LOE Foundations or All About Reading Level 1

[happycc]

Why would you use and why?

[Coco_Clark]

They are both well-regarded easy to use programs. So I think it comes down to learning style.

I only have direct experience with LOE and it is well suited for active children. Many of the games (and it is very game based) include running, jumping, throwing ect. Very little fine motor control is required, as you are encouraged to use a moveable alphabet if you wish, even for the spelling.

AAR I have only looked at, but it seems to me that it is better for workbook kids- the ones that like to do lots of cutting and coloring. This seems supportive by other opinions I've read on the forum. Hopefully someone who has actually used AAR can chime in.

[happycc]

I have used AAR pre k and my son hates it. Too much cutting, coloring for him. I make him do it because of the fine motor skills needed. But still LOE might be a better fit for him. 

[a27mom]

I like LOE foundations because it is very open and go, yet very adaptable. I have kids who have decent fine motor, but tend to only like cutting and coloring on their own terms. They love the active games and activities of foundations. There is lots of support on the LOE website, including teacher training videos on YouTube. (The videos aren't specific to foundations, but are excellent!)

I haven't tried AAR though. Looked at it briefly, but it didn't appeal to me.

[73349]

I think the limited number of posts in this thread suggests that people have used one or the other (if either) and been happy enough with it that they didn't try the other. (And I am another such person--we are using LOE and I've bought the next level because it's good.)

 

OP, what are you looking for in a program?

[lexi]

I've used both. I'll try to come back later and chime in!

[Teneo]

I've used both. Thanks to this board actually.
I bought AAR last fall because my son really wanted to learn to read and was asking me about the ins and outs of language but didn't have the fine motor skills for Spalding and all the writing required. So we started and were pretty happy.
Then I saw all the buzz on here about foundations. The talk of understanding how the sounds are formed, of getting up out of your chair to move while spelling, and card games resonated with me. Bought the teacher's manual soon after.

Gradually we have phased out AAR in favor of LOE. Just enjoy it more.

[happycc]

I have an entering K next year and we have been using All About reading prek and he is not liking it all that much.- I am not sure what it is as I do all the cutting for him at this point. Maybe it is the coloring and crafts that gets on his nerves. I am just not sure. 

In fact we are on a standstill from it and he has taken to ABC mouse for now. 

 

I have used a lot of phonics/learn to read programs over the years and each kid is so so different. 

 

So I was hoping for more descriptions and more parents opinions and what their kids is like. So I can gauge if it is something that would work for my son. 

 

He is a VERY active child. Also mindful that I have a younger child who likes to get into all kinds of "components". So the tiles in All ABout Reading is scaring me.

 

 

[ajfries]

I've used both. When we started AAR, both kiddos already knew the alphabet & letter sounds, and "color the letter page" just didn't cut it. They hated Ziggy (which I find very strange) and there wasn't any "If the student is having trouble grasping X, try doing Y."  I also didn't really like the read-alouds. We did like the box of cards.

 

As for LOE: GREAT for getting up & moving. Whenever we learn a phonograph that has multiple sounds, we say it & march around the house, doing different movements. There's also games involving throwing a ball into a basket. The first thing I noticed with LOE is that it helped them with pronunciation, right from the get-go. My DS has a tiny lisp but looking in the mirror & making the correct shapes with is mouth & understanding nasal, voiced or unvoiced helped tremendously. 

 

LOE has PLENTY of "It's typical for students to struggle with X. Help students to Y by Z." Or even saying "It's ok if your student is having trouble with this concept, it will continue to be practiced throughout...."

 

After every 5 lessons, there is a review lesson. This provides the teacher an opportunity to assess the student and provide additional practice if necessary. It also has a list of the level of mastery each skill should have on a scale from 1-3. This has really helped me to see what learning priorities are before moving on.

 

The ONE thing I don't love about LOE is teaching the handwriting strokes. They were nearly impossible for me to keep track of & I prefer the HWOT method of each stroke having a little story with it (dive down, swim back up) but that could just be what I was introduced to first. We're doing the manuscript version & I just explain the strokes however they seem to 'get' it. HOWEVER, teaching the strokes from the beginning would carry them through learning cursive. So I can see the benefit.

 

Oh, one other thing that I'm slightly uncomfortable with is that the Doodling Dragons book has things like "evil elves" and "wily wizards" but I think the majority of the population wouldn't mind that :) I just thought I'd mention it in the interest of full disclosure.

 

ETA: My 3 year old works right along side my 5 year old DS. She has her own workbook & loves participating.

 

 

[Teneo]

Active learning in LOE foundations would include acting out the word you spelled (like slithering on the floor as a snake), playing hopscotch and basketball. You play card games, there are a few cut and paste activities too. The only thing it's missing: music!

[ohiomom]

We use All About Reading and really love it. But my son loves to cut and color and paste. He loves worksheets, even though he is my most active boy. The program has worked really well for my K and 2nd grader. I have never even looked at LOE so I can't comment on that program. I love AAR because it is very open and go. LOE may be the same, I don't know.

[FromA2Z]

We use LOE and we love it. It uses many different methods of learning. It is very open and go. I find the teaching, review and build up of topics to be fluid and natural. Extra activities may take a little pre-planning (like using common toys in the lesson or having "letter" days in level A). I love the active nature of the program for my son yet there is also plenty of worksheet activities. Once you get into the swing of things, I've found the lessons to be flexible with what your dc enjoy. I ended up skipping a lot of the kinesthetic exercises with my ds as he did not need or enjoy them but I'm pretty sure they will be beneficial for my younger son.

LOE is definitely more "active" than AAR but the biggest difference is that LOE teaches reading through spelling. You will be working on encoding an decoding words at the same time. AAR will start with encoding and then you will add in spelling with AAS. (Which they suggest after finishing AAR 1). LOE also uses writing concurrently. If your dc are still young or have fine motor issues you are encouraged to use "air" writing, sensory writing (salt tray, etc) or writing on a white board). They believe the act of writing helps cement the the letters with the sounds they make.

I do have a copy of AAR 1. (I bought a used set for the readers). The readers are lovely. There are word flash cards which are nice to have). I like the letter tiles too. (But now LOE has a tile PDF for making your own on card stock). AAR starts off quicker in getting to reading words. However they do not teach all the sounds a letter makes from the start, LOE does. LOE adds a lot of phonemic exercises (blending, segmenting, beginning & ending sounds) in its lessons. AAR covers this in their pre-level 1 program.

I like the layout & color of the LOE manual. It is very clear. Every lesson gives extra teacher's tips and helps on the side that you may/may not need and challenge ideas if dc can handle a little more difficulty on a topic.

My ds1 is about to start level D and is reading very well. Even better he understands the language. Ds2 is about to start A after doing AAR pre-level. I use that to cement letter names and introduce phonemic exercises. So when we start A there is a bit of review (and easiness) while we work on letter formation and forming words.

Happy picking!

[Syllieann]

We did aar1&2 and then moved into a spalding style program when my dc was ready to begin writing. I think the biggest difference is really the horizontal vs vertical presentation, but writing vs non writing is significant too. My dc enjoyed glueing all the aar stuff. I did use the flash cards to add in active components such as jumping, throwing, and running. I plan to start my next dc on aar this fall. We have a small home with the baby's room near the main living space so the active stuff is not desirable for things that will be done during his naps...something to keep in mind if you have a similar situation.