If you are just starting out homeschooling your children, you are likely in the market for a good reading curriculum. We know how difficult it is to find a curriculum that perfectly balanced fun and practicality. Teaching kindergarten is important.
It is a time to instill a love of reading and learning in your children. This is why a good curriculum is so critical to find. It can seem like a daunting task to find a good reading curriculum. What happens if you go for a curriculum that is not a good fit?
What if your kids hate the one you go with? What if…your curriculum is the reason that your child hates reading and learning? There are a lot of reasons that someone might be scared of picking the wrong curriculum for your homeschooling (see also: 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks: Simple And Fun)adventure.
The wrong reading curriculum can be a bad fit for so many reasoning, you might not gel with the way that the lessons work, the lessons might not suit your kid, the taste might be boring, or too complicated. As we said, a lot can go wrong.
This is why you will almost certainly appreciate a little help in finding the best reading curriculum for your children. In this article, we are going to go over the absolute best reading curriculum for homeschooled kindergarteners. Let’s dive right in and get started!
What Makes A Reading Curriculum Good?
We have gone through several years of homeschooling. As such, we have been through several different reading curriculums. There are a few things that have stood out to us over the years that make a particular curriculum good.
That being said, most of the curriculums we have used have been good in one way or another.
But there have always been things that we could have tweaked to improve a curriculum in some way. The most important things to look out for in a good reading curriculum are as follows:
What’s The Price Like?
First and foremost, the price of a curriculum will hugely impact your choice. Not everybody can afford a super-expensive curriculum, and believe us, there are some pricey options out there.
We have seen some that cost between three hundred dollars and four-hundred dollars for a single year. That is not a price that everybody can afford.
On top of that, you will still need to buy your math, science, additional language studies, various forms of social studies, art, and spelling curriculums. Let’s not forget that there are more curriculums on this of that, which you will need to fork out for.
While you will most often get your money’s worth with an expensive curriculum. But, you can get a lot more or even better results out of a curriculum at a fraction of the price.
Either way, the price can play a big part in your decision-making process. Simply bear your budget in mind before dashing off in one direction or another.
Is It Phonics Based?
Over the years of teaching, we have found that the best way to get children to understand and learn to read is through phonics. So a sure-fire sign that your curriculum is good will be that it focuses on phonics and does NOT only rely on sight words(see also: Sight Word Tree).
While sight words can seem like a dazzling addition, especially when you are just at the beginning of learning to read. But this method is really not that good for long-term success in reading.
So, make sure that your reading curriculum is centered on phonics and only sparingly uses sight words. You’ll thank us later!
Does It Engage The Reader?
If your aim is to help your child reach a high level of reading and fluency, having an engaging curriculum is going to be key to achieving that goal. A series of workbooks that focus on phonics is the way to go.
As we have said before, sight words can easily become very frustrating for both teacher and student to engage with. Find a homeschool reading curriculum that comes with fantastic books and suits the way that your child learns.
By going with a curriculum that is engaging, interesting, and easy to use, you will be able to help your child develop their reading, fluency and most importantly, instill a deep love of reading.
Is It A Minimal Prep Curriculum?
Teaching lessons each and every day is a full-time job. You will be kept busy! So getting a good reading curriculum that does not require a lot of prep before each lesson is a Godsend.
You might start off full of energy and eager to prepare games, activities, and outings every day. But this eagerness will fade. As such, lessons that are designed to be engaging, captivating, and preplanned are absolutely essential.
Especially if you intend to keep teaching for several years. A curriculum that allows you to simply open your workbook and get started will certainly make a difference!
What Makes Primary Phonics The Best Reading Curriculum?
You might have guessed it by this point, but Primary Phonics is 100% the best reading curriculum available. In our experience, at least. There are several levels to this reading curriculum. You can go with any that you feel is appropriate.
But for kindergarten, we recommend going with level one to start with. But what makes Primary Phonics such a good choice? Well, that is what we are going to go over in this section.
This Is A Fantastic Solid Curriculum
One reason Primary Phonics is such a good reading curriculum is that it is designed to make reading fun and keeps your child eager to learn more. It helps you to give your child a healthy and strong foundation in reading, which is based on phonics.
There are tons of articles online that talk about how many public school systems have been known to ignore scientific research which indicates the best methods of learning to read. It is because of this ignorance that reading scores actually went down.
Primary Phonics does not ignore these scientific methods, and it is known for being a highly effective tool to help teach your child to read.
It Does Not Rely On Sight Words
As you might have guessed by the name, Primary Phonics is geared toward teaching reading phonetically.
As such, it only has a few sight words such as the following: an, a, the, on, the in, no, yes, yellow, orange, red, purple, green, blue, black, brown, a, an, is, a, the, on, in, yes, no, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and black.
That is pretty much all the sight words that you will be encountering with this curriculum. Believe us, this is an incredibly low number. We have seen some curriculums that have over one hundred sight words that your child needs to learn.
The way that Primary Phonics is laid out makes it so much easier to learn, teach, and understand. We just particularly love that there are only a few sight words in this curriculum.
The Curriculum Comes With Readers
What makes this curriculum stand out the most is the shining pile of top-notch readers that come with it. This is one of our favorite features of this curriculum and one that you will certainly love as well.
The readers available in this curriculum work wonders along with the workbooks. This combination keeps the child engaged with their studies and builds a strong foundation for them.
There are so many different books that talk about so many topics, some of which include: a man who has a deer as a pet, a hard-headed mole that refuses to get out of someone’s yard, a little dog that causes trouble on a bus filled with people, and a whole bunch of other cute and exciting stories.
Your kids will be in stitches over these funny and sweet stories. But that is not all, the books that are available cover so many different themes, comedy, excitement, everyday life, and more.
These stories are written in ways that keep your child enraptured, and this makes your reading lessons tons more fun.
You can’t get much better than a series of books that are so well written that your child will not want to stop reading. This is a surefire way to help them improve their fluency.
Reading Comprehension Workbooks Are Included
Now all reading curriculums have a structured reading comprehension program. But this is a feature that really should be a part of more curriculums.
Each level that you work up to will have easy workbook pages that the child can read to learn all about the book that they have just read.
These comprehensive pages are very simple and only require black-and-white questions along with a space to do the writing. Your kid will adore them.
This Is A Simple And Straightforward Curriculum
If you are teaching more than one child, it can be extremely difficult to manage them all. Especially if the curriculums that you have are not simple, easy to manage, or have straightforward lesson plans.
Primary Phonics only has simple workbook pages that you will be able to teach easily, and your child will enjoy doing them. But what makes Primary Phonics so good is that the pages are all uniform and have a similar format.
As such, your child should have the ability to work on their own independent of your input. This gives you time to help another child that is doing more challenging work.
On top of that, the teacher’s manual has detailed overviews of the lesson plans, activities, and how to review the work. So, you as the educator should not have too much trouble teaching your child.
Fantastic Teacher’s Guide
Primary Phonics might have fantastic resources to help your child learn to read. But, that is not all. It also has two teachers’ manuals.
There should be one for levels one, two, and three and yet another teacher’s manual which is designed for levels four, five, and six. So, you should be well on your way to teaching your child and not getting lost on the way.
You Can Get Additional Workbooks And Readers As You See Fit
Not all children learn at the same rate. So, if your child is struggling to catch on and needs more support. There are additional Primary Phonics workbooks that you can buy.
These books cover topics that should help your child grasp the concepts that they are struggling with. On top of that, there is another set of readers that you can get with this curriculum.
You can get them if you require them, or you can get them if you simply love readers! Either way, you will have access to additional resources that will make learning easier and more fun.
The Lessons Are Easy And Customizable
You do not have to stick to a rigid set of lessons with this curriculum. There is a basis that you can work with and customize to make the learning experience tailored to your needs. If your child grasps a concept quickly and easily, you can simply skip ahead as you see fit.
Alternatively, you can always slow the pace if your kid is struggling with something in particular. There are some curriculums that go way too fast and others that go way too slow.
But the customizable lesson plans that Primary Phonics offers make this absolutely the best curriculum around. We absolutely loved the way that you could move at your own pace.
Do longer lessons, or shorter lessons, move on faster if things are too easy, or take it slow when the topics get difficult. By the end of your school day, you can work at your kid’s pace, which is what really matters.
This Is A Very Affordable Curriculum
Last, but certainly not least, this curriculum is budget-friendly. All of the workbooks come around to drive to ten dollars. But this price can vary depending on which store you decide to buying them from.
Your readers will set you back between twenty dollars and thirty dollars, once again, this price is dependent on where you get the books from. But you get the idea, this is a very high-quality and affordable reading curriculum.
Primary Phonics: What Level Is Ideal For Your Children?
We mentioned before that Primary Phonics has different levels. It is important to understand that these levels are not based on what grade your child is in. Instead, it is simply based on what skill level your child is at.
As a quick example, many first-graders will be using level three. So, kindergarten children should be under that. But, the level you go with is entirely dependent on the skill level of your child.
But, to give you a general idea of what these levels included, we have listed what is covered in each level.
Level 1 – This level goes over short vowel sounds and six of the most common sight words. On top of that, this level goes over basic color words.
Level 2 – You will be going over long vowels such as a, i, o, and u as well as that, you will be learning vowel digraphs such as ie, oe, ee, ai, ea, and ee.
Level 3 – This level goes over plurals, initials, final blends, compound words, two-syllable words, and a few more sight words.
Level 4 – This level goes over consonant digraphs and r-controlled vowels.
Level 5 – You will be going over additional vowel combinations, how to use qu, the three sounds of y, special sounds, and open syllables.
Level 6 – This level goes over several plural forms, compounds words, two-syllable words, new consonant sounds, and diphthongs such as soft c, soft g, gu, dge, ph, ie, oi, ight, ow, and au.
What if your kid does not understand letter sounds as they should? Well, you might want to take a look at Primary Phonics K Program. This curriculum will come with a teacher’s manual, workbook, consonant workbooks, and color workbooks.
Overall, you get everything you need to really solidify your child’s understanding of letter sounds and more.
Where Is The Best Place To Purchase Primary Phonics?
So, you are sold on Primary Phonics for your reading curriculum. The question now is, where can you purchase it from? Well, your best bet is to get them from the following online stores: Amazon, Rainbow Resource, and Christianbook.com.
If you want to get the best rates, these are by far the best options. You may even get a good shipping deal if you get Primary Phonics from one of these stores. Amazon, for example, has several sets that can be delivered the next day.
This is always a good deal, especially if you want to get started quickly. Just make sure to check the reviews, this is a good way to ensure that your books are what they seem to be. This is especially true for Amazon purchases.
What Additional Learning Tool Will Help Your Child With Reading?
While a full reading curriculum will help you in the long run, there are other resources that will help you develop your kid’s skills further. At the top of the list for additional learning tools has to be your local library.
There are hundreds of delightful books that your child will love reading and exploring. This little outing also helps to instill a love of reading in your child.
Simply looking through simple picture books or funding a good read-aloud book to explore is a fantastic way to add a little more literary enrichment to the curriculum. Best of all, it is free!
Is An Online Reading Curriculum Good For Reading?
In the technological age we live in today, every parent has dreamed of the day that there was an app or a game that can make teaching easier. There are a lot of options that you can go with.
However, most of them are not as good as they seem. In fact, many that we have tried have just been apps to teach you sight words. A good online reading program that we recommend is one called Teach Your Monster to Read.
It is a free program that you can use on your laptop. If you want to use the app version, you may need to pay a small fee.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about this fantastic reading curriculum. It really is second to none, and hands-down the best available reading curriculum.
If you did enjoy this article, you should check out our website. We have a range of articles available that you are sure to find interesting and maybe even intriguing.
Hey y’all! My name is Suzy, and I am the founder of SuzyHomeschooler.com. I have homeschooled my kids since they were small, and both have gone on to go to college at wonderful schools.
This is what inspired me to create SuzyHomeschooler.com. It’s a place where I can share my experiences with others, and offer tools, advice, and guidance to all those in a similar position.
If you want to get started on your homeschooling journey with your children, then join me today!
