Bottom line: this video recommends All About Reading. I'm about to use AAR for my third child. It's a great program, and it works fine to start All About Spelling a little later for eager readers who don't have the writing skills (fine motor skills) for spelling yet.
I love both of these programs. Like you said, my non struggling reader has thrived with TG&TB from level K-level 2. For my dyslexic daughter, she has needed extra help with the reading aspect. To be fair, she would need supplementation in grammar, writing and spelling if we were only using AAR.
We love the good and the beautiful language arts. That’s all we’ve used. We’ve onli been homeschooling for a few years. We’ve used letter magnets. We’ve also used jolly phonics but at the time we thought are kids where going to school so wen we needed language arts our kids where already reading. They where reading by 6. We found the good and the beautiful stories where good for reading practice but not good stories so we’ve used other books!!!
New homeschooler this year and we started my daughter in AAR level 2 (1st grader) and she did amazing and finished before the end of our school year and is reading independently to herself and aloud to me. We will continue to use AAR thru all 4 levels. My 3rd grader I started on AAR level 4 and she flew through it so quick that we did start TGTB level 3 with her. I like it so far and we are 50 lessons in. In my opinion I think really focusing on phonics and reading in the beginning with a program like AAR is key- once they can read they can do anything :) Thanks for the great video- and I do prep AAR like your friend by cutting stapling etc all in one day and then i pull out of the binder as I need them.
New to AAR. My kindergartener tested in level 3 but that’s chapter books so I tested him again and he scored level 2. Any advice on which to buy? I was assuming we would start at level 1 but because he can read on his own and knows a lot of the letter sounds & blends I might buy level 2. Reading paragraphs are too hard for him. Will we miss a lot of basics if we start at level 2?
Thank you for this review. My youngest is a struggling reader and I am doing all the research to try and help her because she is so eager to read like her older brother and sister.
Great comparison! We have been using TGATB, while it has worked well for my older daughters, they knew how to read when we started using it. It has not worked well for teaching my kids who have been struggling to read. After seeing your video and Katie’s I’m going to give All About Reading a try!
I tend to think that particularly with the phonics stage (especially with kids who don't latch onto reading instantly), it's really helpful to have a curriculum that's very focused and systematic on phonics, not trying to tie anything else in. My family has used Sing, Spell, Read, and Write for 25 years...it's very thorough and systematic. A bit old-fashioned at this point, but I suspect I'll use that one simply because my mom already has all the stuff and it's a little hard to get new stuff here. ha!
Yes!! Sing , Spell, read, and write for the win!! My sons teacher used it in her classroom and we just happened to score the first level for free, from another momma!!! Such a blessing. Anyway, I just scoured the internet for ALL Level 2 components. 😂😊
This is an EXCELLENT comparison Ashley! We don’t use AAR but one of mine uses an Orton-Gillingham curriculum with similar structure, TGTB would never work for him. It wouldn’t work for him but it works wonderfully for my oldest son and oldest daughter. Your video is a great resource for people trying to determine which will work best!
Thank you so much for the great video. The comparison makes it so much easier to make a decision about the curriculum that I'm using next year for first grade. Thank you 💓💓
Thanks for the comparison! My son loves AAR and it is working so well for a comprehensive phonics-based program! He loves playing the Ziggy Zebra games too! And they have a lot of play-based activity ideas in the program!
The good and the beautiful worked so well for my son. He is a strong reader. It did not work well for my daughter who wasn't a strong reader. I was trying to continue with it but I had to remember I was not married to that curriculum and I had to let it go for her.
You make great videos! If you have a video on a topic I'm looking up, I always watch yours. Your explanations are clear and to the point. I was considering tgtb for my 1st grader but I wasn't sure about their readers. This answered my question.
Awww! Thank you for your kind words! I’m happy to help 😊 I do have to add that TGTB has since come out with a new updated version of their 1st Grade LA. But I still think AAR is a solid program 👍🏻
You did such a great comparison. We are 8 lessons into all about reading and loving it. Thinking about next year what I will supplement for grammar and spelling. Great video!
Hi Ashley! Great comparison! I have used TG&TB as well. However, it didn't work well for my struggling reader as well. AAR and Reading Horizons Discovery were the two phonics curriculums that helped me teach my oldest child to read. That being said, I am pretty new to homeschooling and am still struggling to know what to teach from the 11 subjects that we are required to teach here in WA. I feel like the Lord guided me to your channel. I am feeling so overwhelmed with the world of resources and curriculums out there. I fell into the trap of buying so many of them, and now I don't know which one to use or pick and choose what I should teach from each of them. I will feel terrible if I have to tell my husband that I need more funds to buy more curriculum for our two girls (1st and 3rd) grades. I know he would understand, but I already have a bunch of material that I don't even have more space to store them, so adding more would be craziness. Almost every night, I pray and shed tears because I feel like I don't know what I am doing and have a hard time maintaining a good homeschool structure for my kids. At times, I think that they would be better of in the public school system. Still, my "why" for homeschooling is stronger than that. Therefore, I am reaching and pouring my heart out here. I am still trying to learn which homeschool style would be better for my family. All that I know is my Brazilian and US public school style, but I feel that it makes for a very long day, a lot of busywork, and not much fun for my children. It seems like we fit more in the Charlotte Mason, Classical Education, and for some areas, Unit Studies soothes us as well. I ordered your Ready Set Homeschool book; I hope to find guidance, especially in learning what I should focus on and teach in these grade levels. I am sure you can tell I am very overwhelmed. I think you do a great job with your homeschool, that I wish to organize mine after yours. So, since I want to look up to you as a homeschool model, I would greatly appreciate it if you share more insights on knowing or identifying what to teach, how to record-keeping, and maintaining a daily structure that works. Thank you so much for everything you do and for being such a great example for me as I am still giving baby steps into this homeschool journey.
I feel like this at times. Give your grace. It seems like your already doing a great job mama! Keep praying. The Lord knows your babies better than you do. The Lord will direct your steps. ❤
Thanks for sharing! I feel similarly about The Good and the Beautiful. I haven’t used All About Reading, but I’ve used Logic of English, which is similar. I’d definitely recommend All About Reading or Logic of English at least to start. They both provide a much better foundation to reading, the rules, and putting it together logically than TGATB. I do like TGATB, but the way it taught didn’t make sense or flow, especially for my struggling reader.
I used Level 1 GB with my son for 2nd grade this year. I had pulled him out of public school as I noticed he was not progressing past the kinder stage (where he was on target) in first grade. GB is done by levels and not grades and I felt like Level 1 was perfect for him. He grew so much as a reader and we both really liked the reader and the stories. However, I used the K Primer with my TK daughter and then moved into Level K. The work expectation jumped quickly. She was expected to write more than she was able and I felt like she wasn't quite ready for the spelling words. We were with a charter last year, so i had them purcahse AAR1 for her. We used about 1/3 of the program before we had to return in to the school, and it was great to focus on just the reading skills. Now I feel she can go back to the Level K when she is actually in kinder and be successful. I have purchased Level 2 for my son and Level 1 for when my daughter completes Level K. I also used the new level 4 with my 5th grader, but decided she will do other ELA next year for a variety of reasons. Overall I think GB is a great company. I think AAR teaches reading well, but I like the open and go, easy to use, and inexpensive option that GB provides.
First up... I love your channel! New subbed here! We have AAR and All About Spelling. It’s an excellent program. They answer the phone and will support you along the way. For LA we supplement with Guardians of the Grammar Galaxy.
We are working on the Kindergarten The Good and The Beautiful level and your right, it doesn't sound like there is much difference. I also had an issue with the mini books/reader not following with what the lesson was teaching, glad I'm not the only one! I also wish the font was a little bigger. My kid will lean so far in to focus on some of the smaller words. There will be printed words at the top in a larger font then towards the bottom of the page. I still love the curriculum but we might look into All About Reading for those visual clues about ALL the rules they have to learn!
Agreed! We’ve also been loving All About Spelling for my son who struggles with phonics and spelling. The all in one curricula just didn’t work for him.
That was a great review! I need to pull out those color coded letters! I bought an all about reading teachers manual used, but I’ve never done anything with it. I got sidetracked by Masterbooks! 😜 but I’ve heard great things about All About Reading!
My son had the Leapfrog Alphabet Fridge Magnets at 18 months. Then we did 4 sets of Bob Books from Costco. Then he assessed into The Good and the Beautiful level K and his reading took off in TG&tB Level1.
Thank you for your videos❤ I’m currently struggling with what I should do after AAR 1 I’m in between AAR 2 or transitioning to TGTB… Question for you 😊 in your video you mentioned your daughter did AAR 1 and AAR 2 and then you transitioned to TG&TB… which level did you transition to when you switched from AAR 2 to TG&TB ?
The updated LA is much better. The readers go with the lessons perfectly. I think they actually took some ideas from AAR imo and blended it perfectly with their original format. I was debating aar this year but we're going to try the new tgtb. I have aar if need be, but we will be doing all about spelling to supplement tgtb and I think that will work perfectly! I agree with you though that aar is great if you're just starting to teach them to read (I taught my son to read at 3 without a curriculum, but I've found it much more difficult to teach my middle child since I also have a toddler that's very rambunctious lol). I found the original tgtb to be great for my advanced reader but it was more difficult to use with my middle child since it moved so quickly, but it seems like the new version will be perfect!
Oh, these are good thoughts! I didn't know that much about the new TGTB levels. That's neat that they have changed it to make it better :) Thanks for sharing!
Good things to think about! I absolutely love TGTB level 1 for my daughter, who has really been reading since she was 3-4, so I didn't have to teach her the basics. I'm impressed with the curriculum every lesson, and she loves it. I'm teaching my pre-k son his letters and how to read with Learning Dynamics' 4 Weeks to Read, and it's working beautifully. It's really simple and he's sounding out words now which is a miracle. Do you think AAR is more geared towards teaching foundations of reading? At what point does it move on to more in-depth skills, or does it ever do that?
Thanks for the great review! We used AAR 1 last year and I really liked it, but I would like to add in some grammar and spelling. Have you supplemented AAR with other programs?
Yes, we do explode the code, Easy Grammar Lessons (free download from momdelights.com), and/or First Language Lessons. For Spelling we are adding Evan Moore workbook :)
We used TGTB LA Level 2 this year for my 2nd-grade son, and it was ok at first - because it was our 1st year and I had nothing to compare it to! But....now for next year, I feel like a free bird, ready to dive into something better! The way I think of TGTB LA is like a "LA Sampler Platter" 😂 It had a broad sampling of LA aspects, but it didn't feel cohesive. To me, it seemed choppy with the lesson pieces thrown together with little rhyme or reason. I totally missed tying in traditional books that I read as a kid - TGTB literature suggestions are pretty dry & very difficult to find at my library. My son has become bored with TGTB LA, and honestly, I have, too. I think the greatest part of TGTB LA is that it is truly open-and-go. But, knowing what I know now, I'm so ready for something more vibrant next year. We're planning on using Lightning Literature, Beowulf's Grammar, and (maybe) All About Spelling...so glad to hear that TGTB LA isn't a great fit for everyone, even though it's sooooo popular right now.
Oh my goodness, I completely agree with all you said about TGTB LA. I only use it through level 1 with my kids, and then we move on. Glad you found something to piece together for next year! So excited that you are "free" ;)
Hi Ashley, new homeschooler here !! 😊we are sing TGTB Level K since August last year with my almost six year old. Although he is reading now, I’m afraid he is stuck, he hates the word “sound it out”, and he is struggling to learn the spelling rules. Now, we have slowed down quite a bit. We do half a lesson instead of the whole lesson, but he is still stuck. He is not enjoying it anymore. I don’t want to ruin our homeschooling experience. What do you recommend? Your videos are very encouraging and helpful. God Bless you 🙏
Hooked on phonics really works if your child is just starting. I spent tons of time reading to my girls when they were young. I would choose books at and above their level. All of my girls are excellent at reading now. My one of my daughters was in first grade and could read long chapter books. Every kid is different but I hope this will help you. :)
Thank you for this comparison!! My son is in Kinder and what I’ve been doing is working so far but I feel once I start adding long vowels, blends and digraphs I’m not going to teach it properly!! Lol! This definitely gives me another option to try with him to make sure he has a strong reading foundation! Thanks!!!
Thanks! I actually have not used the Good and The Beautiful Math at all. It looks very beautiful! I've heard the new editions will be very good (AND AFFORDABLE!) But I'm pretty happy with Right Start and Math with Confidence.
I have a 4th grader who reads at kindergarten level. He's severely dyslexic and was wondering if I went with AAR what products do I need. I'm a mom on a very tight budget.
Great explanation. I'm doing tgtb and I have a struggling reader that I'm going to get aar level 1 for but I want to continue tgtb so I'm going to try to fit both in. Or if i can't I may do what you suggest and do level 1 and 2 of aar then jump back into tgtb. I just dont know where I would jump back in on tgtb. She's doing level k now but if we stop and do aar level 1 and 2 should I go to 1st or 2nd or 3rd grade tgtb? 🤷🏽♀️ decisions decisions
Was curious to see your thoughts. My daughter has caught onto reading quickly and exceeds her age level and TGAB works great for her. Her twin brother is a struggling reader and TGAB definitely does not work for him. I didn’t know about all about reading last year but we are doing it this year. Just arrived in the mail today in fact. I’m hopeful this will be a good fit for him!
This is great! My daughter is not a struggling reader but went ahead and started with aar. We are now ending level 2 and I am considering tgtb. Which level did you start with after level 2 of aar?? Also, did you feel it had enough narration, grammar, and the other language arts stuff? And does it use it in charlotte mason style?
I think we went to level 2 of TGTB after level 2 AAR. But depending on how old your child is, you might be able to go to Level 3 TGTB. In all honesty, TGTB is more a workbook style curriculum. It is very open and go, but it's not very Charlotte Mason. The best CM style would be reading good books, and working on narrations, starting Grammar study at about 4th, 5th or 6th grade. I am looking into Cottage Press for my youngest for LA for his 2nd Grade curriculum. It has a more guided lessons, but is still very CM based. I really didn't love TGTB after Level 1 for any of my kids. It felt like busywork. (I may have not mentioned all of these in this video, because I've had time to think about it more, and I didn't necessarily want to give TGTB a bad review in this video). For more input on LA with a Charlotte Mason style and how to do narrations, Know and Tell by Karen Glass is WONDERFUL for this!
That is so funny! I just ordered cottage press. I am more looking into a curriculum that is more open and go. It’s just that I think my daughter would benefit with a phonics curriculum that isn’t so focused on rules since she isn’t a struggling reader. But I do love how the cottage press looks. Also, cost is a factor. AAR, plus all other subjects to have a complete language arts can get up there in cost. Compared to tgtb being all in one.
Great question! I explain a bit how we do it in this video: th-cam.com/video/kk99vxBAOns/w-d-xo.html But I use Easy Grammar Lessons (free download) for grammar. (I also just started Fix It Grammar this year ). Spelling is Rod and Staff or Evan Moore. Writing is copywork and narration. I found that even though they weren’t all in the same book, I would just do each subject consistently.
I'm so sorry!!! I don't have a good answer. My children are the same way. It may just come with age.. and to try not to force anything on them. I loved writing as a kid, but it wasn't until I was 11 or 12 where it really picked up. So, if they are younger than that, I would just give them time :)
@@JoyfulNoiseLearning they’re under 10. So still young. I’m a patient momma so we’ll just keep reading and writing short sentences 😁♥️ thank you so much for replying.
Have you looked at IEW? I love how it starts with the basics and is so step-by-step that reluctant writers don’t have to try to intuit how to write well.
All About learning does now have a curriculum on All About Spelling. The child does need to Master Level 1 in reading though before doing all about spelling.
Can I ask what you used for grammar and writing for 2nd grade along with AAR? We currently use AAR and AAS, but I feel like grammar and writing are nonexistent.
I use a combination of copy work and First Language Lessons, level one or level two. Gentle Grammar Lessons from Mom Delights are a great option and it’s free to download!
My son is just finishing up AAR level 2 and thinking of getting TGTB to give a bit more rounded LA education. What level would you say to start TGTB for kids finishing AAR2? We also will be doing AAR3 to go along with.
Great question! Actually, I think that AAR Level 1 the first part matches TGTB Level K, and the second part matches TGTB Level 1. Level 2 then seems to balance out.
Thank you. I have a special needs 13 year old and we are using Aar level 1 but was feeling like maybe we should add or switch to the good and the beautiful because he ares their kindergarten math. This did help me a lot to,know for his reading issues it would. It be a good,change.
Great question, Aimee! I would actually say that Level 2 TGTB would be a good fit for after finishing level 2 AAR. Plus TGTB includes more than just phonics (grammar, writing, geography). So your child may fit the grammar and writing level of 2. But you can check the samples and the placement test on the TGTB website! Note: I found that TGTB Level K is pretty advance for kindergarten and is more of a 1st grade level, so that would make it Level K (1st grade), Level 1 (2nd Grade), Level 2 (3rd Grade) etc... approximately! It all depends on your child's level though, and not just their grade :) I hope this helps!
I have a almost 5 year old that has caught on to reading pretty well. He can read level 1 books with speed and accuracy. I still want him to have a good phonetic foundation but I worry that the lessons in all about reading might be to “thorough” for him? Anybody have any experience with this? The currículum sounds amazing.
Yeah, I'm not sure! It might help to have these lessons for him, and you can just move through them quickly. And even though he seems intuitive with the reading, you may not know what he could be missing, and AAR may hit those bases that he may be needing. (Sometimes kids can guess at words and be correct on the smaller words, but it is not as helpful with the longer words. I ran into that with my oldest!)
Bottom line: this video recommends All About Reading. I'm about to use AAR for my third child. It's a great program, and it works fine to start All About Spelling a little later for eager readers who don't have the writing skills (fine motor skills) for spelling yet.
Thank you very much for preparing this video. It is very helpful for those of us who have no idea of how to do Homeschooling! Truly appreciated!
Glad it was helpful!
I love both of these programs. Like you said, my non struggling reader has thrived with TG&TB from level K-level 2. For my dyslexic daughter, she has needed extra help with the reading aspect. To be fair, she would need supplementation in grammar, writing and spelling if we were only using AAR.
We love the good and the beautiful language arts. That’s all we’ve used. We’ve onli been homeschooling for a few years. We’ve used letter magnets. We’ve also used jolly phonics but at the time we thought are kids where going to school so wen we needed language arts our kids where already reading. They where reading by 6. We found the good and the beautiful stories where good for reading practice but not good stories so we’ve used other books!!!
Really enjoyed this video! Thanks for sharing. Even though my child loves the good and the beautiful .. I appreciate your points! ❤
What a great comparison of the two programs Ashley. I have never tried All about Reading, so this was helpful. Thank you!
New homeschooler this year and we started my daughter in AAR level 2 (1st grader) and she did amazing and finished before the end of our school year and is reading independently to herself and aloud to me. We will continue to use AAR thru all 4 levels. My 3rd grader I started on AAR level 4 and she flew through it so quick that we did start TGTB level 3 with her. I like it so far and we are 50 lessons in. In my opinion I think really focusing on phonics and reading in the beginning with a program like AAR is key- once they can read they can do anything :) Thanks for the great video- and I do prep AAR like your friend by cutting stapling etc all in one day and then i pull out of the binder as I need them.
New to AAR. My kindergartener tested in level 3 but that’s chapter books so I tested him again and he scored level 2. Any advice on which to buy? I was assuming we would start at level 1 but because he can read on his own and knows a lot of the letter sounds & blends I might buy level 2. Reading paragraphs are too hard for him. Will we miss a lot of basics if we start at level 2?
Thank you for this review. My youngest is a struggling reader and I am doing all the research to try and help her because she is so eager to read like her older brother and sister.
I am happy to help!! I hope she keeps improving!
Great comparison! We have been using TGATB, while it has worked well for my older daughters, they knew how to read when we started using it. It has not worked well for teaching my kids who have been struggling to read. After seeing your video and Katie’s I’m going to give All About Reading a try!
I tend to think that particularly with the phonics stage (especially with kids who don't latch onto reading instantly), it's really helpful to have a curriculum that's very focused and systematic on phonics, not trying to tie anything else in. My family has used Sing, Spell, Read, and Write for 25 years...it's very thorough and systematic. A bit old-fashioned at this point, but I suspect I'll use that one simply because my mom already has all the stuff and it's a little hard to get new stuff here. ha!
Yes!! Sing , Spell, read, and write for the win!! My sons teacher used it in her classroom and we just happened to score the first level for free, from another momma!!! Such a blessing. Anyway, I just scoured the internet for ALL Level 2 components. 😂😊
Thank you for this honest, helpful review!
This is an EXCELLENT comparison Ashley! We don’t use AAR but one of mine uses an Orton-Gillingham curriculum with similar structure, TGTB would never work for him. It wouldn’t work for him but it works wonderfully for my oldest son and oldest daughter.
Your video is a great resource for people trying to determine which will work best!
Thank you so much for the great video. The comparison makes it so much easier to make a decision about the curriculum that I'm using next year for first grade. Thank you 💓💓
Thanks for the comparison! My son loves AAR and it is working so well for a comprehensive phonics-based program! He loves playing the Ziggy Zebra games too! And they have a lot of play-based activity ideas in the program!
I use both! I have a special needs child. And it works so well this way.
The good and the beautiful worked so well for my son. He is a strong reader. It did not work well for my daughter who wasn't a strong reader. I was trying to continue with it but I had to remember I was not married to that curriculum and I had to let it go for her.
Yes! Same for my strong reader vs. my struggling reader. 😬
You make great videos! If you have a video on a topic I'm looking up, I always watch yours. Your explanations are clear and to the point. I was considering tgtb for my 1st grader but I wasn't sure about their readers. This answered my question.
Awww! Thank you for your kind words! I’m happy to help 😊 I do have to add that TGTB has since come out with a new updated version of their 1st Grade LA. But I still think AAR is a solid program 👍🏻
Thank you for your honest review!
You did such a great comparison. We are 8 lessons into all about reading and loving it. Thinking about next year what I will supplement for grammar and spelling. Great video!
Hi Ashley! Great comparison! I have used TG&TB as well. However, it didn't work well for my struggling reader as well. AAR and Reading Horizons Discovery were the two phonics curriculums that helped me teach my oldest child to read. That being said, I am pretty new to homeschooling and am still struggling to know what to teach from the 11 subjects that we are required to teach here in WA. I feel like the Lord guided me to your channel. I am feeling so overwhelmed with the world of resources and curriculums out there. I fell into the trap of buying so many of them, and now I don't know which one to use or pick and choose what I should teach from each of them. I will feel terrible if I have to tell my husband that I need more funds to buy more curriculum for our two girls (1st and 3rd) grades. I know he would understand, but I already have a bunch of material that I don't even have more space to store them, so adding more would be craziness. Almost every night, I pray and shed tears because I feel like I don't know what I am doing and have a hard time maintaining a good homeschool structure for my kids. At times, I think that they would be better of in the public school system. Still, my "why" for homeschooling is stronger than that. Therefore, I am reaching and pouring my heart out here. I am still trying to learn which homeschool style would be better for my family. All that I know is my Brazilian and US public school style, but I feel that it makes for a very long day, a lot of busywork, and not much fun for my children. It seems like we fit more in the Charlotte Mason, Classical Education, and for some areas, Unit Studies soothes us as well. I ordered your Ready Set Homeschool book; I hope to find guidance, especially in learning what I should focus on and teach in these grade levels. I am sure you can tell I am very overwhelmed. I think you do a great job with your homeschool, that I wish to organize mine after yours. So, since I want to look up to you as a homeschool model, I would greatly appreciate it if you share more insights on knowing or identifying what to teach, how to record-keeping, and maintaining a daily structure that works. Thank you so much for everything you do and for being such a great example for me as I am still giving baby steps into this homeschool journey.
I feel like this at times. Give your grace. It seems like your already doing a great job mama! Keep praying. The Lord knows your babies better than you do. The Lord will direct your steps. ❤
I like the black and white for the same reason. It’s less distracting for sure
Thanks for sharing! I feel similarly about The Good and the Beautiful. I haven’t used All About Reading, but I’ve used Logic of English, which is similar. I’d definitely recommend All About Reading or Logic of English at least to start. They both provide a much better foundation to reading, the rules, and putting it together logically than TGATB. I do like TGATB, but the way it taught didn’t make sense or flow, especially for my struggling reader.
I used Level 1 GB with my son for 2nd grade this year. I had pulled him out of public school as I noticed he was not progressing past the kinder stage (where he was on target) in first grade. GB is done by levels and not grades and I felt like Level 1 was perfect for him. He grew so much as a reader and we both really liked the reader and the stories. However, I used the K Primer with my TK daughter and then moved into Level K. The work expectation jumped quickly. She was expected to write more than she was able and I felt like she wasn't quite ready for the spelling words. We were with a charter last year, so i had them purcahse AAR1 for her. We used about 1/3 of the program before we had to return in to the school, and it was great to focus on just the reading skills. Now I feel she can go back to the Level K when she is actually in kinder and be successful. I have purchased Level 2 for my son and Level 1 for when my daughter completes Level K. I also used the new level 4 with my 5th grader, but decided she will do other ELA next year for a variety of reasons. Overall I think GB is a great company. I think AAR teaches reading well, but I like the open and go, easy to use, and inexpensive option that GB provides.
Love your thoughts! Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective, so helpful for so many homeschool moms!
First up... I love your channel! New subbed here! We have AAR and All About Spelling. It’s an excellent program. They answer the phone and will support you along the way. For LA we supplement with Guardians of the Grammar Galaxy.
YAY! Thanks for being here!!! It is such an excellent program :)
this was SO helpful and you are most correct, I use K TGTB and it is exactly how you describe!
Oh, that's great! Glad I wasn't too far off :)
We are working on the Kindergarten The Good and The Beautiful level and your right, it doesn't sound like there is much difference. I also had an issue with the mini books/reader not following with what the lesson was teaching, glad I'm not the only one! I also wish the font was a little bigger. My kid will lean so far in to focus on some of the smaller words. There will be printed words at the top in a larger font then towards the bottom of the page. I still love the curriculum but we might look into All About Reading for those visual clues about ALL the rules they have to learn!
Agreed! We’ve also been loving All About Spelling for my son who struggles with phonics and spelling. The all in one curricula just didn’t work for him.
Very helpful.
Very helpful! Thanks!
Thank you for this!!
No problem 😊
That was a great review! I need to pull out those color coded letters! I bought an all about reading teachers manual used, but I’ve never done anything with it. I got sidetracked by Masterbooks! 😜 but I’ve heard great things about All About Reading!
My son had the Leapfrog Alphabet Fridge Magnets at 18 months. Then we did 4 sets of Bob Books from Costco. Then he assessed into The Good and the Beautiful level K and his reading took off in TG&tB Level1.
That's great! Some kiddos are quick learners like that! My youngest has a similar reading experience.
Thank you for your videos❤ I’m currently struggling with what I should do after AAR 1 I’m in between AAR 2 or transitioning to TGTB… Question for you 😊 in your video you mentioned your daughter did AAR 1 and AAR 2 and then you transitioned to TG&TB… which level did you transition to when you switched from AAR 2 to TG&TB ?
I'm trying to remember.... I think she went to TG&TB 3 after AAR 2?
This is super helpful Ashley
Thanks!
The updated LA is much better. The readers go with the lessons perfectly. I think they actually took some ideas from AAR imo and blended it perfectly with their original format. I was debating aar this year but we're going to try the new tgtb. I have aar if need be, but we will be doing all about spelling to supplement tgtb and I think that will work perfectly! I agree with you though that aar is great if you're just starting to teach them to read (I taught my son to read at 3 without a curriculum, but I've found it much more difficult to teach my middle child since I also have a toddler that's very rambunctious lol). I found the original tgtb to be great for my advanced reader but it was more difficult to use with my middle child since it moved so quickly, but it seems like the new version will be perfect!
Oh, these are good thoughts! I didn't know that much about the new TGTB levels. That's neat that they have changed it to make it better :) Thanks for sharing!
Good things to think about! I absolutely love TGTB level 1 for my daughter, who has really been reading since she was 3-4, so I didn't have to teach her the basics. I'm impressed with the curriculum every lesson, and she loves it. I'm teaching my pre-k son his letters and how to read with Learning Dynamics' 4 Weeks to Read, and it's working beautifully. It's really simple and he's sounding out words now which is a miracle. Do you think AAR is more geared towards teaching foundations of reading? At what point does it move on to more in-depth skills, or does it ever do that?
Thanks for the great review! We used AAR 1 last year and I really liked it, but I would like to add in some grammar and spelling. Have you supplemented AAR with other programs?
Yes, we do explode the code, Easy Grammar Lessons (free download from momdelights.com), and/or First Language Lessons. For Spelling we are adding Evan Moore workbook :)
We used TGTB LA Level 2 this year for my 2nd-grade son, and it was ok at first - because it was our 1st year and I had nothing to compare it to! But....now for next year, I feel like a free bird, ready to dive into something better! The way I think of TGTB LA is like a "LA Sampler Platter" 😂 It had a broad sampling of LA aspects, but it didn't feel cohesive. To me, it seemed choppy with the lesson pieces thrown together with little rhyme or reason. I totally missed tying in traditional books that I read as a kid - TGTB literature suggestions are pretty dry & very difficult to find at my library. My son has become bored with TGTB LA, and honestly, I have, too. I think the greatest part of TGTB LA is that it is truly open-and-go. But, knowing what I know now, I'm so ready for something more vibrant next year. We're planning on using Lightning Literature, Beowulf's Grammar, and (maybe) All About Spelling...so glad to hear that TGTB LA isn't a great fit for everyone, even though it's sooooo popular right now.
Oh my goodness, I completely agree with all you said about TGTB LA. I only use it through level 1 with my kids, and then we move on. Glad you found something to piece together for next year! So excited that you are "free" ;)
Hi Ashley, new homeschooler here !! 😊we are sing TGTB Level K since August last year with my almost six year old. Although he is reading now, I’m afraid he is stuck, he hates the word “sound it out”, and he is struggling to learn the spelling rules. Now, we have slowed down quite a bit. We do half a lesson instead of the whole lesson, but he is still stuck. He is not enjoying it anymore. I don’t want to ruin our homeschooling experience. What do you recommend? Your videos are very encouraging and helpful. God Bless you 🙏
Hooked on phonics really works if your child is just starting. I spent tons of time reading to my girls when they were young. I would choose books at and above their level. All of my girls are excellent at reading now. My one of my daughters was in first grade and could read long chapter books. Every kid is different but I hope this will help you. :)
Thank you for this comparison!! My son is in Kinder and what I’ve been doing is working so far but I feel once I start adding long vowels, blends and digraphs I’m not going to teach it properly!! Lol! This definitely gives me another option to try with him to make sure he has a strong reading foundation! Thanks!!!
Glad it was helpful! I'll respond to your message on FB. I'm excited to chat with your about your boy! You're doing great, mama :)
@@JoyfulNoiseLearning no rush!! I knew it would be easier to chat there!!!!
Same feeling here long vowel rules nd silent e or vowel team words are freaking me out. But so far all about reading looks fun and promising.
Nice!
Can you please tell us about the good and beautiful math curriculum
Thanks! I actually have not used the Good and The Beautiful Math at all. It looks very beautiful! I've heard the new editions will be very good (AND AFFORDABLE!) But I'm pretty happy with Right Start and Math with Confidence.
Right Start Math is AMAZING!
I have a 4th grader who reads at kindergarten level. He's severely dyslexic and was wondering if I went with AAR what products do I need. I'm a mom on a very tight budget.
While you did All About Reading for the early stages did you also add in other language arts curriculums at the same time?
I just did copy work, grammar songs, poetry memorizing, and read alouds for other language arts.
Great explanation. I'm doing tgtb and I have a struggling reader that I'm going to get aar level 1 for but I want to continue tgtb so I'm going to try to fit both in. Or if i can't I may do what you suggest and do level 1 and 2 of aar then jump back into tgtb. I just dont know where I would jump back in on tgtb. She's doing level k now but if we stop and do aar level 1 and 2 should I go to 1st or 2nd or 3rd grade tgtb? 🤷🏽♀️ decisions decisions
I know the feeling! I'm trying to remember what we did... I think after AAR 1 and 2 we went to TGTB 3. That might be right, but I'm not positive!
@@JoyfulNoiseLearning Thanx!
Was curious to see your thoughts. My daughter has caught onto reading quickly and exceeds her age level and TGAB works great for her. Her twin brother is a struggling reader and TGAB definitely does not work for him. I didn’t know about all about reading last year but we are doing it this year. Just arrived in the mail today in fact. I’m hopeful this will be a good fit for him!
I'm so glad this was helpful!! I hope you guys have a great year and have some good growth :)
This is great! My daughter is not a struggling reader but went ahead and started with aar. We are now ending level 2 and I am considering tgtb. Which level did you start with after level 2 of aar?? Also, did you feel it had enough narration, grammar, and the other language arts stuff? And does it use it in charlotte mason style?
I think we went to level 2 of TGTB after level 2 AAR. But depending on how old your child is, you might be able to go to Level 3 TGTB. In all honesty, TGTB is more a workbook style curriculum. It is very open and go, but it's not very Charlotte Mason. The best CM style would be reading good books, and working on narrations, starting Grammar study at about 4th, 5th or 6th grade. I am looking into Cottage Press for my youngest for LA for his 2nd Grade curriculum. It has a more guided lessons, but is still very CM based. I really didn't love TGTB after Level 1 for any of my kids. It felt like busywork. (I may have not mentioned all of these in this video, because I've had time to think about it more, and I didn't necessarily want to give TGTB a bad review in this video). For more input on LA with a Charlotte Mason style and how to do narrations, Know and Tell by Karen Glass is WONDERFUL for this!
That is so funny! I just ordered cottage press. I am more looking into a curriculum that is more open and go. It’s just that I think my daughter would benefit with a phonics curriculum that isn’t so focused on rules since she isn’t a struggling reader. But I do love how the cottage press looks. Also, cost is a factor. AAR, plus all other subjects to have a complete language arts can get up there in cost. Compared to tgtb being all in one.
I am also reading Karen Glass in Vital Harmony.
So while using AAR, what do you use for grammar, writing, and spelling?
Great question! I explain a bit how we do it in this video: th-cam.com/video/kk99vxBAOns/w-d-xo.html
But I use Easy Grammar Lessons (free download) for grammar. (I also just started Fix It Grammar this year ).
Spelling is Rod and Staff or Evan Moore.
Writing is copywork and narration.
I found that even though they weren’t all in the same book, I would just do each subject consistently.
The same people who made All About Reading did make an All About Spelling series as well.
Yes! I finally jumped into using AAS this year. We are on Step 2 and I decided to do it with both my boys together.
My children love to read. It’s writing that makes the tears start flowing! How can I get them to love writing?! 😫🥰🤪
I'm so sorry!!! I don't have a good answer. My children are the same way. It may just come with age.. and to try not to force anything on them. I loved writing as a kid, but it wasn't until I was 11 or 12 where it really picked up. So, if they are younger than that, I would just give them time :)
@@JoyfulNoiseLearning they’re under 10. So still young. I’m a patient momma so we’ll just keep reading and writing short sentences 😁♥️ thank you so much for replying.
Have you looked at IEW? I love how it starts with the basics and is so step-by-step that reluctant writers don’t have to try to intuit how to write well.
All About learning does now have a curriculum on All About Spelling. The child does need to Master Level 1 in reading though before doing all about spelling.
Yes! I finally decided to jump in to AAS. We are using Level 2 with both of my boys and it's going well!
Can I ask what you used for grammar and writing for 2nd grade along with AAR? We currently use AAR and AAS, but I feel like grammar and writing are nonexistent.
I use a combination of copy work and First Language Lessons, level one or level two. Gentle Grammar Lessons from Mom Delights are a great option and it’s free to download!
Here’s a video that may help:
LANGUAGE ARTS: How to Use Multiple Curriculum for Homeschool Language Arts
th-cam.com/video/ncgEECML7ng/w-d-xo.html
My son is just finishing up AAR level 2 and thinking of getting TGTB to give a bit more rounded LA education. What level would you say to start TGTB for kids finishing AAR2? We also will be doing AAR3 to go along with.
I’m looking for the same! My son finished AAR level 2 a while ago and we’d like to start TGTB
currently using both of these!!! does the TGATB level match up to same level as AAR? (ex: TGTB level 1 with AAR 1)
Great question! Actually, I think that AAR Level 1 the first part matches TGTB Level K, and the second part matches TGTB Level 1. Level 2 then seems to balance out.
Thank you. I have a special needs 13 year old and we are using Aar level 1 but was feeling like maybe we should add or switch to the good and the beautiful because he ares their kindergarten math. This did help me a lot to,know for his reading issues it would. It be a good,change.
I’m glad this was helpful!
If we have finished AAR level 2, what level of TGTB would be a good fit?
Great question, Aimee! I would actually say that Level 2 TGTB would be a good fit for after finishing level 2 AAR. Plus TGTB includes more than just phonics (grammar, writing, geography). So your child may fit the grammar and writing level of 2. But you can check the samples and the placement test on the TGTB website! Note: I found that TGTB Level K is pretty advance for kindergarten and is more of a 1st grade level, so that would make it Level K (1st grade), Level 1 (2nd Grade), Level 2 (3rd Grade) etc... approximately! It all depends on your child's level though, and not just their grade :) I hope this helps!
I have a almost 5 year old that has caught on to reading pretty well. He can read level 1 books with speed and accuracy. I still want him to have a good phonetic foundation but I worry that the lessons in all about reading might be to “thorough” for him? Anybody have any experience with this? The currículum sounds amazing.
Yeah, I'm not sure! It might help to have these lessons for him, and you can just move through them quickly. And even though he seems intuitive with the reading, you may not know what he could be missing, and AAR may hit those bases that he may be needing. (Sometimes kids can guess at words and be correct on the smaller words, but it is not as helpful with the longer words. I ran into that with my oldest!)
They give all the catchy rules in Kindergarten with TGatB.