ABeCeDarian Company : A TOS Crew Review

ABeCeDarian Company

From their website:
"ABeCeDarian Reading Program, a research-based, explicit, comprehensive, multi-sensory decoding program."  Key features include:

Explicit, comprehensive, multisensory phonics instruction

Sound blending and segmenting explicitly taught and practiced

Letter/Sound correspondences taught in the context of reading and spelling words

Letter sounds taught before letter names

Code knowledge organized by sounds with engaging sorting activities

No rules!

Precise practice routines and error correction procedures

Integrated handwriting and spelling instruction

Expert oral reading fluency practice

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Student Workbook A1 - $12.25
Teacher Manual A1 - $28.50
Set of 10 Storybooks - $21.50

Don't miss the FREE Supplemental Materials  and Samples pages!  Placements tests available to help you find the right level.

ABeCeDarian is divided into 4 levels:

1. Level A: for students reading at kindergarten through mid-1st grade level
2. Level B: for students reading at mid-1st grade through 2nd grade level
3. Level C: for students reading at 3rd and 4th grade level
4. Level D: for students reading at 5th and 6th grade level

Bentz Test Laboratory chose our 5 year old, pre-reader for this product.  She has just begun mastering letter sounds, and is eager to learn to read.

However,  for the first time... Bentz Test Laboratory has encountered a "special needs" meets "learning to read" student.   This particular child, does not learn the same way as my other children.  She and I have quickly discovered that we are going to need to learn a new path together.

It must have been God's hand that sent us ABeCeDarian to test at this exact moment in time!  We were both getting frustrated at each other, and our lack of progress in this area.  We put our old program aside, and picked up ABeCeDarian - Book 1A. 

Right away, I fell in love with the Teacher's Manual.  The author, Michael Bend Ph.D., speaks like a real person!  He clearly explains what to expect, what your child needs to decode well and the strategies used in this program.  I found it easy to follow along in, and in no time - my tester and I were opening the Student Book to begin.

It was like a miracle!  The simple page, the multisensory approach (using letter tiles from the Free supplemental materials page), plus the repetition all added up to instant success for her.  SHE WAS READING! (and spelling correctly too)  This was a huge confidence builder for both of us!  Trust me, we have tried other methods - but, ended up with frustration and disappointment both for her and myself.

"Tap-and-say", "turtle-talk & people talk", and writing/spelling practice all gave us a language to speak to each other that made complete sense.   The lessons were short and to the point.  There isn't a lot of distracting illustrations.    The Teacher Manual offered additional games and variations to use with the lesson.  By the end of the third unit - she was reading sentences, and in the fourth unit she began with the storybooks!

I can not stress enough how effective this program has been.  A key is presenting the letters organized by their sounds rather than by the letter.  Additionally, the repetition leads to fluency and not just mastery.   The Teacher Manual is a "script"  for you so you can easily follow along with to successfully teach each lesson - step by step.  

One huge takeaway for me that has helped us  - "Always end on perfect performance".
So, when she had a 100% correct - we were done. 

One of the best moments in homeschooling for me, is when my child begins to really "read" - and I am right there to watch the transformation take place.  ABeCeDarian was right there with us smoothing out our path.

This is a great program, and you can't beat the affordable price!

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