What is the best phonics curriculum? Discover the TOP 7 Synthetic Phonics Programs to Teach Your Child to Read in 2024!

Do you feel overwhelmed trying to find the right learn-to-read program for your child or student? Look no further because you are on the right place!

Our newest ranking of the best learn-to-read programs in 2024 uncovers 7 fantastic literacy curriculums. Separate the cream from the chaff and read on to discover which one will suit your child’s better!

While they’re all solid choices, some programs may suit your little (or older) learner’s needs better than others.

*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links lead to Amazon marketplace. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. This helps keep the information on the blog free and available to everyone. There may be other affiliate links on the article.

Overwhelmed trying to find the Best Learn to Read Program?

I know how overwhelming looking for reading programs can be!

There are just so many and it gets really confusing!

So, I have done the homework for you!

By the end of this article, you will get a crystal clear view of the best reading programs out there for teaching your child to read. Hopefully, you’ ll also know exactly which one suits your child’s learning style better!

However, before we start, I would like to be upfront with you, and tell you where I personally stand with regards to the huge debate there is about phonics vs. whole word methodologies vs. balanced literacy.

I truly believe that phonics is the best approach for teaching children to read.

However, my belief is not just a belief, it is based on overwhelming evidence and on what modern science has to say about how the brain works and how we learn to read.

So, the learn-to-read curriculums that I have shortlisted are all PHONICS PROGRAMS…

Which is the best phonics program? Ranking of the top Synthetic Phonics programs in 2024!

All phonics programs are not created equally… Not at all!

There are big differences among different phonics programs. My preference, which -again- is based on what modern science has to say about this, are research-based, synthetic phonics programs.

By the way, if you are confused by the terminology, don’t worry! You can check out this article, where I explain more in detail what synthetic phonics is. Or this article, where I write about the differences between analytic and synthetic Phonics.

I am also aware that different children need different learning styles. Some kids hugely benefit from a multi-sensory learning style, while others may just need very explicit and structured lessons, and lots of opportunities to practice.

Besides, we -as parents/families- all have different lifestyles, circumstances and preferences…

Some of us just want to be taken by the hand and do not want to overthink! We just want to be told what to do, for example following a script. Some of us appreciate that the program offers some flexibility, and don’t mind a little bit of extra preparation.

That is why I have also shortlisted programs with different teaching / learning styles.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

In a hurry? Top Learn-to-Read Programs comparison table

Program Name	How to buy?	Who is it for?	System Used	Levels	Great if you want...	Reading & Spelling?	What is the price?	Guarantee
Children Learning Reading	From the Children Learning Reading Website!	Great for young readers and for reinforcing reading instruction at home, if your child goes to school.	Unique system that combines Phonemic Awareness and Synthetic Phonics	Only 1. Everything is included in this one level.	Simple and short lessons, convenient implementation (Doesn’t get messy!)	Reading instruction only, spelling / writing not covered specifically.	$39.00 - $89.00	30-day money-back guarantee.
All About Reading	From their website!	Great for children that learn best through multi-sensory experiences. Very popular homeschooling curriculum.	Orton-Gillingham.	5 Reading Levels + 7 Spelling Levels (All About Spelling)	A multi-sensory program and very explicit instruction. Very good option for homeschooling, and for children with reading difficulties.	Tackles spelling and reading separately.	Each Level is $149 + one-off purchase of interactive kit ($45.85 -$21.85).	Full 1-year money- back guarantee
Hooked on Phonics	From their website!	For children that thrive on a very clear routine when it comes to learning, and appreciate the use of audio-visuals elements (video lessons).	Sequential, systematic synthetic phonics approach.	8 Reading Levels. You can complement reading instruction with their app for an even more complete curriculum.	A very simple, but fun approach that uses audio-visuals elements (video lessons, app) . Very good for busy parents! The hard work is done for you!	Tackles reading and spelling. However, an additional spelling practice pack can be purchased for further practice.	Complete Learn to Read Kit (all levels): $209	30-day money-back guarantee.
Logic of English	From their website!	For children that learn through multi-sensory experiences, and children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. Another popular homeschooling curriculum.	Orton-Gillingham.	Their Essential Package includes 3 Reading Levels (a, b, c).	A multi-sensory program, that also goes really deep into rules (into the ‘logic of English’).	Tackles spelling, writing and reading all together. Another very popular curriculum for home schooling.	Foundations Module: From $74.99 (per level). Whole Essential Package: $159.99 - $279.99	90- day money-back guarantee.
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons	Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons on Amazon!	Great program to teach any child to read from scratch in a one-to-one setting (direct instruction).	DISTAR System (Direct Instructional System for Teaching and Remediation).	Only 1. Everything included in 1 manual!	To be taken by the hand following a script, and following a system that has been proven to work.	Only reading.	Very affordable. Normally sold for less than $20. Check final price on Amazon!	Amazon T&C's.
Alpha Phonics	Buy Alpha Phonics on Amazon!	For anyone looking for a no-frills phonics-based system.	Phonics Primer. Uses synthetic phonics principles.	1 (everything included in 1 manual)	Simple / no-frills program that is easy to follow and implement.	Only reading	Very affordable. Normally less $20. Check final price on Amazon.	Amazon T&C's.
Phonics Pathways	Buy Phonics Pathways on Amazon!	Struggling readers, students that find blending particularly difficult, or students with learning disabilities, such us dyslexia.	Systematic synthetic phonics in combination with the successive blending approach.	1 (everything included in 1 single manual)	The best option we know of if you want to try successive blending.	Reading + spelling appendix.	Very affordable. Approx. $20. Check final price on Amazon.	Amazon T&C's.

Reading Program #1: Children Learning Reading

If you know me, it is not secret that I really like this program. I personally used it with my older daughter and her progress was just amazing. I actually wrote a very detailed review of the Children Learning Reading program that you can check here.

The program follows a combination of Phonemic Awareness and Synthetic Phonics principles, which is pretty unique. And, in my experience… Very effective!

Phonemic Awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate the individual sounds in words, also called “phonemes.”

It looks like a simple thing without too much importance but developing Phonemic Awareness is crucial!

In fact, it has been found to be the main predictor for successful reading or reading failure.

So, the focus that this program has on the development of Phonemic Awareness is simply fantastic!

The program is designed in two stages: the foundational stage and the advanced stage.

Each stage comes with its own manual and lessons. These lessons are short and will take between two to twenty minutes/day to complete.

Yes, two minutes!

This is because this program was created with young readers in mind. When I say young readers, I am talking about really young readers!

When using the program I noticed that it is strategically created so that the initial lessons are short and easily digestible for really young learners.

Then, once your child has developed the foundational skills for learning to read fluently (that is, once he/she has finished the manual #1), the lessons start to become a bit more complicated.

However, the beauty of this program is that once your child gets to that point, the new concepts that he/she learns build upon the knowledge he/she already has, creating this sort of compounding effect, if you wish.

If you are wondering what exactly is it that your child will be able to read after finishing Manual 1, this is it:

• Your kid will be able to read simple words without fluently and effortlessly, such us CVC words. These are words that follow the “Consonant/Vowel/ Consonant” structure, such us “cat,” “mat,” “dog,” “hop,” or “cup.” This word structure is one of the most basic ones in English. Your child will also be able to read more complex words, such as CCVC words (Consonant/ Consonant/Vowel/Consonant words), such us “spin,” “spit,” or “flip.”
  
• Your child will able to read these words in isolation and as parts of full sentences or simple stories, and he/she will do this very fluently. That is, without lots of pauses, without your child having to think about every single sound in the words he/she is reading. This is because you’ve worked A LOT on making the sound retrieval process automatic.

You can watch of the progress of this student of the Children Learning Reading Program to get an idea of what I mean!

  

In Stage #2, your child is introduced in a systematic way to more advanced and challenging concepts, such as:

• letter combination sounds (for example, the letter combinations “ch,” “th,” or “sh”)
• the idea that we can represent the same sound in different ways (for instance, the /f/ sound can be represented with the letter “f”, as  in “fan”, with “ph”, as in “photo”, or “gh”, as in “laugh”)
• even complex concepts, such us -R controlled syllables.

However, as I mentioned before, the good thing is that your child is introduced to the more difficult concepts in a systematic way, in a logic order… Basically, when he/she is ready for it and makes sense!

This way the child doesn’t get overwhelmed with the amount of new information she/he receives at the same time.

Cons of the Children Learning Reading Program

• The teaching style might not be a good fit for all children. Even though there are some games and fun activities suggestions (especially for younger kids and for the development of Phonemic Awareness), I wouldn’t say that this program has a multi-sensory approach. Maybe your child can find the Children Learning Reading approach too repetitive, or even boring at times. 
  
• This program is only available online, as a digital download. So you are going to have to print out yourself. I do not personally find this a disadvantage, as you get access to the materials straight away, but if you want traditional text books, then this program is probably not for you! 
  
• I do not consider this program a learn-to-spell program or a writing curriculum. Even though your child will obviously benefit from the information on this program when it comes learning to write and spell, you will most likely have to reinforce that part with some additional resources.

But, all in all, this is a very good reading program, and if you follow the process, you can get good results.

NOTE: Should you decide to buy this curriculum, bear in mind that these worksheets are offered as an additional one-off purchase. You can still do the program without them and have lots of success, but they are a nice complement to the rest of their learn-to-read materials.

How much does Children Learning Reading Program cost?

This program is very cost-effective. Most reading programs have level 1, level 2, level 3, etc., and you have to pay for all of them separately.

Here you get all the levels in the 2 manuals for only $39  depending on the package you go for (NOTE: special discounted price at the time of writing this article! – It normally sells for $69 – $89!)

> > Check the final price here – in the Children Learning Reading Official site!

Children Learning Reading – Guarantee

This program comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, which I think is always very reassuring!

So, if you think this might be the right fit for your child, and then you discover it is not… Well, no problems at all: you get your money back!

Also, if you want to check a full review of this program, I wrote an in-depth review about it:  You can check it here!

Children Learning Reading: Bonus

This program has allowed me to share with you a sample of their Phonemic Awareness/Phonics worksheets.
>>You can get  them for free here!

Remember you can also get the download my notes document here! 

If you decide to go for this program, bear in mind that these worksheets are offered as an additional one-off purchase. You can still do the program without them, but they are a nice complement to the rest of their learn-to-read materials.

 Reading Program #2: All About Reading / All About Spelling

You have probably heard of this program before. It is very renowned… For good reason!

This program could be a great option for you if you are after a multi-sensory program!

That is actually fantastic for so many children, that learn through manipulation and kinetic experiences. The more sensing it occurs for those children, the more learning it happens.

What approach does All About Reading/All About Spelling follow?

All About Reading (AAR)/All About Spelling (AAS) follows the Orton-Gillingham Approach for teaching reading.

Ok, big words! But, what does this mean?

Well, if your child has dyslexia or suspect you might have a child with dyslexia, then it is likely that you may have heard of the Orton-Gillingham approach before.

The main idea behind the Orton-Gillingham approach is to take the 3 pathways to the brain for a much more holistic/ robust learning experience.

What are the 3 pathways to the brain for teaching reading?

The first pathway is the multi-sensory approach to teaching reading. By doing this, we are encouraging the left side and the right side of the brain to work together, creating stronger connections. 

The second pathway is the auditory one. The Orton- Gillingham approach is, therefore, phonics-based, and they go all the way down to the phoneme level, which is the smallest unit of sound in words.

The ability to play with the sounds in words is called Phonemic Awareness, as explained before. All About Reading places a lot of importance on the development of this skill, which, once again, puts this program at the top of my list

Finally, the third pathway to the brain is the visual/sight pathway.

But please, do not think that the visual approach means your child will be encouraged to look at pictures and guess words or learn words through “whole word” strategies, such as word shapes! That is actually the opposite of what they do. What it means is that your child will play games with flashcards. Flashcards are an important element of this curriculum, but – I repeat – the objective of flashcards is NOT to visually memorize words but to actually engage with them through games.

Who is All About Reading for?

Don’t assume that this program, utilizing the Orton-Gillingham approach, is exclusively suitable for children with dyslexia or processing disorders!

Any child can excel with this program! There are so many kids who love and can benefit from the multi-sensory approach to learning!

The story behind this curriculum

It all started with a mom who created it for her dyslexic child because she couldn’t find anything out there that was appropriate for him.

And, I guess, out of desperation (and a deep understanding of the needs of a dyslexic child!), she created this reading curriculum.

This mom is Marie Rippel, the author of All About Reading/All About Spelling

How much preparation is required for the All About Reading program?

The program is “lightly scripted.” This means that it leaves certain room for flexibility while providing a script for you to follow at the same time.

The end result is that lessons do not require a great deal of preparation. Rest assured you won’t forget or left anything important out, but you’ll be able to adjust the lesson to your kid’s needs.

How long does it take to work through the lessons on the All About Reading Program?

The recommendation from the All About Reading / All About Spelling is to keep the lesson to up to 20 minutes a day, regardless of whether you have finished the lesson or not. If the lesson took three days to complete, that’s okay—it took three days! Otherwise, lessons over 20 minutes might be too overwhelming.

However, they also encourage you to read their books for 20 minutes a day. Books and stories are included with the program, all of which are phonetically decodable and aligned with your child’s reading level at every step of the way.

I personally love that they include the decodable readers as part of the package!

The “no-gaps” system…

The All About Reading/All About Spelling curriculum has what they call a “no-gaps” approach. This means that they don’t leave concepts unexplained or in the air. This curriculum doesn’t assume that children will just figure things out all by themselves.

Again, this is something I really value and think is fantastic for any kid learning to read!

Why?

English is complicated. The spelling system is really one of the most complex there is. Besides, we have many, many sounds! Especially vowel sounds. For instance, fourteen sounds for vowels, as opposed to -for instance- five vowel sounds in Spanish.

Besides, these sounds are represented in different ways!

Leaving things at chance and assume children will just grasp this complex system all by themselves is dangerous and too much to hope for, really!

While it is true that some children might get it without receiving explicit instruction, many won’t! And in many cases, when they are not taught explicitly and you leave gaps, those children that apparently got it all by themselves, well, in reality…

They didn’t…

They have just learned coping strategies, such as memory or guessing, to cover up for the gaps in the system.

This program is also very sequential and logical in the order that it introduces concepts.

Again, this goes very much in line with what I said before. The concepts are introduced in an incremental way.

Another aspect that I appreciate in this program is that there are many opportunities to review previous concepts, ensuring that your child has fully mastered what she/he’s learned before moving on.

This is really important, in my opinion, because sometimes we explain something once, see that our children get it, so we think, “Great, they’ve got it!,” but then… oh no… we realize they have forgotten all about it!

The information got stored, but only on their short-term memory.

I feel that All About Reading does a great job at this. Opportunities for review are integrated in the lessons  through play, and multi-sensory experiences, etc. They also have integrated a customized review system.

Are Reading and Spelling tackled separately or at the same time?

Another big thing worth mentioning about this program is that it tackles reading and spelling separately, so your child can advance faster with reading.

And, also, because they go deep into spelling rules! Remember that we are talking here about a “no-gaps” approach…

Is All About Reading a digital program?

As opposed to Children Learning Reading, All About Reading/All About Spelling is not a digital product that you download and print out at home. This curriculum have traditional textbooks and physical materials  that will be delivered home.

They have 4 reading levels, and 7 spelling levels.

Ok,  I hear you and I know what you are asking….

How to know which level is appropriate for my child?

You can do a placement test from their site. You can do it here! 

You can also claim a free sample of the program (including 2 lessons), so you can check before buying what you are signing up for!

How much does All About Reading/All About Spelling cost? All About Reading Price

I am not going to lie… this program can get expensive…

At the moment, each level of the All About Reading program costs $159.95, except for the pre-reading level, which costs $119. It includes the Teachers’ manual, the Student Packet, and two readers.

You will also need to also do a one-off purchase of their reading review box ($15.95/student) and their letter tiles  ($25.95 for the entire household). The materials on these kits are used across all 4 reading levels.

On the other hand, each level in All About Spelling costs between $34.95 to $44.95

However, they also have an outstanding money-back guarantee!

They give you one full year to try All about reading / All About spelling programs! If the program doesn’t meet your expectations, you can return the programs (in whatever  condition they might be) and get a full refund, excluding shipping.

That says a lot, in my opinion, about the trust they have in the product and about the company itself.

For more information and final prices, check their website HERE!

All About Reading App

When you purchase AAR you also get access to their app, which is an additional tool for your child to practice!

Reading Program #3: Logic of English

This is another Orton-Gillingham reading curriculum.

That means that it could be a very good fit if you have a dyslexic child (or suspect you may have one) and for any struggling reader.

This program was also created by a mom with a dyslexic child.

However, I think it could also be good option, in general, for any kid. Especially if he/she thrives on and learns best through multi-sensory experiences.

Since I already explained about the Orton Gillingham approach in great details when talking about All About Reading, I am not going to extend on this.

What I thought would be a good idea is to actually go through the main differences between Logic of English program and All about Reading.

Differences between Logic of English and All About Reading

• This program takes the no-gaps approach to the next level. It really goes deep into the “Logic of English” and why things are spelled and read in the way they are.
  So, if you have a child that really wants to understand everything and doesn’t take the “Oh, this is an exception” phrase for an answer, I recommend it. 
• This program introduces all the sounds that letters make at the same time. You are not going to teach your child: “This is the letter ‘A’, and it makes the /a/ sound, as in ‘apple'”. Instead, you’ll introduce all of the sounds the letter “A” can make at the same time. So: “This is the letter A, and it makes the /a/ sound, the long a sound, and the schwa sound.” As a side note, there are up to 7 different sounds that the letter A can make, but those 3 are definitely the ones that your child has to learn, because they cover almost 100% of English words with an “a” in them.
  
  I know what you are thinking right now… “Oh Gosh, this is soo overwhelming!”, right? But, in a way, when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense! This way,  they won’t get all confused when you say to them later: “Do you know what? The letter ‘A’, that I have been insisting and insisting makes the /ah/ sound… Well, it turns out it can also say its name and even do this weird schwa sound.” This way you really introduce these other sounds as rules right from the beginning, rather than as an exceptions. Suddenly, words such us, “about” (with a schwa sound at the beginning) or even the word “the” with a schwa sound for the letter e, are not exceptions anymore.

• Another difference is that on this reading program there are more games and sort of “fun” activities than in All About Reading. These  activities can come in handy  especially if you have an active kid. So, if you thought that you were going for a program that is all about studying the English rules and that it was going to be very boring, well, not really… Remember: it is still a multi-sensory approach. You do teach the rules, but using lots of interactive games.
  
• Another big difference is that the program tackles reading, writing and spelling all at the same time. So, good news in terms of price I guess, because that way you don’t have to buy  something separately.
  

Check Logic Of English here!

The manuscript vs. the cursive choice

When buying this program you are going to have to make a choice between buying cursive or manuscript for writing. This really caught my attention!

If you don’t know the difference between cursive and manuscript, cursive is something like this (see picture below).

It does not only take out of the picture certain problems that beginner readers struggle with: such us b and d reversal.

Because b in cursive is (see picture below), and d in cursive is (see picture below), this is not confusing anymore.

But, apart from that -and also being beautiful!- it is also becoming apparent in the scientific world that learning through cursive typography can be extremely beneficial for the cognitive development of children. It does to your mind sort of the same benefits of learning to play an instrument.

I don’t want to go into a lot of detail about this topic in this article, because it is not the purpose of it, but if you want to find out more about this, you can check this article.

And I will also make sure to include some links on the download my notes document, in case you are interested.

For a totally beginner reader, the Foundations module consists of 4 levels (A, B, C, D) and covers contents appropriate for Kindergarten to First Grade.

Their Essentials module consists of 3 levels (A, B, C) divided in 5 parts. All of the materials on their Essentials module are included on their Essential package.

On their site you can do a quick test to see which one they recommend.

How much does Logic of English cost?

Logic of English is not cheap, but this is a  good quality program.

It might seem a bit more expensive than All About Reading, but since they include spelling/writing instruction on the same program, when you work things out, prices are pretty similar.

They offer a 90-day money-back guarantee.

GO TO Logic Of English Official Website here!

Reading Program #4: Hooked on Phonics

What is Hooked on Phonics?

This is another good quality phonics curriculum that follows a systematic, sequential approach.

Hooked on phonics is a comprehensive English curriculum that also follows the right principles for learning to read.

Again, you start by building up your Phonemic Awareness, letter recognition, etc. and then in a systematic, sequential way you start to introduce phonics concepts.

The Hooked on Phonics curriculum is aligned with the commons core academic standards. If you didn’t know, the Commons Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).  They outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. 

This is especially helpful if you are in the US, and if you want to use this curriculum for homeschooling your child.

What is the structure of the Hooked on Phonics Lessons?

The structure and the system for teaching phonics is completely different to the other programs we have seen before.

I find that this structure can work for many parents because it is really simple, it doesn’t really require for the parent to know a great deal about phonics, neither it requires a lot of preparation, you don’t have lots of materials all over the place. So: really convenient!

The structure of the lessons is always the same, so once you get the hang of it (and you will get it very easily because it is very straight forward) it will become part of your routine.

Let’s see how that routine/structure looks like!

• You get a DVD with video lessons to follow along with the student book. If you don’t have a DVD player (these days many people don’t),  you can register your hooked on phonics kit for online access to the video lessons, which is what I did. And, this is how your child is going to start his/her lesson each day: Watching the video lesson.
  By the way, a little word of caution here: if you want online access to the videos, don’t buy second hand, because the ISBN of your kit might have already been registered under someone else’s account. 
• The video covers the Learn / Practice bit.
• Once your child has finished the video lesson (around 5 minutes), you return to the workbook, and work on the Learn/ Practice pages. Remember, this is already familiar to your child: he/she has already seen this on the video lesson. 
• After that, it is time to read.
• Once you are done, the lesson is finished! Your child get his/her sticker if you consider they’ve done a good job and don’t want to repeat the same on the next day, and that’s it.

Every day, same structure: simple for you, simple for your child.

A few games are introduced on some lessons as well to make the program more exciting…

Finally, you also get nice readers that are appropriate for your child’s reading level, and don’t worry: they tell you exactly when your child is ready for them.

Hooked on Phonics Official Site!

Simple / Structured Routine for Learning to Read…

It looks simple and sort of repetitive, but I know many kids that do very well with this program. That is what actually attracted me to it.

Besides, I like simple, I like finding a simple system and a routine.

And I find that works with my child as well. It doesn’t mean you can add a little bit of play here and there, but she thrives on structure and loves her video-lessons. She actually learns a lot that way, and doesn’t find it boring.  Quite the opposite.

Pros of Hooked on Phonics:

• Simplicity.
• It is supported by audio / video lessons.
• Great if you are after a reading routine that is easy to implement and don’t want lots of additional materials all over the place.
• It follows a systematic approach, with clear / direct instruction that is not boring.
• It gives many opportunities for children to practice.

Cons of Hooked on Phonics:

• It can be costly for some families. But if you are convinced this system is what your child is going to thrive on, then if you get the Complete Learn to Read kit that goes all the way up to level 8 (those are all the levels they have), then you can save a lot of money.

Hooked on Phonics app

Besides, Hooked on Phonics also has an app (this is different from the video lessons).

If you are interested you can get a bundle with all the levels + plus 1 year access to the app for a little bit more.

I encourage you to check their official site to check final prices and options! (as they have quite a few!)

I also wanted to include less pricey alternatives here….

If that is what you are looking for then I will give you 3 more:

Reading Program #6: Phonics Pathways

Phonics Pathways is a comprehensive reading curriculum that also uses the synthetic phonics approach to teaching reading.

However, there’s something that really makes it stand out from the rest…

That is how the concept of successive blending has been fully integrated in this reading program. Successive blending is this curriculum’s flagship really.

Successive blending is a type of blending strategy that, in fairness, all children may not need, because it could mean going more slowly than some children actually need. However, for those that struggle with blending, it can be a real life-saver!

That is what really makes this program an option to seriously consider for struggling readers. Especially for those that find blending  particularly difficult, even simple words.

With this reading strategy, you read a maximum of 2 letters at the time, even if you are reading longer words. With this strategy, you are trained to read words very gradually, breaking down the process into simple steps.

For instance, in order to read the word “mat”, you read it like this:

Step 1: m-a
Step 2: ma
Step 3: ma-t 
Step 4: mat

If you still don’t understand what successive blending goes, I’d recommend you watch this YouTube video on our website.

 

The program is extremely systematic in its approach.

Children build upon what they already know slowly and incrementally.

I really like the amount of practice it includes. Besides, some of the activities in this manual are really good. For instance, dictation-based activities, real/nonsense word-practice and  pyramid exercises, etc.

The curriculum is very lengthy and can be used from K to 4^th grade.

There’s an appendix for spelling for when you’re done with your focus on learn to read, basically.

So, we could consider Phonics Pathway a Reading + Spelling curriculum.

Reading Program #7: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

• Who is it for: Struggling readers, students that find blending particularly difficult, or students with learning disabilities, such us dyslexia. Also, a very good fit for older students and/or for those that thrive on very structured lessons.
• System: Systematic synthetic phonics in combination with the successive blending approach. The latest is this curriculum’s flagship.
• Number of levels: All in one book. Everything is included in this one manual. Suitable for students from K – 4^th graders.
• Great if you are after… Simple, effective and inexpensive option. The best option we know of if you want to try successive blending.
• Price: $20 (approximately – check final price on Amazon)
• 30-day money back guarantee when you buy from Amazon.
• How to Buy: Get it on Amazon here!

See it on Amazon!

“Teach Your Child to Read In 100 Easy Lessons has been endorsed by the National Right to Read Foundation as an exemplary instructional program for teaching children to read…The program is academically sound–the results speak for themselves. The continued problem of illiteracy is an enormous one, but [this book has] made a very significant contribution to solving one of American’s greatest needs.”

Robert W. Sweet, Co-founder and Former President, National Right to Read Foundation

What is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons?

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a comprehensive manual (all in a single level) designed primarily for parents that want to teach their children to read in a one-to-one setting at home.

This program offers a very structured approach to teaching reading through scripted lessons. I consider this program to be heavily-scripted, as opposed to lightly scripted.

There’s no room for flexibility with Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Every single detail (the way to give instructions, the way you model, the way you correct your child) has been defined for you and needs to be done in a very particular way!

The program is designed to take the child to a solid second-grade reading level upon completion.

What system does Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lesson use?

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons uses the DISTAR method (Direct Instruction).

This system was developed back in the 1960s by one of this manual’s co-author, Sigfried Engelman .

Apart from one-on-one scripted lessons, the manual introduces a unique alphabet with symbols and graphic cues. For instance, long vowel sounds are marked with a line on top, the “ng” digraph with an ark, etc. (See picture below).

This method has demonstrated effectiveness through large-scale studies… And has really passed the test of time!

However, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea!

How to get familiar with the system used in Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons?

The manual includes a section guiding parents to learn about the sounds themselves before starting the lessons. It emphasizes the importance of precise pronunciation for the DISTAR system to work effectively.

The sessions are recommended to be conducted in 12 to 20 minutes per day, with an emphasis on creating a routine for consistency.

While the manual primarily focuses on reading, it includes writing tasks for their reading-related value.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: Conclusion

Overall, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons presents itself as a user-friendly option for parents seeking a structured, affordable, and research-backed program to teach their children to read, even though it may involve unique symbols and cues that could potentially limit the child’s transition to conventional books.