Thank you to All About Learning Press for sending us All About Reading Level 4 Color Edition to try in our homeschool in exchange for an honest review. We have successfully used the previous levels of All About Reading and were excited to try the new color edition. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.
I love teaching my kids to read. It’s been one of the most rewarding things about homeschooling.
It brings me such joy to see them blending sounds together to form words, words together to form sentences, and sentences together to bring stories to life.
Getting to witness their joy when they read their first word or first book is just priceless. Plus, once they are fluent readers, it opens up so many doors for them and creates independence in them that this busy homeschool mama relishes in.
However, when I began homeschooling over 12 years ago, teaching my kids to read seemed like a monumental feat that I wasn’t quite sure I was equipped for. Reading is such an important life skill. What if I messed up? What if I failed? What if my kids never learned how to read? What if my kids had a learning disability? I knew those things weren’t likely, but we homeschool moms tend to worry, sometimes to irrational extremes. Those fears and worries are merely lies that the enemy puts in front of us with the hopes of derailing us from God’s plan for our family.
I wasn’t going to be defeated before I even started, so I researched, and I researched, and I researched some more. And not just reading curriculum, but ALL curriculum. I had notebooks FULL of notes on all different curriculum and resources for homeschooling.
I have tried at least half a dozen phonics programs since our homeschool journey began, and hands-down, All About Reading is THE ONE for our family. As a self-proclaimed curriculum junkie who likes to try all the latest and greatest, shiny and new curriculum out there, I can say I will never try another phonics (or spelling) curriculum again. All About Reading works for my kids, and like they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When planning out our course of study for each new school year, it’s a no-brainer – All About Reading is what we use for phonics instruction (and All About Spelling for spelling).
We have been using All About Reading for about 5 years now with no complaints. It didn’t have much room for improvement, but they recently managed to make it so much better!! Levels 1-4 are now available in color!!! When I heard the news about the new color editions I thought, ‘Hmm, that’s nice.’ But when I saw them in person I was like, ‘Wow, these are amazing!’ I didn’t realize how much more engaging and helpful the color editions would be. While my daughter enjoys the color aspect of the readers and the activity book, I’m loving having the added color to the teacher’s manual. It just makes it that much easier to follow and implement.
What is All About Reading?
All About Reading was made with the busy homeschooling mom in mind! It’s pretty much open-and-go (except for the initial prep) with everything laid out for you in the teacher’s manual. The lessons are short and scripted, so you don’t need to worry about what to teach or what to say. The manual is full of all kinds of tips, suggestions, and extra learning activities if needed. The multisensory approach – using sight, sound, and touch – keeps kids engaged and helps them process the material being presented more effectively.
The All About Reading program consists of 5 levels – a pre-reading level and levels 1 through 4. These are not grades levels. You would start the pre-reading program when your child is ready to learn the letters and their sounds and then you simply proceed through the following four levels at the child’s pace. You might have a child finish all of the levels in one year, or it might take 2-3 or even more years to complete the entire program, but that’s okay because each child is different. One of the beauties of homeschooling and of this reading program is that you can work at your child’s pace. If your child already knows all the letters and/or has started reading, you can take a placement test on the All About Reading website to see which level your child should start at.
We have used all of the levels and for the sake of this post I will be discussing the brand new color edition of level 4.
What does All About Reading Level 4 Teach?
In level 4, students will learn new concepts including words with multiple suffixes, fifteen new phonograms, and methods for decoding multisyllable words. They will also continue to work on decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Here is a sampling of what is taught:
- Decoding (Phonics) phonograms EY, EAR, UI, IE, PH, GU, GN, AUGH, EI, OUGH, SI, MB, OUR, CI, and RH; read words containing the new phonograms
- Decoding (Structural Analysis) multisyllabic words; read words with multiple suffixes and a variety of suffixes; read words containing unaccented syllables and silent letters
- Fluency – reading with accuracy, meaningful expression, and natural phrasing
- Vocabulary – understand homonyms, heteronyms, synonyms, antonyms, onomatopoeia, alliteration, idioms, personification, acronyms, and hyperbole; explore varying dialects and regional language, as well as words containing influences from Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian
- Comprehension activities include connecting text to one’s own experiences, making predictions and inferences, discussing shades of meaning, summarizing text, reading stories with alternating points of view, and more.
What is included in the All About Reading Level 4?
When purchasing All About Reading Level 4, there are several options. You will most likely want to purchase the Complete Package – this includes the Teacher’s Manual, Student Packet, and two readers. If you have used any of the previous levels, you will likely not need to purchase an additional Reading Interactive Kit.
If you are new to All About Reading you WILL want to purchase one of the Reading Interactive Kits as these kits contain the letter tiles. I recommend the Deluxe kit because that one comes with the Reading Review Box which is great for storing all of the phonogram and word cards.
You can also buy level 4 products individually if say you’ve borrowed parts of it from a friend, purchased some of the materials used, or are ready to use this level with another child in your family and just need to get the materials you are missing.
How I Use All About Reading Level 4
I am using All About Reading Level 4 with my 6th grade daughter. *GASP* You’re probably thinking she seems a bit old for phonics instruction, but I don’t start phonics instruction with my kids until they are showing tell-tale signs that they are eager and ready to learn to read. I have found that waiting until they are good and ready makes teaching, and learning, so much easier. And once we start, we take it slow.
Because of the solid instruction of the previous All About Reading levels and her advanced age, my daughter is a good, fluent reader and can pretty much read anything I throw in front of her. I debated on just skipping level 4 but decided I wanted her to finish the program so that she would have complete instruction on phonograms and decoding. Plus, level 4 gets into more literary terms and examples, more vocabulary, and puts more emphasis on fluency and comprehension, all of which I feel are valuable and important for when she moves onto a higher level language arts program.
All About Reading Level 4 contains 63 lessons which you can do at your child’s pace. We have been able to do, on average, two lessons per day in level 4. Some days we may not have as much time, so we just do one lesson. When we do two lessons, one is typically a phonics lesson and the other is more of a language arts/literature lesson. This is how WE do it; you would have to find what works best for YOUR family. Every child progresses at different rates.
A recent addition to our All About Reading supplies is the Letter Tiles App. I wish I had gotten this sooner! We alternate between using the actual tiles and the app because some days my kids just prefer one over the other. The Letter Tiles App is super convenient when you have to do school on-the-go. Another bonus is that there are no more lost tiles, they are limitless!
What I Love About All About Reading
Let me count the ways!!! Well, first and foremost, it works!! It’s an effective reading program for multiple types of learning styles. So far, this program has worked for all of my children (6 reading or learning to read, and 2 more to go).
It’s user friendly. The scripted, open-and-go format makes teaching kids to read a breeze! I’ll be honest, when you first start using it, it might be a little overwhelming, but once you get the initial prep work done, preview the manual, and start using the program, you will quickly fall into a groove with it. The teacher’s manual has lots of tips for the teacher throughout the lessons, plus the back is full of helpful Appendixes with extra activities, helps, and resources.
My kids enjoy it! Learning to read is fun with the hands-on activities and letter tiles. They also enjoy the entertaining stories in the readers. Some of my kids have read their readers over and over again. One of them even slept with their readers for a time.
The support and guarantee is amazing! If you ever have a question or concern, just give them a call or send them an email and they are quick and happy to help. Their guarantee is unheard of (at least I’ve never heard of a homeschool company offer this guarantee before) – you can try the curriculum for a FULL YEAR; if you aren’t happy with it, return it (in any condition), and get a refund. No questions asked.
Color Edition FAQs
Q: Will my current editions work with the new color edition?
A: YES! The new Color Edition materials can be correlated seamlessly with the current black-and-white editions. Easy-to-use Correlation Guides for all levels are available here.
Q: Does the color edition cost more?
A: Yes, the cost for all complete sets of All About Reading Color Edition went up $15. Prices for individual components have also increased.
Q: When can I order the All About Reading Color Edition?
A: The All About Reading Color Edition is now available for purchase.
Q: Can I still buy materials from previous editions?
A: Yes! While supplies last, black-and-white editions can be purchased at Happy Book Outlet.
Q: I recently purchased a level of the black and white version. Can I get the color edition instead?
A: Yes! Because of AALP’s 1-year money back guarantee, if you purchased All About Reading directly from AALP within the last year, you can return your black and white version for a full refund (even if it’s partially used!) and order the color edition.
Enter to win
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win your very own All About Reading Color Edition in the level of your choice (level 1-4).
Giveaway ends March 31, 2019 at 11:59pm ET. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is drawn. Winner will be notified via email. All About Learning Press is responsible for prize delivery. Be sure to read the terms and conditions upon entering.
My daughter would love this! She learns best with a hands-on approach, so it would keep her interest!
This would be great to help all 3 of my kids to learn to read better. I love all the hands on actives with it.
We are using level 1 and we love it because it is so hans on. She wants to cut out everything herself or she will get upset.
I’ve been in the look out for a used copy of level 4 to use with the son for next school year. It would be awesome to win a copy of the new, colored version.
My youngest thrives with a multi sensory approach. I think this would be perfect!
My youngest is a struggling reader and I’ve heard fabulous things about this program. I think it would do wonders for him.
thank you for reviewing this! We plan on getting this for next year.
We haven’t used this program yet but I’m finding that my daughter needs a more structured program for learning to read well. I’ve been considering trying this one.
Would love for my kids to be able to read better.
Looks like a super multisensory approach to engage young learners. I would love to start my son off with this.
We borrowed a level to see how my kids were doing and they loved it so we want to use this over the summer!
We love AAR!!! It’s made my son feel like a successful reader and made me feel like a successful teacher! T
It looks like the intensive and interesting reading program my twins would love! I also believe this reading program would be adaptable to their differences in learning styles, which would be awesome!
Love All About Reading. Perfect for my special needs son.
My daughter has been slow to catch on to reading and I wonder if a multi sensory approach would work better for her to retain what she is learning.
I have been using Pre AAR and we love it. I can’t wait to get the next levels. Thanks for the great review!
I’m excited to enter this drawing! Really would love to try it out on my kids! Thank you!
We LOVE AAR Level 1! My son is thriving and wants to read as much as possible! We plan on using the program through Level 4 with all of our children.
Wow this program seems like a good fit for my kids, we love word cards and looks like a program we can manage
Our family loves AAR as well as AAS!! Such great curriculums. Thank you for sharing ☺️
My third grader can still use a phonics program like this! Even though she reads pretty well, I think it’s crucial!
We used the spelling program, so now I’m curious about the reading program.
I have two readers, one in progress, and two still to go. My currently learning reader has hit a slow down where he doesn’t love it as much as he used to. I would love a more hands on approach!
We JUST switched to All About Reading and All About Spelling for my son as it was recommended highly for kids who struggle with dyslexia. We found out that he suffers from mild to moderate dyslexia and the just could not grasp the special sounds approach of our other curriculum. I absolutely love this program–the fun games, the great illustrations, the easy pace and I can’t wait to continue with it!
I have used Levels 1-3 and they are great! Would love to continue on with Level 4!
My older kiddos are just ready to start learning how to read. This would be the perfect way to begin and I could use it with all of my kids.
I have 5 grandchildren who could all benefit from this. Two of them love to read already, and one needs a little help with it.
Thank you for this review! I keep coming back to this curriculum as I think it will help my kids tremendously however I have already invested so much money in curriculums that just have not worked for our family that I don’t have the courage to order yet another product. Curriculum reviews like this one make these decisions so much easier and help us to have the knowledge needed to make the right choice for our individual families and each of our kids. Thank you
We do use level 1 now and love how activities are provided to help them learn the concepts.
I am a former classroom teacher who is now homeschooling and we LOVE the systematic, structured approach of AAR.
I love AAR! My oldest daughter was struggling with reading and this program made all the difference. I would love to use it with my youngest.
I am highly interested in AAR for my 4th child.! She shows a reading readiness now!!!!
I am excited AAR is now in color and we need Level 4 for next year!
I think this might be exactly the kind of thing we’ve been looking for! Thank you!!
I think my child would love this because it is hands on and interesting.
I have eight kids so I’m always looking for phonics. It’s the best way to learn how to read.
I am a homeschooling mom of three. This reading kit looks perfect for my kids. I am struggling to teach reading to my son and daughter. This kit includes everything my kids could get help in reading. Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway.
I will be a first time homeschooler with a kindergarten student. I’ve been researching this company and program and have been thinking this is what I’d like to use! I love the hands on approach and emphasis on phonics. The books look amazing too! This post just helps me feel good about that. So excited about the giveaway too!
We LOVE AAR 1!! We tried many other approaches, but this one is for us!
Have never heard of this resource, am open to trying something new.
We have never used All About Reading. I would like to try it!
I think All About Reading would be a great fit as it breaks up teaching alll the individual sounds!
We just started all about spelling and love the approach especially hands on work for kids! I would be thrilled to receive the AAR set! Its def one we will use with second and third child. I appreciate your review and we’ve been interested in this for a while!
I would love to win this for a home school student I am tutoring in reading. This would be just what her mom needs.
I’d love to use this with my grandsons. Phonics is the way to go!
This would be great to win! I have AAS and love it!
This would be amazing help for my 5 years old who just started to read. First I am working on Phonics and this would be perfect help. Fingers crossed.
I used all about reading with my first two children and it worked so well! My 3rd is ready for level 1! Thank you for the opportunity to win a level! What a blessing!!!
I am so excited to get the color versions.
I have used All About Spelling and LOVE IT! I am using All About Reading and love it too!!! This program works great with my kids because there are so many ways to learn the phonics and such. I would recommend this program to anyone.
Love this too!
I have always wanted to try AAR, this would be great!
I have friends who have children older than mine who have recommend All about Reading. My son is 5 and showing signs of readiness and I’m super excited to help him explore the wonder of reading. I love reading and look forward to continuing to instill that love in him as he learns to read independently.
My kids have some dyslexic tendencies, and I would like to make sure they get a solid foundation in reading. I know AAR would help me accomplish that!
I used Sing, Spell, Read, and Write with my nine children. I’m wanting to use something different with my granddaughter. This sounds perfect. I like that it is hands on and can be done with little prep, since I run my own drama company as well as homeschool.
We currently use All about reading level 2 and we absolutely love. Our 6 year old had hit a wall in his reading. We researched and found AAR and ordered it after Christmas. He has grown in leaps and bounds in that short amount of time. Highly recommend.
I switched to AAR a couple years ago and love it! It was so freeing to set the clock and spend 20 minutes a day instead of feeling like we had to spend hours to get through a lesson. I love the repetition and review and the fun easy set up and go of the games and lessons. It makes it so easy to use in the midst of homeschooling multiple bigs and having littles running around. So thankful for this curriculum.
All about reading has been a lifesaver for me. One of my sons just wasn’t grasping the concepts with another reading program I used with my older kids so I order this curriculum last year and it has been truly amazing seeing him thrive and catch on to concepts rapidly. I can’t wait to continue this program with him.
We LOVE All About Reading (AND All About Spelling). I am super excited about the color!!! My kids have improved by leaps and bounds since we started with All About learning! 🙂
All about learning seems to be a beautiful resource for the learning process through the logic and by reasoning the use of the phonograms. I have the commitment to teach the English from the roots to my Hispanic students. I want them to become good readers, so they can be self-educated and be curious to explore their imagination through the books and produce greater results.
I have a child with dyslexia. I have been looking at this program for a long time, but just haven’t spent the money on another new thing yet!
I have been doing my homework on this curriculum and am contemplating making the switch. My third child has really thrown me for a loop after the first two breezed through our previous curriculum. I think this multi-sensory approach is exactly what he needs.
I would love to win this for my homeschool. This would be super useful kit.
All about reading system would be perfect for my home-schooling kids. This kit would make my teaching fun and quick. I am sure my kids could learn reading easily with this easy to follow reading techniques. Fingers crossed!
We’re currently using level 1 for review. My daughter used to hate reading, now she asks to do this program!
Have never used this. We would love to give it a try!
I am very curious about this program. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve heard nothing but great things about All About Reading, and can’t wait to start using it with my children.
New homeschooling mom here, this program sounds super!
I’ve been using AAR and AAS for several years. My eldest is graduating AAS level 7 this year! My middle boys (one dyslexic) finished AAR4 recently, and they have blossomed into voracious readers =) My youngest boy is working through AAR 3, and my “baby” will be starting AAR level 1 within the next year or so. I have the first editions, and would LOVE to update Level 1 for my youngest to use!
Thanks!
We love AAR!
I’ve seen the most improvement in my dyslexic boys after starting this program.
I have been looking for a simple, effective and sun way to teach my kids reading. This all about reading system and interactive kit looks perfect! Teaching phonics can never be so fun and easy with this kit.
This kit would be so helpful for my three kids.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Would love to win this for my kids.
We’re almost ready for Level 4 with my oldest. Its been a fabulous program for us.
I’d love to win this kit for my kids. it would be amazing to see them read by themselves.
We haven’t used this program but I am sure my son could benefit from this. He started to speak little late so I am very worried about this reading ability, teaching him to read is not going to be easy but this kit would make is more fun and engaging. I would love to win this kit for him. Keeping my fingers crossed tightly.
We LOVE AAS and AAR. This program has helped my grandchildren excel in reading and spelling.
This looks beautiful! I love that it is multi-sensory.
I would love to win this. We love AAS and I’d like to try AAR
Learning Phonics can never be so fun and engaging. I would love to win this for my son who is struggling in reading.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win! We are on level 2, and my 5 year old is learning to read so well because of this program!
I would love to experience my kids such multi sensory approach while teaching phonics to them. Keeping my fingers crossed to win!