AAR Pre-Level?

[ktgrok]

I am using AAR Level 1 for my 6 yr old , and we LOVE it. We go at our own pace, and it's really working for her. (and we tried a lot of other programs because I'm a phonics junkie). 

 

Is Pre-Level just as good? My 3 yr old (verbally advanced, and starting to pick up on letters, etc) REALLY wants to do school. He tags along with our AAR lessons (and drives the 6 yr old crazy) trying to sound things out, repeating everything, etc. He wants his own reading program really badly. But of course, AAR is pricey for a 3 year old! Is it worth it? Worth doing before AAR 1?

 

And if so, do I need the puppet?

[kalusignan]

I did AAR level 1 through 4 with my oldest and Pre-reading with my little one. We love AAR. The Pre level is different than the others (no letter tiles and activities include a lot of coloring), but still good. The Language Exploration exercises (rhyming, identifying beginning and ending sounds, clapping syllables, etc.) are fantastic and, at times, fairly challenging for my 3-year-old. The program itself is probably a better fit for 4-5 year olds, but my little one already knew all of her letter sounds, could identify all lower and upper case letters and was begging for more...She is now starting level 1 very slowly, but I'm continuing to go back through the Language Exploration exercises with her, so we are definitely getting our money's worth in that respect.

 

Little kids LOVE Ziggy! If you don't want to buy Ziggy, you could easily use any puppet you already own or a favorite stuffed animal. My dd3 insists on getting Ziggy out every time we 'do school', even math games.

[ReadingMama1214]

We did the pre level when dd was 3. She LOVED Ziggy and we still bring him out to buddy read. I agree that the phonological games are excellent. We didn't finish the pre-level because dd started to read shorty before turning 4 and we switched to Ordinary Parents Guide. But I still use the exercises to help cement in syllables and such. The pre-reading did turn dd into a mini Dr. Seuss. She rhymes a lot and can rhyme any word. I credit AAR-pre with this. The only reason we didn't use AAR 1 is because dd will go to a local classical school for K and I wanted a cheaper option.

[Jess4879]

I did AAR level 1 through 4 with my oldest and Pre-reading with my little one. We love AAR. The Pre level is different than the others (no letter tiles and activities include a lot of coloring), but still good. The Language Exploration exercises (rhyming, identifying beginning and ending sounds, clapping syllables, etc.) are fantastic and, at times, fairly challenging for my 3-year-old. The program itself is probably a better fit for 4-5 year olds, but my little one already knew all of her letter sounds, could identify all lower and upper case letters and was begging for more...She is now starting level 1 very slowly, but I'm continuing to go back through the Language Exploration exercises with her, so we are definitely getting our money's worth in that respect.

 

Little kids LOVE Ziggy! If you don't want to buy Ziggy, you could easily use any puppet you already own or a favorite stuffed animal. My dd3 insists on getting Ziggy out every time we 'do school', even math games.

:iagree:

 

I didn't buy the puppet.  My daughter picked out a horse puppet and we used that instead.  It doesn't have the same "ring" as Ziggy the Zebra, but she didn't care and neither did my son. 

[Cara4497]

My son loves the program, but hates Ziggy. I don't know why.

[Squawky Acres]

I had started my  just-turned-3-year-old on AAR 1 as he already knew his letter sounds, and could read simple CVC words.  He just wasn't mature enough for the program, and it was not fun for him; so I bought him AAR Pre instead.  He had so much fun rhyming with Ziggy, and doing the little art projects and poems.  It was exactly what he needed.  We did skip some of the letter lessons in the later part of the book, and just did the games, as he got tired of coloring letters and wanted to really read.  When he turned 4, I started him on AAR 1 again, and we are flying through the steps.  It all comes so naturally to him that I am so glad I waited on that level.

 

I think you really DO need Ziggy.  The puppet itself is very nice (really soft and plush), and can be used to encourage a young child to do all kinds of schoolwork.  Ziggy also plays RightStart math games, and instructs in handwriting, for example.

[Tenaj]

My daughter just loved the pre-level.  She still carries "Z" around with her everywhere and every once in a while asks me where the yellow posters with the alphabet went.  I regret that I didn't have them laminated because ours tore on the edges and I took them down when we were finished.  I still have the yellow books in a box downstairs and she'll find them and mention that she wants to do that again.

[SevenDaisies]

I have every level of AAR and AAS, and pre-level is the one level I didn't love. I loved the activities in the Teacher's Guide with the cards in the Student Packet, but didn't care for the student book or the read-alouds that go with the program. The Student Book was a bit too crafty for me, but I'm not one who likes crafty work.

[ByGrace3]

I have been through pre-level with 2 children now, it is just what they needed. It seems simple, and I questioned the necessity of it, but the activities are well worth it. My ds already knew his letters and sounds but was not ready to blend, and dd learned them through pre level. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. Oh, and my kids LOVE Ziggy. While you don't have to have him, he is still a favorite around here. :)

[ExcitedMama]

I will be continuing the high praise for pre-level that you have already received. It is very different from level 1. It really does a great job of helping a young child hear language. DS learned rhyming from it and loved making up his own after that. He learned how to clap syllables which is still suggested in AAS2 as he practices spelling words. If you decide to go with it I would recommend Ziggy because that zebra is on all the pictures so your child would probably relate to that.

 

It is expensive though. I don't know what it's resale is but I understand your hesitancy if you won't be reusing it. I didn't Ike the readers that come with it, they are horrible compared with the wonderful books in the other levels. The craft activities are really really simple, like all short activities involving the letter of the lesson but it's always the same image of a letter just a different letter. It's nothing like the fun activities in the other levels. You could get the benefits from just buying the teacher's guide if you wanted to lower the cost. Hopefully someone will correct me if my memory is off but I think all of the great learning was done orally for the things like rhyming and syllables.

 

I also didn't find pre-level to really prepare DS for AAR1. That was a huge leap for DS and he'd done really well with pre-level. He could hear the language but did not understand blending at all which isn't covered in pre-level. If your 3 year old is trying to blend it might be worth looking into Memoria Press First Start Reading. It's a very gentle introduction to blending that first introduces a letter and has tracing over dots. You could easily stretch it out to accommodate a younger child. I bought the teacher's guide which you don't need at all so it's a great price for just the workbook.

[Squawky Acres]

I do agree about with ExcitedMama about the readers.  They were not great -- when compared with the other AAR books, or what I regularly read to my younger children at home.  I did love the rest of the program, though.

 

Here's an idea:  I do think you could replicate what is good about AAR Pre at home without buying the program.  You could cover one letter per lesson, print out a coloring sheet of the letter from one of those free coloring sheet websites, read some quality children's literature, including something like a Dr. Seuss book to explore rhyming, and then just play games to focus on the beginning and ending sounds of words, counting syllables, and rhymes.  

 

Or {blush} you could do what I did and just play some LeapFrog videos for your 3-year-old and have little green frogs teach him how to read.  

[PeterPan]

You know you want it, so just get it.  :D  It's adorable, well-organized, and a joy to teach.  It wasn't enough for my dyslexic with 3 SLDs and ASD/ADHD, but it was still good stuff.  I sold off the remains of my kit for a good price, so I think you should have no problem.  We kept Ziggy.  Loved Ziggy.  :D

[ByGrace3]

I think the strength of the program is in the oral exercises/games...rhyming, oral blending etc... I had a different experience than pp and the 2 I took through pre level had no problems at all going straight into AAR1 and excelling. Resale value is good. I think it's worth it. ;) as with anything, you can put it together yourself, but it is way more than a letter of the week program...the depth are in the activities. My son pretty much only did those and I felt it was worth it. He just needed some help and time before AAR1 and pre level solidified the foundation he needed.

[ktgrok]

Ugh, now I want it even more! 

 

But hubby just spent a crazy amount on my birthday it seems...so maybe I should wait. Or not. 

 

I could do it in the fall, as his preschool, (he turns 4 mid september, so technically he'd be young for pre-k but whatever) or get it now because. 

 

I should clarify, he doesn't know his letters/sounds. I haven't taught him, and he broke our DVD player so no letter factory. I need to get a new one. But when I have out the letter tiles, or was using 100 EZ lessons, he gets up there and repeats everything, and he is on his own breaking apart words "Birthday starts with Birth!" and such. Plus he's really eager. So something to help teach him his letters is what I need, plus the phonological awareness stuff, although he's much better naturally at that than his sister was. She needed a lot of work on it, but knew all her letters by 2. 

[Jess4879]

Ugh, now I want it even more! 

 

But hubby just spent a crazy amount on my birthday it seems...so maybe I should wait. Or not. 

 

I could do it in the fall, as his preschool, (he turns 4 mid september, so technically he'd be young for pre-k but whatever) or get it now because. 

 

I should clarify, he doesn't know his letters/sounds. I haven't taught him, and he broke our DVD player so no letter factory. I need to get a new one. But when I have out the letter tiles, or was using 100 EZ lessons, he gets up there and repeats everything, and he is on his own breaking apart words "Birthday starts with Birth!" and such. Plus he's really eager. So something to help teach him his letters is what I need, plus the phonological awareness stuff, although he's much better naturally at that than his sister was. She needed a lot of work on it, but knew all her letters by 2. 

 

sent you a PM

[kesmom]

I'm another one who didn't like it as much as the other levels of AAR, especially the readers.

 

When a friend of mine was asking about it, I suggested to just buy the teacher's guide and the activity book/cards. We didn't even use the activity book completely because my boys got tired of it - though I like that pages are easy with minimal prep on my part.

[Seeking Squirrels]

We started pre-level at about 3.5. My DD loves it! Actually they both do it because the 7yo loves tagging along for the letter page. It's just a coloring page, but we always follow their recommendation for how to do it which always includes paint or glue or something fun and extra, not just coloring. We didn't get the actual Ziggy, but we have a little zebra puppet that I think came from the $3 bin at target. DD3 really loves Ziggy, so I would plan on having something to use for that, even if it's a different animal. She actually calls the program "Ziggy" and that's what she asks for. It's definitely given her something that she can consider *her* school.