Support for Students and Parents with All About Reading

Many, many years ago (although it feels like only a blink) I brought Trevor home from public school and embarked on our homeschool journey. I had no idea what to expect, and no idea that our family would come to embrace homeschooling the way we do now. I’d been a public school educator for over a decade, specializing in gifted students, so while I felt fully equipped to serve Trevor’s unique needs, I had no idea what I was doing when it came to homeschooling.

I had recently taken the leap into full time writing, undergone intense cancer treatments, and had a newborn – to say I was overwhelmed would be quite the understatement. A lot was going on when I took on the added role of homeschool mom, and I needed all the help I could find. Fortunately, I found All About Reading, and Trevor blossomed with the program. That’s why, years later, when my two youngest kiddos needed a little more structure and support with their reading, we went back to what I know works.

I’ve shared many times before that we’re fairly relaxed homeschoolers. We’re eclectic, interest-lead, and pretty laid-back, so over the years, I’ve somewhat shied away from some boxed curriculum. I’ve found some truly fantastic programs, but in general, we’ve embraced a somewhat unschool-y approach to learning. With Molly practically reading from the womb, I didn’t give much more thought to a reading program as the years went on.

I’ve also shared a few times before about Logan’s struggles with dyslexia and reading. We are big readers in our family, and more than once I’ve found one of my kiddos off to the side at events, away from the crowd, with their nose in a book and a smile on their face. We read a lot, but Logan was still struggling and needed some support. Isaac has no trouble reading, but has found himself in a comfort zone of being perfectly content being read to.

Remembering how successful Trevor had been using All About Reading, I decided it was time for a little more structure and a little more support for my two youngest kiddos. I ordered level 1 and level 3, and got to work with my last two readers.

Because All About Reading is a completely scripted, open and go curriculum, I was able to immediately pick the program up and get started. I didn’t have to round up materials or build a course out of piles of readers, just point to the beginning and start. I did use the free placement test that is available on the All About Reading website, but the program is flexible enough that it can absolutely be used in a mixed-age or group setting. I haven’t once felt like I needed to put one child on hold while I worked with another because AAR lends itself easily to group learning.

The creator of AAR herself has a background in language arts education, and when her own son was diagnosed as severely dyslexic, she put her own experience and knowledge to work by creating the program. It is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, which many parents of dyslexic kiddos will recognize as the gold standard in reading programs for their kiddos, so it works wonderfully for those who struggle and need extra reading support. It’s not an exclusively-dyslexic reading program, however, so AAR works for children of all reading levels, even those who read above level.

Using a multisensory approach that builds upon previously-learned skills, there are no gaps left in the learning process. Kids are engaged in the process, learning not just how to read, but how to comprehend, draw inferences, and recognize literary devices.

One of the benefits of All About Reading that truly sets it apart from other programs is the customer support. They offer lifetime support. Seriously. As long as you are teaching your children, the support staff at AAR is willing and available to take your emails or calls and work through any struggles that may present themselves. The Reading Interactive Kit is also a lifetime product, something you can use over and over again with every kiddo you take through the program. All About Reading even offers a practically unheard-of “Go Ahead and Use It” guarantee, allowing you to try the program for a full year. If at the end of that year of use your child hasn’t experienced success or you decide it’s not a fit, simply return the package – in any condition – and you will receive a full refund! There are even dozens and dozens of free resources available on the website, for anyone to utilize.

With the ease of use, quality of the lessons, and unparalleled support, All About Reading is the perfect choice for those families that are new to homeschooling, struggling with twice-exceptional kiddos, large families with multiple age groups to teach, or busy parents who need a program that doesn’t require a bunch of busy and prep work. This program is designed to help parents as much as it is students.

Go check out the website, take a placement test today, and get your kiddos started on a lifelong journey of literacy!