I have a few questions regarding All About Reading before I buy it.
What level? He passed the level 1 placement test and did 1/2 of the level 2 placement test. I’m stuck between buying level 1 or 2. I don’t know if level 1 is too easy or if level 2 is too hard. I want him to have a solid foundation. Just to give an idea of where he’s at…He can read level 1-4 of Bob Books, but has trouble with several words from the set 4.
I noticed that Erica used All About Reading for a while & switched to abeka language arts/phonics (but kept All About Spelling). I’m interested to know why you switched. Did you find that it wasn’t really working well?
This will be my first year homeschooling. My daughter was in K last year and could read the phonics books well and only missed a couple more words then recomened on the level two placements test. So I went ahead and purchased the level two pack but now that I have it and have looked through it I think I am going to go back and buy level one and start with it instead.
Level 2 assumes they already know all the sounds for each letter not just short and long letter sounds and I think level one helps them understand how to recognize when the sounds should be used. Also level two assumes they know how to read all the words they learned in level one and I know most of them would be new words for my daughter.
I think I could pry do some teaching on my own before starting level two and we might be okay, but knowing my daughter who is a little bit of a perfectionist I think she would be discouraged with reading if she struggled to learn material above her reading level. I figure even if the beginning of level 1 ends up being review it will just boost her confidence in reading to be able to easily complete the activities and we will just move quicker through that portion until we get to material she hasn’t learned yet.
So I think for me I just feel like starting at level one will ensure she learns every things the program has to offer and will hopefully have a good reading foundation. Hopefully someone who has used the program will offer an opinion because I would love to hear what they think as well.
Thank you so much for that info, Julie!! Sounds like you did what I was just about to do. lol You totally confirmed what I was thinking! I’ll go with level 1 then based on your experience. I have two boys anyway, so even if my oldest son flies through level 1 I’ll just buy level 2 and save level 1 for my youngest son (only 3yrs old now). I’ll have to buy both levels regardless because I want to use it for my youngest too.
Glad it helped! I have a 3 year old too so thats what I thought also. Plus I figure maybe going through level one with my oldest I’ll have a better idea of where my son should be when I decide to start level one with him in a couple years.
I bought level one for my kiddo going into K and realized the first lesson starts in with like map, sat, cat type words. He only knows letters and sounds right now! So now I am back buying the pre-reading level
I’m on the same page. I was thinking the same thing, starting with Level 1 even if it’s easy. I also have a little one coming up so it won’t be a problem for us either. However I WAS thinking depending on how quickly she gets through AAR1 I may have to be spending another $100+ to get the next level sooner than I had planned…
The placement tests are “readiness” tests. So, the test for Level 2 shows if they are ready for level 2, or if they have things to learn from Level 1. If your dd was only able to do about half of the Level 2 test, then she should start with Level 1.
Not Erica, but some kids end up taking off in reading, and then you don’t need to continue reading instruction, while others benefit from ongoing instruction–it really just depends on the child’s needs.
Hi there @ajoyfulsong I have been using AAR Levels 1 and 2 and am going into Level 3 this year with my oldest, and my middle child finished Level 1 last year and will be starting Level 2 this fall. I wanted to mention something along the same lines as @Merry–both of my children have taken off with reading after using these first levels of All About Reading. So, after my daughter finishes AAR Level 3 this year (she will be in 3rd Grade this year), I am looking into other reading programs (possibly BJU for her 4th Grade year) because I am looking for something a little more challenging in the area of reading comprehension. AAR is fantastic in teaching the reading rules and how to read in general (I sing its praises!!) and I recommend it to anyone. I will use it again with my 2 year old when he reaches school age. But after they are reading fluently, you might find yourself looking for something more challenging in other areas. Out of curiosity, I had my daughter take an online assessment after she finished AAR Level 1 (in her 1st grade year) to see what level her reading was, and she was reading on a mid 5th grade level already! (Not for comprehension, of course, but for being able to read and sound out the words.) So I highly recommend AAR and also understand why after several levels some might jump off and look for a more in-depth, comprehension-inclusive program. I hope this helps! Good luck!!
I also wanted to add, at one point I had a question about what level my daughter should move on to (should she skip Level 2 entirely), so I e-mailed the company, and I got a fantastic response from the creators of the program. It was in-depth, very personal, and walked me through all of their reasons for why they were suggesting what they were for our specific situation. So, if you are on the fence about which level to choose for your particular situation, I wouldn’t hesitate to e-mail them. They gave us great customer service!!
I have been using AAR Levels 1 and 2 and am going into Level 3 this year with my oldest, and my middle child finished Level 1 last year and will be starting Level 2 this fall. I wanted to mention something along the same lines as