You may have noticed that language arts programs can be divided into two types: all-in-one programs and single-subject programs.
You may be wondering why we don’t combine our programs into a single All About® program. After all, wouldn’t it be more efficient to teach multiple subjects in the same program?
That’s a great question! Read on to discover the two main reasons we teach these subjects separately.
Simply put, reading is easier than spelling.
In reading, a child decodes the written word. Phonogram AY always says long A, so once a child learns that, reading words like stay and display is a straightforward task.
Even with a more complex phonogram—such as phonogram EA, which can say three sounds (/ē/, /ĕ/, or /ā/)—students can try out each of the three sounds to see which forms a real word. And the fact that students learn to recite the phonogram sounds in order of frequency is also helpful. In a word like thread, the student who tries out the first, most common sound of EA quickly realizes that /thrēd/ isn’t a real word, so she tries the second sound of EA, resulting in the real word /thrĕd/.
But in spelling, a child encodes the word. Ideally, there would be just one way to write each sound, but the reality is that there are many ways to write each sound. If a child wants to write the word great or neighbor, for example, he has to decide how the sound of long A should be written. Choices include A, AI, A-consonant-E, EIGH, EI, EY, or AY. There are some generalizations that can help narrow down the options, but the fact is that there are approximately 250 ways to spell the 45 speech sounds of the English language.
So even though reading and spelling are flip sides of the same coin, reading is easier.
Let’s do a quick demonstration. Read the words below.
You didn’t have any trouble reading them, did you?
But what if I asked you to spell them? (Without looking first, of course!) How would you do?
If you think you would have spelled all these words correctly, congratulations! You’re probably a better speller than most adults. Though most adults can easily read these words, many would misspell them.
With a basic understanding of phonics, a child should be able to read the word special without much trouble. But spelling the word special is a greater challenge because of that tricky /sh/ sound in the middle of the word.
See what I mean? Is it any wonder that so many children struggle with spelling? And that leads to the second reason we teach reading and spelling separately.
When you try to teach your child to read and spell the same words at the same time, you guarantee only one thing: one of these critically important subjects will fall by the wayside. That’s because there are two possible scenarios with programs that combine reading and spelling:
Scenario #1. Your child learns to read the words in the lesson, but he can’t move on to the next lesson because he’s still learning to spell those words. Without knowing it, you have chosen to focus on spelling at the expense of reading.
Scenario #2. Your child learns to read the words in the lesson, but although he’s still learning to spell the words, you decide to allow him to move on to the next lesson. You’ve chosen to focus on reading, so your child’s spelling suffers.
As you can see, it’s a no-win situation. All-in-one programs force you to choose one subject to the detriment of the other. But I don’t believe you should have to sacrifice your child’s learning in any subject.
With our single-subject approach, your child can succeed at both subjects. He can progress as quickly as possible in reading …
… and he can take as much time as he needs in spelling.
With this approach, your child can more easily achieve mastery in both reading and spelling, without sacrificing learning in either subject.
Do you think that teaching reading and spelling separately would make a difference for your kids?
Alyssa Beard
says:We just purchased level 1 and 2 All About Reading for our 4 and 5 year old children. We love that we will be able to re-use the same materials for our 1 and 2 year old children in the future. (I laminated and organized all lesson materials in file folders.) We look forward to getting All About Spelling when we have room in our budget to order curriculum again! Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSuch a great point about being able to reuse All About Reading materials with multiple children, Alyssa! Thanks for mentioning it, and good idea to laminate items
Kimberly Bowersox
says:We have heard great things about All About Reading from other homeschool families and have always wanted to try it out.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m pleased to hear you have heard good things about All About Reading, Kimberly. Do you have any questions?
Tabitha D.
says:We are looking into using All About Reading this year for our special needs child. Praying about what to use with him as we have used a few other curricula’s and have not seen much progress in learning to read.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceDo you have questions or concerns, Tabitha? Can I help you with placement or anything else?
We have an excellent one-year “Go Ahead and Use It” Guarantee. If the program does not meet your child’s needs, you can return it at any time within one year of purchase for a full refund of your purchase price, excluding shipping, even if the materials are used. Marie, the author, never wants anyone to feel “stuck” with their purchase and wants them to feel free to really try the program.
Eileen
says:I was introduced to this program at the beginning of summer. The family I tutor for purchased it so I could help their child improve her reading. I have been blown away! I have been teaching for 11 years and I have never been so pleased with a program. I wish I had the complete set to use with my struggling readers in my second grade classroom.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI was so excited to read your opinion of All About Reading, Eileen! Thank you for taking the time to share it.
Jonicka
says:This will be my first year using AAR. I read to wait until Level 1 is completed before starting AAS so I will be following that advice. I’m soo excited for this program I really feel that it will resonate with my 7 year old. This article was very informative I never realized the misconception between reading and spelling because it came natural to me growing up I always felt they went hand in hand.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this article was helpful for you, Jonicka.
Eryn
says:All about reading and spelling have helped me to identify how my son learns best and help him to excel where he was struggling before.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt’s wonderful to hear that All About Reading and All About Spelling have helped you help your son learn to his best ability, Eryn! Thanks for sharing.
Mindy
says:This is the recommended program of my son’s educational therapist and I have found it absolutely amazing. My reluctant reader still loves the lessons and is progressing nicely after 3 years of the program. This year we will begin all about spelling as well.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThis is fantastic to hear, Mindy! It’s especially great that your son enjoys the lessons; that’s so important!
Holly
says:This will be our 2nd year using AAR.
We previously did Pre Reading and are ready to begin AAR 1 this fall.
Thank you for such a wonderful program.
As a mom of 5, simplicity and open/go programs make my day so much easier!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad to know that All About Reading’s easy-to-teach design is helping to make your days easier, Holly! Thank you.
Tracey
says:Teaching each seperately had worked for my children.
LAUREN-TAYLOR NAPLES JONES
says:I have found this to be true with my son. He is a struggling reader and separating them has made him feel successful in both. I love the idea of taking as much time as he needs in spelling!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat to hear your son is feeling successful with both reading and spelling now that you have separated them, Lauren!
Pam Clouse
says:My daughter and I really enjoyed All About Reading, I wish I would have started with it for my son when it came time instead of “trying something new”, now he is struggling and it isn’t fun. AAR for the win !
Abby
says:Although we haven’t started a spelling program yet, my son has made huge strides in his reading using AAR 1.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m pleased to hear that All About Reading is working out so well for your son, Abby!
Mishi
says:We loved AAR 1 and this year we’re going to give AAS a try along with AAR2. We struggled with spelling with the program we used last year so I’m hoping this year we’ll have more success.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry you struggled with spelling last year, Mishi. If you have any questions or need help, please let us know.
Brittany
says:Does AAR or AAS include grammar and writing or would I need to supplement for those for my 2nd gradergrader? Thanks!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat question, Brittany!
You will find this article on planning language arts helpful as you think through your priorities for this school year.
Our programs focus mainly on the reading and spelling aspects of language arts. Here’s a bit more information about what they do and don’t cover:
All About Reading does not cover grammar except as it relates to reading. For example, it will teach some punctuation marks, point out that names use capital letters, and things like that. It includes research-based instruction in decoding skills, fluency, automaticity, comprehension, vocabulary, and lots and lots of reading practice.
Also, if you check out the Scope and Sequences for all levels, you will see that these levels cover things like literary analysis for comprehension (for example, making predictions and inferences, comparing and contrasting main characters and stories, discussing the main conflict and character transformation), as well as literary terms (hyperbole, simile, point of view, and more), reading reference materials, reading with expression, English words with Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian influences, morphology, and much more.
Synonyms and antonyms are covered through reading, and homophones are covered in spelling. Both programs include aspects of using reference material and alphabetizing.
All About Spelling focuses on encoding skills, spelling rules, and other strategies that help children become good spellers.
The All About Spelling program does not cover grammar except as it applies to spelling. For example, when the suffix -ed is taught, students learn what past tense means and how some words change completely instead of simply taking on the suffix. However, the program does not discuss parts of speech, punctuation, and so on.
AAS has a gradual progression for increasing the student’s stamina and fluency in writing which is very helpful for beginning writers. It starts with just words and short phrases in Level 1, bumps up to phrases and short sentences in Level 2, and progresses to 12 dictation sentences per step in Level 3. Partway through this level, the Writing Station is introduced. In this exercise, students write sentences that they make up using their spelling words.
In this way, students have begun to use words in a more real-world context through dictation and writing to help them transition to longer writing assignments.
Dictation and the Writing Station both serve as an important bridge between spelling words in the context of lists (where the patterns are similar) and more “real world” writing. By the end of Level 3, students have mastered about 1000 words from the regular and reinforcement lists, and they have developed stamina and some beginning editing skills that will help them when they start a formal writing program.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Jewelie Smith
says:This makes so much sense. Hopefully, this will help us with the issues we are having.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad this made sense to you, Jewelie. Separating reading and spelling does make a big difference for a lot of students.
Ann Bennett
says:This was very helpful, thank you!
Gina
says:Hello. I am new and about to start All About Spelling Level 1 and All About Reading Level 3 for my almost 9 year old son. Do you have any instructions or advice on how to teach both programs well daily? Should I just do 20 min of Spelling and 20 min of Reading program?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGina,
Yes, we recommend 20 minutes of Reading and 20 minutes of Spelling a day. However, here is a blog post that shows how a mom taught both each day in one 35 minute session, Real Moms, Real Kids: Teaching Active Children.
For my children, I preferred to teach one, then do something else completely different like math or music, and then the other. I found breaking them up like that helped them to focus better for each.
Does this help? Let me know if you need more information or help with anything.
Beverlyn Teine
says:MY NAME IS Beverlyn Teine,am always Having problems with my spellings ,can you help with this problem please. Thanks alot.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBeverlyn,
All About Spelling takes the struggle out of spelling! However, it is designed to be used with a teacher and a student. If you have a willing friend or family member that could work with you, it can make a difference. Let me know if you have any questions or need help with placement.
Cathy
says:Thanks! I’m just putting my course work together for this year. My first child picked up both reading and spelling very quickly but number two and three – it’s not coming as naturally to them. I’m feeling a bit lost with it but your article is helpful in being more directive.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad you found this helpful, Cathy. Let me know if you need help with placement or have any questions.
Nini
says:Where do you cover grammar?
Linda
says:Ah, the things we wish we’d known when we started………………………….. Because spelling was easy for me, I assumed good readers would automatically be good spellers; not always true! Love AAS!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLinda,
That is a common assumption and boy, was I surprised when my second child, who was reading years above grade level, was spelling years below grade level. It was then I found All About Spelling and it made all the difference for her!
Jemmy
says:Hallo,
This makes sense. Quite on point.
Mama Bee
says:I read that we should not begin All About Spelling until we’re done All About Reading Level 1 which we finished in the spring. We now have ALl About Reading Level 2 ready to go and All About Spelling Level 1. Are you saying that you suggest we don’t do that at the same time or am I missing something?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGood question!
We do recommend waiting until your student has finished All About Reading 1 before starting All About Spelling, so doing AAR 2 and AAS 1 at the same time is common. Then we recommend working in both All About Reading and All About Spelling each day. However, we don’t recommend trying to match up the topics. Just work for 20 minutes a day in reading and 15 to 20 minutes a day in spelling and allow your student to progress at his or her own pace in each.
Does this clear the issue up for you? Please let me know if you have more questions or need help for anything.
Mama Bee
says:Yes, thanks so much.
Wendy Zamorano
says:This is the first time to use AAR and AAS. I have both level 2 and 3 of AAR and level 2 and 3 of AAS. On both placement tests, my 8 year old read the phrases and words but didn’t really know most of the phonograms. I don’t know which levels to use so that when I use both AAR and AAS I won’t mess up anything . Please help.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWendy,
Have your student read the story “Rawhide” from this sample. Evaluate (without correcting your student) for the following…
– Your student’s ability to decode the words in the story.
– Your student’s ability to comprehend the story.
– Could your student fluently read the story with expression?
– Did your student understand the words from a vocabulary standpoint?
The story “Rawhide” comes from very near the end of All About Reading level 2, so if he or she does well with it, reading fluently with good comprehension, then you can be confident starting level 3.
If you are concerned that maybe All About Reading level 3 may be too easy as well, read this sample story, “Cedric the Brave Knight”. If your student can also read it fluently with good comprehension, then he or she would be better served with level 4.
The article Which Spelling Level Should We Start With? has more information on the concepts taught in All About Spelling 1 and will help you decide if your student can skip level 1 and go into level 2. Note, most students, even older ones, need to start in level 1.
Level 2 of All About Spelling focuses on learning the syllable types, when they are used and how they affect spelling. This information is foundational for higher levels of spelling. Three syllable rules are introduced in level 2, and then more in level 3 and up. For this reason, we don’t recommend starting higher than level 2.
If you find your student needs to start with level 1, I encourage you to “fast track” if he or she knows how to spell most of the words but does not understand the underlying basic spelling concepts. In this case, very quickly skim the parts that he already knows and slow down on the parts that he needs to learn. Pull out several words as examples. Make sure he understands the concept being taught, and then move on. This blog article has a good example of how you might fast track.
Please let me know if you have further question or needy anything else.
Cherie
says:This is exactly the reason I ended up choosing AAS. My daughter was reading at a very early age but has dysgraphia and had extreme difficulty with spelling. AAS eased her struggle and did not carry that struggle over into subjects that she was not struggling with.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat point, Cherie! We are pleased to hear that All About Spelling allowed you to help your daughter with her area of struggle without holding her back in any other area.
Mahua Roychoudhury
says:Thank you Marie, I agree with you. I understood this last year when my son started learning spellings. So I took up teaching spellings separately.
Ndileka
says:Very helpful. Thank you.
Zaphina Hosein Chin
says:I am a teacher in a kindergarten class and I have parents who are totally against the concept of invented spelling. Any suggestions on how to defend my position?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceZaphina,
I’m sorry, we cannot give you suggestions on how to defend invented spelling, as we agree with your students’ parents. Here is our article on Invented Spelling.
abd
says:hello
english is not me first language and I’m 30 years , I know i’m old .
can you have advice about improving spelling , or any source can help.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHello,
Spelling English is difficult for even native speakers; it can be very difficult for those learning English as a second language.
Our All About Spelling program has been successfully used with English language learners and with adults. However, All About Spelling is not designed to be used independently. Do you have someone that can work with you with All About Spelling? Even just an hour a week would work.
Please let us know if you need help getting started.
abd
says:thank you for answer , did you have online course ? what you sagest for self-learning ?
many thanks
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWe do not have an online course or any program designed for self learning. One of the key components of our programs is the interaction and immediate feedback from a teacher, which isn’t possible with the self learning model.
Catia
says:At what point would grammar begin being taught? Or is it something incorporated into your programs?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCatia,
All About Reading and All About Spelling only cover grammar as it relates to reading and spelling. For example, when the suffix -ed is taught, students do learn what past tense means and how some words change completely instead of simply taking on the suffix. However, the programs do not discuss parts of speech, punctuation, and so on.
As for when grammar should be taught, you may found this article on planning the sequence of Language Arts helpful. You want your child to be doing well with reading and spelling before beginning formal grammar.
a reply
There are a number of grammar programs available that have either multi-sensory components or an incremental approach. Some of the programs focus exclusively on grammar, while some include writing as well. Here are a few suggestions:
Winston Grammar is a hands-on program with color-coded cards, and is generally aimed at students in 4th to 7th grades.
Easy Grammar features an incremental approach and includes topics such as usage and punctuation, for 2nd grade and up.
Essentials in Writing is described by author Matthew Stephens as a Math-U-See approach to writing. In the elementary levels, this program incorporates grammar with writing. The lessons are presented in short video segments of 3 to 5 minutes and then the student works on the concept that was taught. This is a multisensory and incremental program that is very easy to use. There are levels for 1st-12th grades.
The Sentence Family is a simple and fun program aimed at 3rd through 6th graders. The program uses drawing along with a story line to teach the nine parts of speech and how they relate to each other.
Fix It Grammar is incremental and uses very short lessons. Each level teaches grammar using sentences from a single story, so there is the additional fun of seeing the story slowly unfold. The teacher’s manual is very comprehensive, and even includes advanced concepts so the teacher can answer questions a curious student may have. The youngest the program is recommended for is 3rd grade, although it is appropriate for older students as well.
Hands-On English with Linking Blocks is an intriguing program that uses wooden blocks and flash cards for a truly hands-on approach.
Analytical Grammar teaches a mastery of grammar by working on it for short grammar focused units once a year for 2 to 3 years. Junior Analytical Grammar is for 4th or 5th graders, with Analytical Grammar for 6th to 9th graders.
Hopefully this gives you some to consider!
Sharon Ebersole
says:My weakest area is grammar, out of the 7 companies you recommended is there one for a parent like me to implement.
I am having huge success with the programs my students are using in AAS and AAR. You have helped me feel like a super star! Thank you
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSharon,
I can only give you my personal experience, but since I consider grammar my weakest subject by far, my experience may help.
My older two children used Winston Grammar in junior high. They used it independently and I simply corrected their work. Both did fairly well with it, but if they disagreed with the answer key they could bring up a strong argument as to why they were right. They were convincing, but I didn’t know grammar well enough to defend the answer key and the answer key never had explanations or discussions to expand the learning. My biggest problem with Winston Grammar, however, is that after my students completed it they still struggled to be able to discuss grammar usage or misusage in their own writing. To me, the point of learning grammar is to have a vocabulary and understand with which to discuss your own writing, so I felt let down a bit with Winston Grammar.
With my younger three students, the ones that have struggled greatly with reading, spelling, and writing, I knew Winston Grammar would not work well. I researched grammar curriculum for a year before deciding upon The Sentence Family followed by Fix It Grammar. I’m not sure The Sentence Family was necessary, but it was a fun and very hands-on primer on parts of speech and my kids loved it. We were able to complete it in a month without hurrying.
We are now within a month of finishing the first book of Fix It Grammar and I am confident I made the right choice. My children are understanding it, as am I, and the Teacher’s Guide has lots of information for questions or advanced concepts that we might wonder about. It takes only 5 to 10 minutes a day, so it fits in with the short lesson philosophy of AAR and AAS too.
The one change I make to Fix It Grammar is that I allow my kids to mark parts of speech with the color they learned in The Sentence Family. For example, nouns are blue and verbs are red. They are learning and using the names, but I have found that thinking and marking sentences in color helps their understanding and makes it a bit more fun too.
On the other hand, Analytical Grammar, starting with the junior level, was my second choice so I think it is worth looking into as well. Excellence in Writing looks like a great choice if you would prefer to combine grammar and writing into a single curriculum. Hands-On English with Linking Blocks is very intriguing, but it was not written for classroom use, so it seemed to me to assume the teacher was confident in grammar. As I said, grammar is my weakest subject, so I felt that Hands-On English with Linking Blocks would be way too difficult for me to implement. My only experience with Easy Grammar was that my girlfriend used it for years. I looked it over and quickly dismissed it as an option as it was just workbook pages without anything to make it hands-on and my kids need hands-on.
There are so many options out there; it can be overwhelming! When I evaluate programs I look at several things:
What worked about what we used previously? Did we like anything?
What didn’t work and why?
What do I need as a teacher from a grammar program? (Do I need scripting, examples, teaching helps etc…?)
What do my students need? (Think about visual layout, color vs. black & white, mom-taught vs. independent or DVD teacher, hands-on, and so on.)
Look at samples online (or in person if possible), and let your kids look at them. Even young students can have opinions on curriculum that can give you insight that can be very helpful in your decision making.
I hope this helps some.