OPG or AAR?

[Guest kellbello24]

Hi everyone!  I'm new here and new to homeschooling in general, so I apologize for asking a question that I'm sure you have all answered many many times before.  I'm trying to decide between OPGTTR and AAR1 for dd's (Kindergarten) phonics curriculum.  I've skimmed through OPG at the bookstore and looked at samples of AAR1 on the website.  While I like the straightforward lessons and simplicity of OPG, I can't help but think that AAR1 would suit my teaching style and her learning style better.  That being said, she already reads fairly well and I'm not sure if AAR1 would slow her down.

 

Also, judging from the table of contents, it looks like OPG and AAR present reading rules in a different order.  Does that matter in the grand scheme of things?  Have any of you found a particular sequence more beneficial than another?  (I know I'm probably overanalyzing and splitting hairs here, but I'm still curious!)

 

One more thing...I really, really like how thorough OPG appears to be.  Is AAR comparable in that respect?

 

Thanks SO much! :)

[Arboreal TJ]

AAR is thorough no need to be concerned there.

 

AAR is a wonderful program. IMHO it is best suited for kids that need methodical, explicit instruction. If your child picks up reading easily AAR's pace, although adjustable, may be frustrating. If your child struggles with reading AAR is worth it's weight in gold!

[craftyerin]

My Kers are already reading, and I'm using Phonics Pathways (similar to OPG, and OPG would serve the same purpose) to skip through and fill in the holes for sounding out the different letter combinations that they haven't already figured out on their own. AAR would have been FAR too slow for my Kers.  Now, my 1st grader is not reading, and I'm considering buying AAR for him, since he needs something slow and methodical, I think.  I vote for you using OPG, but using a white board or some other not "reading right from the book" approach with it.  We have tons of success with Phonics Pathways that way.  I write the words, phrases, sentences, etc on a big white board, they read them and erase them.  They aren't fans of sitting on the couch with me reading from the book.  

[allisondacia]

Love AAR! We started with OPG and it was torture. Was not a good fit, but my daughter loved AAR, we are about 1/3 the way through AAR2.

[Zuzu822]

My oldest used OPG and it was very successful for him. Neither of us loved it, but it got the job done. We did read right from the book.  We started just before he turned 6 and was reading CVC words.

 

My current K'er (just turned 5) has done the first 40ish lessons from it, and I'm switching him to AAR this week.  He is doing well with OPG and enjoys it, but I needed a change. I was hesitant about switching over because OPG is so thorough and has been successful so far, but I think AAR will be a better overall fit (and this DS likes a little "busywork" and playing games).  We also use AAS and love it, so that played into my decision.

 

Neither of these children qualifies as struggling readers, but my second was a late talker and still struggles to form some sounds (TH for example), and I think AAR will help with reinforcement there too.

[Jess4879]

We use and love AAR, but we started it with a non-reader.  Because it's expensive and all the levels aren't released yet, I would look closely at the scope & sequence and also have your daughter take the placement tests.  If she's going to be placing into AAR2, for example, I'd go with something else. 

[GPMommy]

I wanted to second Phonics Pathways. Similar to OPGTR, but "funner" visually, great thorough program and the only phonics program you'll need.

[idnib]

We haven't done AAR but we're about to start.

 

We did OPGTR with DS and when it was time to start over with DD I realized I really didn't want to do it. Going through the entire book again seemed like too much for me. DS did turn into an excellent reader though, and is reading at about an 7th or 8th grade level. It's thorough but very dry.

 

In the meantime DS started AAS so I decided to move to AAR for DD's reading. She loves playing with the tiles and wants to be included. I'm hoping for the best!

[blondchen]

No experience with AAR, but I've found OPGTR to be straightforward, sometimes boring, and effective. And CHEAP. I started DD6 on it when she was 4, took some breaks here and there for new baby, etc., but she's almost finished and is reading very, very well for her age. DD4 is going through it now. There are certainly more exciting programs out there, but I found OPG to be sufficient for getting the job done. We didn't do any of the supplementary activities, and I modified the script on the fly as needed. 

 

We are going to start spelling with LOE Essentials this week. I know that learning the phonics rules more thoroughly will improve her reading considerably, but I didn't want to bog down the learning-to-read process with too many explicit rules (as long as DD was "getting it"). I thought that OPG did a good job of balancing basic phonics instruction with just getting the child reading, at a pace that was reasonable. I'm very happy with it.

[Aspasia]

I would start with OPG and move to AAR only if your daughter needs the more involved method, which it sounds like she doesn't. I say this mainly because of money (why spend more if you don't need to?) and time/effort. I'd rather try things the easier, cheaper way first, particularly with something like OPG that has successfully taught thousands of kids to read well. If that doesn't work, THEN move on to the more involved, expensive solution.

 

As for the order of phonics rules, it totally doesn't matter. But I was where you are a little over a year ago. I obsessed over this decision as if it would determine all of my child's academic success. I was wrong. It matters, but not THAT much.

 

Oh, and OPG doesn't have to be as boring as it first looks. We did most of the earlier lessons in the whiteboard. Plus, there are games sprinkled throughout. It's just not filled with pictures or colors.

[blondchen]

Oh, and OPG doesn't have to be as boring as it first looks. We did most of the earlier lessons in the whiteboard. Plus, there are games sprinkled throughout. It's just not filled with pictures or colors.

I do agree with this. Just to clarify my earlier post, when I said that OPG sometimes boring, I was referring to the stories/sentences themselves. Most of them are not very interesting, but frankly, that didn't bother me, nor did it seem to bother DD - she just wasn't all excited about doing her reading lessons. Certainly the method itself can be made more fun with doing the activities, if your DC needs that. I also find that DD is distracted by colorful pictures, so plain text works much better for us in general.

 

I'm a fan of doing what gets the job done efficiently as long as it's working. YMMV. Lots of things are fun, but some - like the mechanics of processing phonics, especially in the beginning - just aren't fun, and don't have to be, in my opinion. Once the initial fascination wore off, DD sometimes complained that it was "work", and I simply told her than anything worth learning is hard work sometimes. That's a reality of life that she might as well understand now, so I didn't blame the method. Knowing how to read is very fun, and once she figured that out we were off to the races and she never complained again.

[KristenR]

I learn so much by reading homeschool blogs and trying to find people who mirror our learning styles.  Chances are, if something works for them, it stands a greater chance of working for us.  That being said I wholeheartedly recommend using both.  OPGTR takes just a few minutes a day.  AAR is a bit more involved but VERY fun and something kids would generally prefer over the black/white straight forward OPGTR approach.  These programs enhance and compliement one another perfectly.  YOu can check out some of my thoughts of OPGTR and AAR on my blog if you are interested.

[Tonia]

I don't have any experience with AAR but am a huge fan of getting things done and OPG fit the bill for us. It is black and white and not distracting - which I actually think is a huge plus (some might consider it boring). But I didn't want bells and whistles - just something simple and straightforward. We did add in lots of games and fun things. DD is a great reader now - OPG gave her a great reading foundation. (plus it's cheap!)

[Tonia]

.... That being said, she already reads fairly well and I'm not sure if AAR1 would slow her down.

 

 

Because of this I would recommend OPG. It is very easy to skim through lessons and stop where you find your daughter needs more practice. Not sure how that would work with AAR.

[Aspasia]

I do agree with this. Just to clarify my earlier post, when I said that OPG sometimes boring, I was referring to the stories/sentences themselves. Most of them are not very interesting, but frankly, that didn't bother me, nor did it seem to bother DD - she just wasn't all excited about doing her reading lessons. Certainly the method itself can be made more fun with doing the activities, if your DC needs that. I also find that DD is distracted by colorful pictures, so plain text works much better for us in general.

 

I'm a fan of doing what gets the job done efficiently as long as it's working. YMMV. Lots of things are fun, but some - like the mechanics of processing phonics, especially in the beginning - just aren't fun, and don't have to be, in my opinion. Once the initial fascination wore off, DD sometimes complained that it was "work", and I simply told her than anything worth learning is hard work sometimes. That's a reality of life that she might as well understand now, so I didn't blame the method. Knowing how to read is very fun, and once she figured that out we were off to the races and she never complained again.

I totally agree that the sentences in OPGTR are boring! My dd never loved it. It was something to be endured. But I required a decent attitude and we just got it done and moved on to more interesting easy readers for practice. :)

[hands-on-mama]

I have not used OPG. I have thought about using it in the future to finish out phonics, but since seeing the samples of AAR 3 I don't think it will happen. :) AAR 3 looks wonderful and will be worth it for us in my opinion. I like having the hand holding though. The readers are also priceless.

 

I tried 100 easy lessons first. Dd and I both hated it. We then used MFW K. it was great, gentle, and had her sounding out CVC words like a pro. She could also sound out CCVC and CVCC words at that point. She was ready for it though. Halfway through MFW K we started using AAR 1. She was so ready for it and has breezed through this level. I slowed her down over the summer (just to have a break). She is on Lesson 42 now and will start Level 2 soon.

 

All this to say, phonics can take time. Either of these programs can work if your child is ready and your stay on a regular schedule. OPG is definitely cheaper, so if cost is an issue then you may want to go that route. If it's not, I would definitely swing for AAR. DD enjoys reading time and the work is paying off. :)

[Guest kellbello24]

Thanks so much everyone!  :001_smile:

 

Still deciding, but leaning more towards OPGTTR since she seems to be picking up reading so easily and quickly.