Explode the Code with All About Spelling (1st grader)?

[JaiMama]

Would it be overkill to do Explode the Code (would start with book 2) with All About Spelling for a first grader? I am new to homeschooling (have only done kindergarten so far) and I’m trying to figure out Language Arts for the fall. (I also plan to use Handwriting without Tears and Voyages in English for grammar). Thank you. 

[knitgrl]

I see no need to add anything to AAS. I've only done ETC with dd because she is a worksheet lover. Once she starts AAS next year, we will be dropping ETC.

[JaiMama]

46 minutes ago, knitgrl said:

I see no need to add anything to AAS. I've only done ETC with dd because she is a worksheet lover. Once she starts AAS next year, we will be dropping ETC.

Do you recommend AAS over ETC?  If so, why?

[wendyroo]

To me, those resources are for very different stages.

My kids go through the ETC books, but book 2 is for when they are brand new, emergent readers just learning phonics. I would never start AAS (which I LOVE) with a child who is still in ETC 2. IMO, ETC has plenty of very, very early spelling practice for that stage.

I don't necessarily wait until my kids have made it through all the ETC books to start AAS. (Realistically, none of them have made it through all 8 ETC books because their reading took off like gang busters at some point and the remaining ETC books were pointless.) But I do wait until they are solid readers - fluently able to read consonant blends and digraphs, silent e words, many vowel teams.

They reached this level around ETC 4, but I still delayed AAS for at least another 6ish months because they just weren't ready - not for the handwriting, the additional school time, the jump up in spelling-rule complexity (AAS starts slow, but ramps up pretty quickly).

My youngest will be starting AAS in the fall...an entire year after she was in ETC 2.

[HomeAgain]

I do phonics, then spelling.  Only one at a time.  There are programs that combine the two, but even then, it's one program, not two that come at it from different angles. 

For us, 1st grade would look more like this:
Phonics (if still necessary)
Reading (at an appropriate level)
Handwriting (copywork)
Grammar (a basic introduction, but only after reading fluently)

You can see that a beginner would only have phonics and copywork, with reading added in next, then grammar.  From there, spelling would be added as phonics is tapering off.

Edited May 12, 2021 by HomeAgain

[knitgrl]

5 hours ago, JaiMama said:

Do you recommend AAS over ETC?  If so, why?

The general consensus of these boards is to focus on reading/phonics first. Once your child is able to read fluently, then switch to spelling.

I think AAS is definitely a better program for spelling because it explicitly explains the rules, which my oldest dd needed because she was a terrible speller.

Dd11 was the first child I homeschooled. We did all the subjects. In 1st grade we had independent reading for reading's sake, independent reading for history, read alouds, handwriting, copywork and Shurley Grammar. It was a lot. And she was only 6. A few years later, ds7 had a phonics reading program, some handwriting, and read alouds. I think for 1st grade, if you point out with copywork that sentences begin with capital letters and end with a period, exclamation point or question mark, that's a good amount of grammar. Have some fun with explaining nouns and verbs, and that will be great for 1st grade. There are some folks here who say you only ever need to cover grammar three times. Once in elementary, once in middle school, and once in high school. I'm just bringing this up to perhaps broaden your perspective. When you are just starting out on the homeschool journey, it's easy to want to do all the things because you are afraid there will be gaps, and might not be aware that there are other, more relaxed ways of achieving the same goals. But really, as long as you are doing math and reading, you can't really mess up 1st grade.

[JaiMama]

Thank you, all. This is very helpful.  I will start with Explode the Code and reassess later in the school year.

[Melissa in Australia]

I do both AAS and Explode the code. I also do AAR, Spelling you see, Language smarts, some pages form The good and the beautiful,  Abeka language workbook, Writing with ease, narration  and several apps like teach your monster to read and reading eggs. we do these spread out throughout the day. 

 However some of these are used so one twin can do a worksheet - like language smart while I am doing AAS with the other ( they are both at different levels) 

 my boys have ID  and they need to go over and over and over concepts a million times . We have to keep moving sideways and not forward