my 2 cents.

 

Oh noooo! Don't say that! What to do... what to do...

[ksmiles]

FairProspects, thank you for your honest assessment!

 

:lurk5: I am also concerned about starting a program like AAR that doesn't have all the levels released yet.

 

We have a homeschool convention coming up next month where I hope to look over the materials from Phonics Road and Logic of English. Maybe actually seeing the curriculum will help me make a decision!

[LittleIzumi]

The Drama LOVES it so far, but she is mainly excited about the readers. I think it's because it's a REAL book, hardcover with the gorgeous illustrations, instead of a BOB book. She isn't even very interested in the cut & paste activities right now. She wants to READ a few more pages of the reader every day. We've only used it for a week so far. I'm not sure how I like the instruction--it's pretty much different ways to dress up reading practice of CVC words so far. They expect you to blend from day one and just add a few letters each lesson so far. However, the readings at the end are multisyllabic, so I expect more instruction to be forthcoming in the later lessons.

[3peasinapod]

The Drama LOVES it so far, but she is mainly excited about the readers. I think it's because it's a REAL book, hardcover with the gorgeous illustrations, instead of a BOB book. She isn't even very interested in the cut & paste activities right now. She wants to READ a few more pages of the reader every day. We've only used it for a week so far. I'm not sure how I like the instruction--it's pretty much different ways to dress up reading practice of CVC words so far. They expect you to blend from day one and just add a few letters each lesson so far. However, the readings at the end are multisyllabic, so I expect more instruction to be forthcoming in the later lessons.

 

Even if I don't go with level 1, I think I'll get the readers anyway. We love the pre level books, and my older girls even pour over them.

[Irishmommy]

I sot of feel the same as Fairprospects. I ordered AAR 1 because we were loving pre-level. My 1st grade dd was having trouble putting it all together with just ETC and Bob books. I thought a total program would help. We have only done 8 lessons and she raced ahead. We have ditched th lessons and just enjoyed the readers. I am not sure if I'll send it back or not. I may just keep it for my littlest for next year.

[raceNzanesmom]

I can't help with AAR1, but we're using AAS level 2 with the level 2 readers. It's working really well. I would think you could do the same with level 1- even if you go through it the first time to learn reading then go through it again to master spelling.

 

There's a really good post on here somewhere about using AAS to teach reading.

[nukeswife]

We're about 13 lessons into AAR 1 and my son loves it, as much as he loves reading the book he also loves all the reading of the cards and the cut and paste things. I think the incremental approach is working well for him. We could move faster, but I want him to have lots of practice learning to sound out the words and reading of phrases and sentences help build his fluidity in reading.

 

The one really good thing about AALP is their 1 year return guarantee. You have a whole year to really try it out and actually use it to decide and can always send it back in that time if it's not your cup of tea, or you don't like it/don't think it's working for you.

[LynnG in Arizona]

We're about 13 lessons into AAR 1 and my son loves it, as much as he loves reading the book he also loves all the reading of the cards and the cut and paste things. I think the incremental approach is working well for him. We could move faster, but I want him to have lots of practice learning to sound out the words and reading of phrases and sentences help build his fluidity in reading.

 

The one really good thing about AALP is their 1 year return guarantee. You have a whole year to really try it out and actually use it to decide and can always send it back in that time if it's not your cup of tea, or you don't like it/don't think it's working for you.

 

 

Second post in a row in which I'm agreeing with this poster! :D

 

We're very happy with AAR Level 1. It does move slowly, but I think many, many students need to park for a while at the "CVC" level before progressing to long vowels and harder phonics concepts. There are kids who can zip through phonics super quickly - I had a child like that who learned to read quickly and fluently by age 3 - but for a more typical child, I think hanging out a while and getting super fluent with the CVC words can build a really solid foundation.

 

Maybe because I'm using it with my Pre-K'er (he'll turn 5 in July), but the slow pace is just perfect for his short attention span. We're taking about 4 days to go through most lessons.

 

As has been pointed out in other posts, the Fluency Pages get a little intimidating to the average child. There are a LOT of words on one page for a brand new little reader!

 

We have dealt with that by assigning just one little section of a fluency page each day, and then awarding a sticker when that section is finished.

 

It's definitely a solid program! I am nervous, however, about exactly when Level 2 will be released. :confused:

[SnMomof7]

I'm actually glad to hear AAR Level 1 goes slowly (waiting for ours to come in the mail). My newly 6-yo isn't consistently blending without guessing yet, so she needs to go SLOWLY with this, with lots of practice on individual words, so I'm glad it doesn't rush ahead :). Thanks for sharing!

[LittleIzumi]

Second post in a row in which I'm agreeing with this poster! :D

 

We're very happy with AAR Level 1. It does move slowly, but I think many, many students need to park for a while at the "CVC" level before progressing to long vowels and harder phonics concepts. There are kids who can zip through phonics super quickly - I had a child like that who learned to read quickly and fluently by age 3 - but for a more typical child, I think hanging out a while and getting super fluent with the CVC words can build a really solid foundation.

 

Maybe because I'm using it with my Pre-K'er (he'll turn 5 in July), but the slow pace is just perfect for his short attention span. We're taking about 4 days to go through most lessons.

 

As has been pointed out in other posts, the Fluency Pages get a little intimidating to the average child. There are a LOT of words on one page for a brand new little reader!

 

We have dealt with that by assigning just one little section of a fluency page each day, and then awarding a sticker when that section is finishe d.

 

It's definitely a solid program! I am nervous, however, about exactly when Level 2 will be released. :confused:

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: The fluency pages are HUGE to throw at a kid if they are really this new at CVC words. We also do a bit at a time--a row or two at once only. We also use the cutout card for it. Dd LOVES that card.

[bethanyjoy]

My daughter is about 3/4 of the way through McRuffy's Phonics Kindergarten program. I don't think I want to use McRuffy's 1st grade phonics program next year and thought that I might use AAR Level 1 and go a little faster through it, hoping that AAR Level 2 would be out by the time we need it. However, from the sound of the posts on this thread, I'm wondering if this isn't such a good idea. In McRuffy, she is just starting to learn about the long vowel sounds. Will AAR Level 1 be way too easy after finishing McRuffy's Kindergarten program???

 

Bethany

[MerryAtHope]

As has been pointed out in other posts, the Fluency Pages get a little intimidating to the average child. There are a LOT of words on one page for a brand new little reader!

 

Good solution with the stickers! And remember you don't have to assign it all--there is a lot included for remedial readers & not all new readers need that. There's a note up front explaining that you can decide what's enough and when to move on, especially for a younger beginner.

[MerryAtHope]

My daughter is about 3/4 of the way through McRuffy's Phonics Kindergarten program. I don't think I want to use McRuffy's 1st grade phonics program next year and thought that I might use AAR Level 1 and go a little faster through it, hoping that AAR Level 2 would be out by the time we need it. However, from the sound of the posts on this thread, I'm wondering if this isn't such a good idea. In McRuffy, she is just starting to learn about the long vowel sounds. Will AAR Level 1 be way too easy after finishing McRuffy's Kindergarten program???

 

Bethany

 

Depends. If she still has to sound out CVC words, consonant blends, short open-syllable words and short-vowel compound words, then you might use it to help her gain fluency. If she is reading those smoothly already, you'll probably want to wait for Level 2. Have you looked at the sample Teacher's Manual? Near the back you can see a complete listing of all the words taught in Level 1. HTH! Merry :-)

[LynnG in Arizona]

My daughter is about 3/4 of the way through McRuffy's Phonics Kindergarten program. I don't think I want to use McRuffy's 1st grade phonics program next year and thought that I might use AAR Level 1 and go a little faster through it, hoping that AAR Level 2 would be out by the time we need it. However, from the sound of the posts on this thread, I'm wondering if this isn't such a good idea. In McRuffy, she is just starting to learn about the long vowel sounds. Will AAR Level 1 be way too easy after finishing McRuffy's Kindergarten program???

 

Bethany

 

Hmmm . . . I just might be a good person to ask this, because this time last year I was finishing McRuffy K with my daughter . . . and I'm currently about 1/3rd through AAR Level 1 with my son. :)

 

I agree with what Merry said (she always gives great advice!) about looking toward your child's specific abilities and reading progress.

 

But . . . the short answer to your question, imo, is "yes". By the end of McRuffy K, your child will be comfortable with all CVC words, many diagraphs (th, ch, sh, etc.), and will be learning about long vowel words. I do think that it would be a step backward to pick up AAR Level 1 at that point, unless your child is struggling or needs extra review.

 

What I did in this situation was to start All About Spelling when my dd was about 75% through McRuffy K and go through it slowly. It took us an entire year, in fact.

 

And then when we finished McRuffy K, I ordered the Dynamic Phonics Book from McRuffy (kind of McRuffy's version of the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading) plus the McRuffy 1st grade readers. The progression of those readers correlates nicely to the Dynamic Phonics Book, so I would use that book to introduce new phonics concepts, and we would then spend about a week or so on each new reader. I did almost none of the workbooks, and you could skip buying them if you wanted to. McRuffy 1 is SUPER heavy on spelling and grammar, and I much prefer the AAS approach. However, the McRuffy 1 readers are cute, phonetically controlled, and pretty much a great continuation of the McRuffy K readers.

 

My daughter just finished the McRuffy 1st grade readers. We are now working through the Sonlight Emerging Readers, along with their (inexpensive) schedule. She's also a few lessons into AAS Level 2. It's not a perfect plan, but it's the best I've been able to do considering that AAR Levels 2 and above are not yet released.

 

HTH! :)

[squirtymomma]

I'm actually glad to hear AAR Level 1 goes slowly (waiting for ours to come in the mail). My newly 6-yo isn't consistently blending without guessing yet, so she needs to go SLOWLY with this, with lots of practice on individual words, so I'm glad it doesn't rush ahead :). Thanks for sharing!

 

I don't mind that it goes slowly. I'm just not thrilled with paying $150 for 25 (?) lessons. And no one knows how many levels it will take to get through the basic phonics/reading instruction, do they?

[MerryAtHope]

I don't mind that it goes slowly. I'm just not thrilled with paying $150 for 25 (?) lessons. And no one knows how many levels it will take to get through the basic phonics/reading instruction, do they?

 

Actually 49 lessons in L1 :). The author has planned 8 levels of All About reading, divided into 3 components:

 

Pre-reading skills are covered in the Pre-1 level, then levels 1-4 will cover learning to read and phonics.

 

The additional levels will take students up to high-school level reading.

 

HTH some! Merry :-)

[sweetpea3829]

I haven't looked at AAR1...I sent back pre-level 1....I was not impressed with it and how slowly it moved.

 

To be fair, my kiddos were well beyond pre-level 1s work...probably beyond AAR1s work. But in flipping through the pre-level 1 book, I just couldn't help but feel like, "I can do this much more cheaply and where is the phonemic awareness teaching?"

 

I know that there is some disagreement over how much phonemic awareness is in pre-level 1, but I didn't see enough of it and imo, phonemic awareness is a pre-reading skill.

 

We have used HOP and I've not been thrilled with that either. Right now, DS5 is learning about the three sounds of -ed (/ed/, /d/, and /t/). HOP has given no lessons on WHY -ed makes those three sounds and when to use it. I'm not happy with that.

 

We are using AAS1 and I've been more pleased with that. I plan to use AAS levels beyond HOPs 3rd grade phonics to continue teaching reading and phonics rules.

 

My one complaint so far with AAS1 is that some of the rules cards are not worded the way I would like them to be. But that's easy enough to change.

 

For us, I found the segmenting with counters at the beginning of the curriculum a bit redundant. But that's because my kiddos mastered segmenting and blending orally and with fingers when they were 4 and 3.

 

I would love to see that thread on using AAS for reading. Anybody have a link for it?

[FairProspects]

Actually 49 lessons in L1 :). The author has planned 8 levels of All About reading, divided into 3 components:

 

Pre-reading skills are covered in the Pre-1 level, then levels 1-4 will cover learning to read and phonics.

 

The additional levels will take students up to high-school level reading.

 

HTH some! Merry :-)

 

Yes, but about half of those 49 lessons are just reading the stories in the reader, which is where I got around 25 lessons of phonics instruction. I think it is an important point to distinguish because had I realized that, I probably would not have ordered AAR 1 in the first place (and I love every other All About Learning Press product we have tried!). It is just quite a bit of money for not a lot of content. I feel that the readers should have been more of a footnote for practice within the lessons (which would have allowed for more phonics within the first level), rather than lessons dedicated to them alone, but JMHO.

[sweetpea3829]

Meant to add this...

 

I had thought about buying just the readers from AAR1 to use with AAS, but IMO, the readers from AAR1 are too expensive. For the cost of them, I can go to Scholastic and buy a slew of readers, chapter books, etc. AND, I can earn bonus points!

 

What we are doing is stocking our home library with titles that are below, at, and slightly above their reading levels. They can choose whatever book they want and sit and read it to me...or with me, if the title is above their reading level. When they come across words they haven't learned rules for, we'll talk about how to read it and why it's read that way.

 

I'll put out titles that reinforce phonics rules we might be working on, like Sheep in a Jeep when we're learning /ee/.

 

So far, so good!

[MerryAtHope]

Yes, but about half of those 49 lessons are just reading the stories in the reader, which is where I got around 25 lessons of phonics instruction. I think it is an important point to distinguish because had I realized that, I probably would not have ordered AAR 1 in the first place (and I love every other All About Learning Press product we have tried!). It is just quite a bit of money for not a lot of content. I feel that the readers should have been more of a footnote for practice within the lessons (which would have allowed for more phonics within the first level), rather than lessons dedicated to them alone, but JMHO.

 

Sorry, I forgot that the 25 was from your note above, I thought the person I responded to wasn't sure on the count. I hope you were able to include your feedback with your return, it's good for a company to hear why something doesn't work for someone, as well as why it does.

 

I can see why you might think there wasn't teaching in the steps that focus on the readers--that instruction focuses on teaching kids comprehension skills rather than on phonics. I actually really like how it models how to teach these skills. That wasn't something I did naturally, but may be something you do without thinking and therefore didn't really need that in a TM. No program works for everyone & I love when companies allow for returns when something doesn't work!

 

Merry :-)