Emily Carter

Is All About Reading worth the money? After spending 90 days testing the full curriculum with two of my kids and tracking every dollar spent, I can give you a straight answer. Yes, but only if your child actually needs structured phonics instruction. If your budget is tight or your child catches on to reading … Read more

Picking the best phonics curriculum for kindergarten used to overwhelm me. When my oldest started learning to read, I bought three programs before finding one that actually worked for our family. After testing options with my own kids and surveying dozens of homeschool parents on forums like Reddit’s r/homeschool, I’ve narrowed down the strongest programs … Read more

I spent the last three months walking through the entire Hooked on Phonics Complete Kit line with my own kids and a neighbor’s homeschool co-op to see if this 40-year-old brand still holds up in . I’ve taught reading with everything from printed flash cards to subscription apps, and I was honestly skeptical that a … Read more

When my daughter started reversing letters in first grade, I felt lost. A friend mentioned Orton-Gillingham and I spent weeks buried in research. The Orton-Gillingham approach is an evidence-based reading method built on three pillars: multisensory instruction, sequential phonics, and cumulative review. It was designed in the 1930s by Dr. Samuel Orton and educator Anna … Read more

Teaching a child to read is one of the most important things a parent can do. If you have been searching for a phonics-based program that does not require a teaching degree, you have probably come across the Engelmann method. This Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons review breaks down exactly how … Read more

When my oldest turned 4, I spent three weekends comparing phonics programs and felt completely overwhelmed. The shelves are crowded with workbooks, apps, scripted lessons, and complete kits that promise to turn your preschooler into a reader. After working through eight programs with my own kids, plus interviewing other parents in our homeschool co-op, I … Read more

When my niece was diagnosed with dyslexia at age seven, I watched my sister cycle through three different reading programs in a single school year. Nothing clicked until she found a multisensory approach that let her trace letters in sand while saying sounds out loud. Within months, something shifted. She went from guessing words based … Read more

Between work deadlines, dinner prep, and keeping tiny humans alive, teaching your child to read can feel like one more thing on an already overflowing plate. I have been there, staring at a phonics teacher’s manual at 8 PM wondering when I was supposed to prep all these materials. That is exactly why I spent … Read more

When my son finished first grade, his teacher gently told me he was reading 12 words below where he needed to be. “Don’t panic,” she said. “But we need to do something this summer.” That moment sent me down a rabbit hole of reading programs. Second grade is one of the most important years in … Read more

Choosing between a phonics app and a physical program for your child can feel overwhelming. On one side, you have colorful interactive apps that kids beg to play. On the other, proven physical programs with workbooks, readers, and manipulatives that homeschool families swear by. Our team has spent months testing both approaches with real kids … Read more