A Beka Phonics Grades K-3

A Beka Phonics' decoding method is implemented through constant repetition and written work: fortunately, this is also a very visual course, with lots of flashcards, charts, colorful student texts, and other materials to help kids remember phonics rules and phonogram sounds. Like other A Beka programs, this one is supported by numerous supplements, including readers and teacher books.

All About Reading Grades K-3

If it's flat-out fun you're looking for, All About Reading is basically the decoding approach, but built around a series of games for young children to play with parents and teachers. The idea is for kids to not realize they're learning while actually internalizing quite a lot of information. They do activities, read fun stories, and (if you want to buy the puppet) "teach" what they've learned to Ziggy Zebra.

American Language Series Grades K-1

The American Language Series by Dr. Guyla Nelson is a comprehensive language artsprogram with particular concentration on phonics and early reading development. Teacher guides help you guide kids through readers and workbooks, with different workbooks focusing on various aspects of language arts. This is a reprint of a long-established classic.

BJU Phonics Grades K-1

BJU Phonics integrates every imaginable subject for kindergartners in the context of phonics. Things change again at first and second grade to become more traditional. This is pretty straightforward phonics, with everything you need included in the teacher guides, and engaging texts for the kiddos, but it is extremely effective and comprehensive.

CLP Adventures in Phonics Grades K-3

For each level there's a consumable student book and a teacher guide, along with the typical phonics elements: flashcards, pronunciation CD, charts, and some reference books. Kids memorize rules and learn to identify sounds, in a two-pronged approach that is effective if somewhat austere. The emphasis is on instruction/learning, so frills are set aside.

CLP Phonics & Reading Grades K-6

Adventures in Phonics is a sounds-based curriculum that is bare-bones, easy to use, and affordable; it's only downside for homeschool families is that it was originally designed for classroom use. The Nature Readers are both scientifically informative and character-building. Other CLP readers include Christian biographies, adaptations of classic stories, and collections of history essays.

Explode the Code Grades K-4

This is the most basic decoding program we carry. Explode the Code has kids corresponding pictures with sounds and answering critical thinking questions (of the ridiculous and funny variety). A series of workbooks and teacher keys, this is easy to implement and fun for parents and kids, though it should be used as an introduction or reinforcement rather than a complete curriculum.

Horizons Phonics & Reading Grades K-2

Horizons Phonics & Reading offers four workbooks and four readers for kindergarten students; first and second graders have two workbooks and two readers each. This is the spiral method applied to phonics, and means some concepts may disappear for a few lessons, but they'll always reappear when they're needed again. The teacher provide both answers to exercises, and teacher notes.

Memoria Press Phonics & Reading Grades K-1

Memoria Press Phonics & Reading is fast-paced and multisensory, presenting words out of context so that kids will have no option but to read them phonetically. Classical Phonics is for students and teachers, and introduces the alphabet and words. First Start Reading consists of four worktexts and two teacher's guides designed to get students reading as quickly and as well as possible.

Primary Phonics Grades K-2

Since all their subsequent learning depends on their ability to read well, young students can't really get too much phonics instruction. The Primary Phonics workbooks provide simple reading-in-context exercises for beginning readers in a simple picture-based black and white format. These are supplements, not a curriculum, but they are excellent for kids who are struggling with phonics.

Saxon Phonics Grades K-2

Implementing the same spiral method of its math programs, Saxon Phonics is a fairly standard and old-fashioned phonics course. The teacher guide contains all instructional information, while the students practice what they've learned with flashcards and workbooks. Kids begin by sounding out consonants, move to vowels, and eventually are able to decode whole words.

Spectrum Phonics & Word Study Grades K-6

Spectrum Phonics & Word Study is a great way to reinforce what your kids are learning elsewhere and to ensure they'll perform well on standardized tests, but these books won't teach phonics. Each book includes a series of 1-page exercises for students to complete which integrate both reading and writing elements in a full-color format that is easy to navigate.

Spell to Write and Read Grades K-4

Spell to Write and Read is an ambitious comprehensive language arts program with less of a "fun" emphasis than many courses like it. Teachers will have their hands full juggling all the books, cards, and other media, but they'll also be rewarded with students able to handle themselves competently in both reading and writing, and who understand the complexity of language.

Teach America to Read and Spell Grades K-1

Teach America to Read and Spell is one of the best total language arts courses, covering phonics and reading, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting in what the author calls a "direct phonics" approach. The material and presentation is fun, and the author makes himself available to users with questions. Students learn to decode the most recurrent phonograms at the outset.

Veritas Press Phonics Museum Grades K-1

Another fun and multisensory (though not games-oriented) program, Veritas Press Phonics Museum uses fascinating and beautifully illustrated readers that also teach history and other subjects to get kids reading. The course also involves games and activities which demonstrate the interconnectedness of all the language arts, and help reinforce more traditionally presented information.