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I'm a wife to my "Mr. Right". A momma of five. A maker of slow food and simple living. A collector of memories, a keeper of books, and a champion for books that make memories. An addict who likes my half-and-half with a splash of coffee. A fractured pot transformed by the One Who makes broken things beautiful. I heart homeschooling, brake for libraries, and am glad you're here with me on the journey! Be sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Or, follow along with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google +, Youtube, or Pinterest.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

We've officially got seven readers in our home. A quick mental calculation will tell you that this means all five of my children have now crossed the great divide between those who can't read and those who can. My youngest still needs my help with certain words, but as of this year, he possesses all the head-knowledge required to decode a word...any word.

In some ways, it feels like it took a lifetime for us to get here. But in other ways, it seems like it only took a blink. In reality, it took eleven years.

To break it down: I've spent the past eleven years teaching the letter names and sounds, the diagraphs, and the syllable rules. Long vowels and short ones. Blends and end rhymes. Regular sounds and special exceptions.


(I am in no way affiliated with Abeka Book and receive no compensation for this post. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

Obviously, every one of these learning-to-read journeys has been a bit different. My children each have their own unique set of struggles and strengths, after all. But, while the day-to-day lessons have had to ebb and flow to fit their individual needs, the curriculum has been the same for all eleven years.

I've taught all my kids to read using Abeka Phonics.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

Now, I'm not going to say that Abeka is the very best curriculum for teaching reading. (I cringe when I hear people use such strong superlatives when describing anything...as if they have tried every.single.item on the market and can make a conclusive statement about the superiority of one over all the others.) But, I think it's fair to say that I've had a pretty good track record with it. In addition to using Abeka Phonics while teaching my own circus of five, I've also used it...

  • when I learned to read back in 1983. (Don't try to do the math to find out my age. That's too many numbers for any brain to hold.)
  • when I worked for Abeka for four years in their homeschool division teaching other parents how to use the program.
  • when I took "Teaching Reading" at college (Abeka Phonics was the class curriculum standard.)
  • when I taught dozens upon dozens of other people's kids to read back when I was a classroom teacher.

I'm familiar with the program, to say the least. And since we're all friends here, I think it's only fitting that I tell you:

Before you pull the trigger and plunk down a bunch of real cash money for the expensive boxed phonics kit, don't. It's not worth it!

Clarity is kindness. And friends don't let friends waste money or buy clutter.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

Don't get me wrong, the foundation of the program is great. But as with everything in life, less is more. So many of the items in the kit and in the phonics section of the Abeka catalog can be bought or made at a fraction of the cost, can distract your child from the real work of reading, and can add a tedious amount of extra busywork because the program was designed for classroom use.

Case in point: The workbooks, while good for an easy-to-grab practice of skills, were never meant to be the "lesson." They were designed to be simple seatwork pages for classroom students to do while their teacher works with reading groups (small groups of students that are all at a similar reading level). The only job of a workbook page is to keep kids busy doing enough review work that they can stay occupied without having to ask a lot of questions or seek the teacher's assistance. For that reason, the workbook pages are generally about 5 to 10 skill levels behind the day's actual lesson topic. That's not to say that you shouldn't order the phonics workbooks, but only to say that you don't have to. Workbooks definitely have their place, even in homeschooling.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

In addition, the leveled readers are also worth some thoughtful consideration and possible "no thank you." With the exception of the kindergarten readers (as linked below) and perhaps the first two or three readers of first grade, don't bother buying any of the leveled readers. And definitely, do not buy any of the teacher editions for said books. Readers are really only useful in two specific scenarios:

  1. When a child is in the early stages of reading and hasn't learned enough sounds and rules to read a traditional trade paperback. (Leveled readers provide the look and feel of a "real" book while only utilizing a particular set of reading skills.)
  2. In a classroom setting. (They are designed to give a large group of kids something that they can all read and discuss together. Obviously, allowing 30 kids in a classroom to each read from 30 different books during group reading time would be counterintuitive at best and total anarchy at worst.) 
But, your home is not a classroom. Once your child is finished learning all the phonetical sounds and basic decoding rules (around the middle of first grade), he no longer needs readers. In fact, the dry-as-dust storylines of readers can actually turn your child away from a love of books.

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

Instead, allow him to read from an actual book that has interesting characters and well-developed plots. (Need some suggestions? Try this list of books for young boys or this one for young girls.) If you're worried about his retention and comprehension, don't drill-and-kill with a curriculum worksheet, just learn to have a literary conversation with him using these 10 fail-proof questions to ask about any book.

But workbooks and readers aren't the only things to consider when ordering from the program. Here is a list of what to buy and what to skip when shopping for Abeka Phonics (K through second grade).

Must-Have

Homeschool K5 Phonics, Reading, Writing and Numbers Curriculum (K) This is a full curriculum for all the K5 subjects and must be purchased even if you only intend on using it for phonics and reading. 

Helpful to Have

Language 1 (1st)

Splurge Item

Blend Ladders (K-1st)

Don't Bother

Language 1 Teacher Key (1st) If you are actually teaching your child the lesson as dictated in the lesson plan book, a teacher's key for any of the K-2nd phonics student books is unnecessary. You'll be able to glance at their work quickly to determine if it is correct or not. 
Reading Comprehension 2 Parent Edition (2nd)
Basic Phonics Sounds CD  (K-2nd) Unless you are from a part of the country that's known for a dialect that would make it difficult for your child to hear the sound pronounced correctly. (Ex.: bag pronounced as bage in the midwest, car pronounced caw in the upper northeast, d pronounced duuuh in the southeast)

Abeka Phonics K-2nd: What to Buy and What to Skip #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #curriculumreview #abeka #phonics

Before hitting the "buy" button, remember, a curriculum company is a business. The people behind it, no matter how kind and sincere, want your money. Yes, they want your children to read. Yes, they want your experience to be enjoyable. But more importantly, they want you to buy... a lot. And in some kind of advertising wizardry, they'll try and convince you to do just that!

Don't be offended by their agenda. Just be informed. Before you fall for that big boxed phonics kit, don't.


39 comments:

  1. Hey can I ask you a question? We're doing A Beka with my 2nd kid this year and he's reading quite well. We were doing the video, but it was so repetitious and since he already knew a lot of the beginning stuff, I've just been doing the worksheets with him myself rather than watching the videos for Language Arts. On this last test, however, I noticed that he was supposed to write the "special sounds" in the words I said. I feel like "special sounds" are something A Beka does that aren't necessarily essential to reading...or am I wrong? Would you say making him learn them would help in spelling and writing? And if so, I'm thinking just going through the Reading Handbook charts with him and saying them out loud together would be basically the same as what he's getting on the video, right? I'd love your input. :) --Karen G

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    1. Special sounds are essential. Other programs call them digraphs. They are the sounds that don't necessarily follow the normal letter sounds like "ph" and "th."

      Yes, you can teach the sounds with the Handbook for Reading. But I'd also highly recommend getting either the Clue Word Cards or the Basic Phonics Charts for practice.

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  2. Question on how this compares, in your opinion, to All About Reading. I know you like AAS. We started AAR and just finished level 1 and we loved it! I use the Abeka 1st grade language book to kind of apply what we've learned in AAS and AAR, but I found when I tried to use full Abeka a few years ago I was so confused! I felt I needed a master's in teaching just to understand the Abeka's teacher books. Really, I like Abeka a lot, but I just don't know how to teach it very well in homeschool. AAR seems much better telling me what and how I need to teach each day. My biggest hang up with AAR is. it. is. so. expensive!!! Any opinions or tips on all this?

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    1. I'm sorry, Sarah, I've not used AAR. However, I've spoken with several moms who love it and many who do not. I think if it is working for you, don't switch. Keep at it. Longevity and consistency with a program will do more for your child's education than any "perfect" curriculum ever will. Abeka is a good program, but it is not the only good program.

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  3. Hi Jamie!

    I noticed you have Phonics and Language 2 Test Book listed as a “don’t bother”. Do you think at the second grade level testing for phonics/language isn’t necessary?

    Thanks in advance, and thank you for posting this! It was very helpful ��

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    1. I actually don't think tests are necessary at any elementary level. Tests don't teach. They assess what has been taught in order to tell a school board and/or a parent how a child stacks up to his peers. Because as the parent, you teach your child, you don't need to be told how he's doing. You see how much he knows or doesn't know each and every day. That's the short answer. You can read this post for the longer one>>>https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/2017/06/tests.html

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  4. I’ve been hemming and hawing about what to actually purchase from Abeka for 1st. So you would say the Language Arts Teachers manual is a must for 1st? They always confuse me, and I was thinking I’d “wing” it. I’ve never used teacher’s manuals to teach my other two kids to read (with different curricula), but my current 1st-grader is not picking up on it as quickly as the others did, so I think I’m tempted to want to make sure I’m doing everything “right.” So I’m looking for some guidance on the essentials, but also to be freed from my perfectionism! For example, Abeka told me that Language 1 was meant to be complement Letters and Sounds 1, as it is grammar and writing. So I’m curious why that is on the “nice to have/ but not necessary” list. Thanks in advance!

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    1. It does compliment it. It reviews a lot of the phonics rules and eventually puts them into practice for writing sentences. But, all of the rules can be learned and practiced in Letters & Sounds 1, so that's why Language 1 is not necessary.

      Definitely buy the manual. The workbooks don't teach. They only review what has been taught. The manual has the info for how to teaching the skills of reading.

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  5. Thank you, Jamie. I think I’ll go ahead and buy the manual. I just want to minimize all the “bells and whistles,” as I have 5 children, and a fairly small house. So, as far as Language 1 goes, I hear you saying that it’s not necessary as far as teaching Phonics goes, but would it be important for the writing and grammar component? I was thinking about introducing it maybe second semester

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    1. Again, I think it is a great review. But not necessary. Also, I always encourage moms to buy gently used teacher's manuals. As long as you are sure to get the correct edition/print year, the used manuals are a fraction of the cost and are usually in great shape.

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  6. My oldest is going into 3rd grade, and we are using Abeka for the first time. She still struggles some with reading at her grade level, and I am looking for a resource to solidify her foundational reading skills before moving into more difficult material in 3rd grade. I’m looking at the Handbook for Reading 1 and 2 (it appears to come in 1 book). Do you have any suggestions/insight? Thank you!

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  7. Do you think the videos or streaming they offer is necessary for k5 or could I just buy the items you suggest and do it myself. This is all new to me so I’m not to sure if it’s going to be difficult to navigate? My daughter is 4.5 but from a lot of the forums I’ve read have suggested the k5 would be a more appropriate placement for her. She knows her letters and sounds for the most part and can count past 50. She’s a quick learner. I would appreciate any help

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    1. I would avoid the streaming for a K5 kiddo. The streaming would require a lot of unnecessary screen time and busy work. If you were to teach the material yourself, you'd cut her school day by more than half, allowing her to play and explore her own interests.

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  8. Also, do you need any of the teacher aids for k5

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  9. With your nice post here, I see that the readers (grade 1) are not necessary now (now being the too late operative word), but do you have a list of which lessons each book is associated with? Like Fun with Pets is with Lessons 4-22, etc.? Thanks!

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    1. You'd have to consult the teacher's guide for the exact lesson numbers that correspond with each book.

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  10. I am homeschooling 5 kids including a k5-and an 11th grader. First time for my k5 and oldest. We are using Abeka for k5 as well as for my 2nd grader. They each are using the videos, because I can not figure out how to teach them at the same time. My olders are more independant but still need me. The videos seem long. Any suggestions on how to use them, but not depend on them? Or is it all or nothing with the videos? I may return k5 vieos and stick to teaching it without. Hard for a little boy to sit very long. Just started so hard to tell if we will settle into routine or if they will start rebellingšŸ˜³. Any thoughts? Much appreciated!

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    1. In a way, yes, it is all or nothing. Because they are videos of actual classroom lessons, they contain a lot of wasted air time. But, it's difficult to know what you can skip and what you have to watch because the lessons are not segmented.

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  11. Did you follow the teachers manual for K5 for lesson directions?

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    1. Nope. If there is a "dictation" portion, I just make it up based on what has been taught in the previous lessons and grade my child's work according to what I dictated.

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  12. I’m struggling with special sounds that sound a like. Er, ir, ur how do I teach my first grader to differentiate when she hears the sound to write the correct one?

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    1. Unfortunately, there is no rule for this. Usage of R-controlled sounds are just learned over time through exposure. So, when she uses the wrong one in a word, point it out to her and have her write it again. Add it to her spelling list for practice.

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  13. I am really struggling with even to but Abeka or any curriculum now. My 4yo really just needs to practice some upper case and lowercase (print), learn cursive, continue to learn more special sounds, work on identifying when it’s a short be long vowel sound, master adding and subtracting. She knows her alphabet, can write fine just sometimes she mixes upper and lowercase together and might not always use proper formation, can sound out most any word (of course the larger ones she doesn’t understand yet bc she forgets what she has sounded out but can sound them out), reads CVC friendly books (we have bob books and scholastic first readers), working on building her sight word ability but knows about 25 now, is grasping the concept of adding right now pretty well… I feel like she’s almost at a first grade level? Could you provide your thoughts on how you would proceed?

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    1. I think if she has a hunger to learn more, then keep putting books in front of her to read. Don't allow a curriculum scope-and-sequence to hold her back. Might I suggest this list of easy but not boring readers?

      https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/2016/11/100-easy-readers.html

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  14. First of all thank you so much for this list! We are starting our first in kindergarten this year. We were thinking of buying the k5 abeka kit and the k5 essential parent kit. Do you think its necessary to buy the parent kit? Thank you so much again!

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    1. No. I would get the teacher's lesson guides and a few of the manipulatives. The parent kit is such a waste of money.

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  15. You have no idea how this helps. My daughter is turning 3 & I'll be starting a preschool curriculum I ordered but I had planned on ACE for kindergarten which I taught many years, until I heard from multiple parents about how wonderful Abeka is. Looking into it was a sea of info & materials...you helped in 5 mins me navigate it all without partiality. Thank you.

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    1. You're welcome! I'm so glad this was helpful. Wishing you all the best as you launch!

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  16. Do you have an email address I could use to reach out? I’ve got a few questions

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  17. Hi Jamie...its me again lol! Do you have an email address I could use to ask a few more questions?
    I'm just wondering but seems like K4 & K5 Abeka kits are really only a phonics/ Reading sets...I don't see they add other course work. Am I right? I looked into a 1st grade kit & saw history, science & Bible. If I ordered your must/helpful & splurge list would it be more beneficial to order the other 1st grade kit items separately. I see why people just cave & get the kits because it's easier not to think about it all...but who needs more clutter So I'm trying to figure it out. Also...what about the tests & spelling? Any help you can offer would be great.

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    1. My best suggestion is to call the ABeka Customer service line. They'll be able to help you mix and match the items in the kit to be able to get you exactly what you're looking for.

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  18. Question. How do I know if my 2nd grader is on the right track as of public school. I might send him back to school next year but would feel horrible if they tell me he is behind

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  19. Thank for these posts! Your link to why testing isn't necessary won't work can you share it again please?

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    1. Here you go.
      https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/2017/06/tests.html

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  20. Hi! Thanks for your blog. I recently bought the handbook for reading used off of Facebook marketplace and have a blend book and some of the readers handed down from an older home school Mom. I’m just curious why the handbook for reading isn’t on your “must have” list? Is it not the core item that is used to begin learning to read? That is my understanding from what I gathered from the K / Gr one level? I’d love your input!

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  21. Hi! Iove your post! I've used Abeka for K4 and K5 with my oldest son. we are about to begin 1st grade material. Do you recommend the spelling and poetry?

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  22. I just wanted to let you know this was tremendously helpful for me. I was going back-and-forth about what to use with my first grade daughter. I really didn’t want to spend all of that money for the kits. I’m a new homeschooler and I couldn’t figure what actually necessary. This has helped me so much. Thanks again. I’ll be checking out more of you info.

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