Talk to Me About Explode the Code

[SnMomof7]

We've used almost every reading curric (it feels like!) but we've never used Explode the Code.

 

So...talk to me.

 

I need something dead simple, open and go - almost every kid has multiple therapy appointments this year, and I have a first grader. The dreaded first grade math and LA! (Well, for me it is...I hate first grade, there is soooo much to learn. Fourth time through, here.)

 

So...you get phonics, printing, and spelling? How many books for first grade? 1 and 2? Shipping is expensive, I need to order the full grade at once. What is the difference between first and second edition? First is cheaper....

 

We should be through CLE's KII by Fall, Lord willing.

 

This kid has fine motor difficulties, looking for less pages than CLE LTR.

 

So..is this doable? Talk to me.

[Slache]

Reading Lessons Through Literature is dead simple, open and go, and covers reading, writing and spelling if you decide you don't like Explode the Code. :)

[wendyroo]

Explode the Code is not a complete handwriting program.  Level 1 does teach how to write the vowels, but it just expects the child to write the consonants with no instruction.

 

It is really set up such that you can scale up or down the amount of writing required.  Lots of pages don't ask for any writing (just circling or Xing) and on the other pages writing is kind of an optional component.  For example, the spelling pages show pictures (a hat for example) and then ask you to circle either h or b as the first sound, either o or a as the middle sound and either t or p as the final sound.  There is then a line available to write the word, but the child has still gotten the spelling practice even if you skip it.

 

The other writing pages are 1) Read the word, copy the word and then X the correct picture from three choices, 2) Find the correct word to match each picture in a word bank and copy it next to the picture and 3) The grand finale of spelling and writing the lesson words without any help.  We always skipped the writing on 1), drew lines to match words to pictures on 2) and had the child sound out and spell the words for me to write on 3).

 

Books 1 and 2 each have 11 lessons which are each 8-9 pages long.  By the end of book 1 the child is reading sentences like, "The duck met a cat at the well."  By the end of book 2 the child is reading sentences like, "Glen grins at the clam in the grass."

 

My two older boys both cruised through books 1 and 2 in a couple months each (they liked to do 5-6 pages at a time a couple times a week).  After that they slowed down because the words got more complicated and the sentences got longer.

 

Hope that helps.

Wendy

[Hobbes]

We like ETC and my 1st grader did 1&2 last year. I wasn't aiming for speed at all with her.

 

It's a phonics curriculum, not spelling, but I don't want spelling until phonics is solid anyway and they have learned some spelling through it. I like that it's simple. The kids like that it is silly.

 

I think the number of books needed per year depends on your kid. Speed will vary.

 

ETA: I agree that it's good writing practice, but it doesn't teach letter formation.

Edited July 7, 2016 by indigoellen@gmail.com

[strange_girl]

The primers (Get Ready, Get Set, & Go For the Code) teach the consonants (phonics and writing). Book 1 introduces the vowels and blending. We usually try to get through the primers in pre-k, books 1-3 in K, and books 4-6 in 1st.

 

I haven't used ETC as a complete phonics course. I think it goes along very nicely as a writing supplement to a book like Phonics Pathways, Ordinary Parents Guide, or The Reading Lesson. But by itself it seems very light in actual phonics instruction.

 

On the upside, it is mostly independent.

[Farrar]

Very mixed feelings... Both my boys used it. It sort of worked for one and was a bust for the other. It is incredibly independent, which is a huge plus. They're so inexpensive and you have a specific need so I think it's worth a try. I would agree that it's not a complete handwriting program. Also, spelling being retained is hit or miss. It's more of a write to read sort of thing than a true spelling program.

[justasque]

I paired ETC pages with handwriting pages (on the same letter), pages from other phonics books (of the grocery store variety), interspersed with math pages, dot-to-dot pages, and other "fun" worksheet pages from a variety of sources.  I either tore out the pages or made copies (depending on the book and my mood), and used a GBC binder to put them together into one "workbook".  This workbook (or series, actually - I put them together in manageable chunks.) was "open and go", and also very easy to bring along with us on our travels to older siblings' activities, etc.  It was a day or two's worth of prep work to put them together, but once it was done, it was done.

 

We also did a significant amount of reading from library books, student to parent, parent to student, and "you read a page, I'll read a page".  

[Sk8ermaiden]

We actually used ETC all the way through from A-8. ABC in Pre-K, 1-3 in K and 4-8 in first. She was reading in first, so if she showed solid grasp of the concept, I let her skip a lot of pages, which is how we got through 5 books. 

 

For my daughter, it worked. It is not exciting, not super special, but it was exactly what she needed and she did not mind them and sometimes enjoyed them. 

 

It is a complete phonics program. It is not handwriting really at all - she wrote just about as neatly as I demanded she write. 

 

You would think it would kind of work as a spelling program, but it doesn't. When sounding out a word in writing, DD can name off all the letter combinations that make the sound...but she can not tell you which one goes in that word. Now that we are done with phonics, we're taking up a spelling program. 

 

I think it gave her a solid foundation in phonics and she is reading very well! My DH received a serious diagnosis in DD's Kindy year and we were practically living in hospitals and doctors' offices. And still the ETC got done. So simple, so independent. So I will try it again when the baby is of age. :)

Edited July 7, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden

[SnMomof7]

Thanks very much, all!  We are leaning hard and heavy on online resources, also, but I need something on paper...just a bit...to make it concrete with her hands...or else it doesn't feel real...and she doesn't get the same kind of  fine motor practice that she needs more of.  I think I'll give it a try, and maybe get one of those "Complete Canadian Curriculum" workbooks for grade 1 - I'm going to see if it includes printing.  That would be an easy solution to do some hands on math and printing to supplement the online stuff she's having at.

[redsquirrel]

I used ETC when my first grader also had multiple therapy appt, lol. I remember those days.  Anyway, it is dead simple...but I personally did NOT have my kid do much writing.  He was working with a PT and and OT at the time and writing was not his forte. I have found there are plenty of people who skip the writing parts.  For us, I kept ETC for reading, it was too much to have him both learn to read and write and spell all at once.  I use HWT for handwriting. In first grade we did not study spelling. I started in..second? third? with R&S and it was just fine.

[SnMomof7]

Forget those Canadian workbooks - no printing included. I think I have something I can print....

[Rasa]

My DD used the whole Explode the Code series (ABC and 1-8) from K through 2.  We used it primarily for phonics instruction, and it was a great fit for her.  I wholeheartedly agree with all of Sk8ermaiden's comments.  I have two points to add. My daughter liked the writing aspect of ETC, but sometimes she ran out of space trying to insert a word, especially in earlier books, when her handwriting was not that well developed.  It didn't bother her, but I can imagine that it might get frustrating to some children.  Also, occasionally we both had to guess what a picture was trying to tell -- we found some of the cartoons very cryptic.

[Parkway Academy]

We've used ETC all the way through for three very different kids.  It's an excellent phonics supplement (we also started with Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading and BOB Books), with some printing practice.  I love the mostly independent aspect of the program.  How many books you go through depends on your child.  My 6 yo daughter is in book five now, having done one lesson per week (two pages per day) for the last year and a half.  

 

Almost always, Christianbook.com has been the least expensive place for me to buy ETC.  Better than Amazon or Rainbow Resource.  Right now there is a free shipping over $35 deal, so even better.  Use code HSFREE16 through July 12th.  Here is the link to their ETC page: http://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool/language-arts/explode-the-code?kw=explode%20the%20code%20phonics&mt=b&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1018818&gclid=CKeh4P7k5M0CFcVbfgodba4PKw

 

I don't think it matters too much which edition you choose.  I used first editions with my son, and second editions mostly with my daughters.

[SnMomof7]

And now I see that Progressive Phonics has printables!

 

CBD is def the best price. I'm Canadian and it's $15/book up here locally...$5 at CBD. Even with the exchange rate it's way cheaper.

[kesmom]

For handwriting, how about buying an inexpensive pad of handwriting paper and writing some of the words from ETC for her to copy?

 

I've been using them behind level for my 8 year old. He struggled when he first started reading and the "easy" work was confidence building and good review for him. I don't have him do much writing in the book at all (we used HWT for that). On the pages where it is just pictures and a line to write each word, I had him spell each word orally to me while I wrote them down. It provided a bit of a spelling test and he got to watch me model good handwriting.