Customer Reviews

The Phonics Road to Spelling & Reading : Level 1 Complete Set

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After long being a proponent of the philosophy that children learn to spell naturally through reading, I was won over to the cause of systematic, intensive phonics instruction for reading, spelling, and composition. Viewing the free introductory DVD for The Phonics Road to Spelling & Reading, course developer Barbara Beers convinced me of the logic behind systematically breaking the English language down into its component parts or building codes in order to learn the symbolic language we use to communicate in writing. As a natural speller I found it surprising that many skilled readers spell atrociously, even amongst homeschooling families. The oversight of systematic spelling instruction can be addressed from the start by incorporating its study along with reading instruction.

The Phonics Road uses the analogy of building a home to teach reading, writing, and spelling in a single integrated course. The young student is the apprentice and receives a building manual (a three-ring binder that includes all of their course work for the year) and toolbox (an index card box that holds their phonogram cards), and the parent/teacher is the foreman who receives a construction guide complete with DVD lesson plans, answer keys, ideas for reinforcement and more. The parent also sets up an index card box with the instructional flash cards that include instruction for printing, pronunciation and more on the back. Pencils and pens, the student clipboard, and unlaminated flashcards are all provided, and all parents need to do is purchase index boxes, small envelopes and some contact paper to get underway.

The construction guide is non-consumable, but the apprentice's building manual will need to be purchased anew with each student. The manual is filled with non-reproducible worksheets that hold the students' work and readers' waiting for illustration. When completed the manual forms a notebook that holds the keys to deciphering English in its written form.

Based upon the highly regarded Orton Gillingham technique of phonics instruction, Beers aim is to provide parents with all the tools they need to teach this form of intensive phonics with no previous knowledge necessary. The "Plot Plans" provided on 10 DVDs guide parents through such aspects as the pronunciation, printing, printing tips, reinforcement techniques, and rule tunes (song to teach phonics rules).

Broken into four levels, The Phonics Road is meant to build upon itself, level by level. Students of any age can begin the program at Level One to ensure a strong foundation is laid for future learning in English grammar, advanced composition, reading comprehension etc., in further levels.

Beers' approach starts slowly, introducing young students to four phonograms each day in short lessons suitable for early learners. Though presented in a straightforward manner with no bright, colourful graphics (which Beers feel distract from the work at hand, and retard learning), examples of games for kinesthetic learners, fun catchy songs, and un-illustrated readers that your child illustrates themselves based on their understanding of each page as they read - the program can be quite fun. My six-year-old daughter absolutely adores the un-illustrated readers, as the opportunity to illustrate a written work always engages her creativity.

I was gratified to find Beers' approach to teaching printing did not involve tracing letters. Research has shown that tracing is counterproductive to the creation of free-flowing rhythmic penmanship. Her use of a clock in the formation of letters is ingenious. My daughter has benefited greatly from her use of this visualization. If she needs a reminder she asks, "Where does this letter start again Mommy? At the two?" The drill and practice of newly learned letterforms seems unclear, and parents looking for laid out practice instructions may feel at a loss.

In fact the majority of the teaching instructions is included on the DVDs, with only a skeletal lesson plan provided for daily use. An example from the lesson plan schedule follows.

"Week 2, Day 3: Teach letters w,x,y,z: sounds and letter formation."

In using the program I learned much about my own learning and teaching style. Scripted programs work best for me, as I can flip to the page I need and re-read the instructions as often as necessary. Presented on DVD, Beers' instruction is difficult to review - several weeks of lessons can be grouped in a single chapter that is difficult to navigate if the instruction needed for Week 2, Day 3 is required. Some weeks have no written lesson plans, only completed worksheet answer keys.

After becoming enamored with Beers' philosophy I was disappointed to find that the nearly exclusively DVD-presented instruction format didn't work for me as a teacher. Though I watched the instructions several times, the skeletal notes provided were not enough for me to effectively teach a complete lesson. I found the process frustrating at best. I never would have expected this limitation in my own abilities.

My child responded well to the rule tunes (which she spontaneously sings), the clock method of instruction, multi-sensory suggestions and more. I remain ideologically committed to teaching intensive phonics and I highly recommend that families seeking a deeply integrated, rigorous, systematic phonics instruction course investigate the program. Using multiple courses for spelling, writing, and reading can become costly in both time and money. The Phonics Road to Spelling & Reading - Level One costs $199 in its entirety, with additional apprentice building manuals costing $69 each.

The complete scope and sequence, free audio workshops and additional information can be found at The Phonics Road website.

The first review of this product adequately summarizes it. We started using this program when I realized that my natural gifting as a technical editor would drive my children to despise language. I wanted them to have a strong grasp of language because I knew how frustrating it was for me as an editor that writers did not have a basic command of the language.

When I first met Mrs. Beers, I was impressed with her understanding of the language, but also the development of children and their ability to grasp these concepts at an early stage. Some friends of mine spread this curriculum over two years, which is fine; it's chock full of material. But my children ask, "Can we do one more day, mom?" I often let them, but also realize that they need the time to absorb the material.

The material in this program was not introduced to me until I was between fifth and eighth grades. It enables children to avoid common mistakes from the start. Why do we let them practice improper usage because they are young?

There are rule tunes that have explained to me the reasoning behind words that I memorized just to know it. Now I know the "why."

I truly believe that if brick-and-mortar schools would introduce this curriculum, we would have better spellers, readers, and a higher quality of literature coming out of our students.

TIP: If you have more than one child to go through this program, be sure to take notes in the margin. I have four children who will matriculate through the program.

I have examined many programs, but none parallels The Phonics Road (and although I have yet to use it, I think it fair to say The Latin Road series). Fabulous product, great customer service from their company. Excellence throughout!

If you want your child to thoroughly understand English spelling patterns, this is the program for you. By the end of the first level, your child will be able to read much more than "See the cat run". In fact, the second level will begin their first literature study with "Little House in the Big Woods"! One reviewer complained that the written lesson plans were too sparse for her to use - after she noted that this IS a DVD instructional based course. I had no difficulty at all watching the DVD the night before that week of school, seeing her consistent teaching of phonics and still be able to remember it the next day! She is very consistent, the Rule Tunes are all to common songs and are easy to remember. My children sing the songs around the house during the day! :) I especially appreciated her emphasis on proper letter formation (based on a clock - ingenious!). Handwriting has often been pushed to the side in today's world, but legible handwriting is a lifelong asset. She introduces cursive in the second level.
If your student is a young one (say 5 or 6) beginning level 1, my advice is to TAKE YOUR TIME. Take two years to complete Level 1 if you need it. The amount of writing required does take some stamina and focus as the levels progress. Her grammar is just as thorough. I homeschool 5 children and 4 of them have been through her program (the youngest is only 3!). My 15 yo ds just completed his first semester of English at our local community college where his teacher pulled him aside to tell him he was the best writer out of ALL his classes!! That is recommendation enough for me!

Barbara Beers has done a phenomenal job putting this package together. It works so well to teach the teacher how to teach the student that I have let my older children use the video instruction to learn what they can, too. She really teaches spelling, phonics, handwriting, grammar, and writing sentences all in one course so this is a phenomenal price for a year's study of these subjects.

I agree with Stevie: "TIP: If you have more than one child to go through this program, be sure to take notes in the margin. I have four children who will matriculate through the program."

I've made my notes in blue ink so that I can find them easily, too.

I think that the book description above is for a higher level. This one has the initial set of words and I've seen children who have tested beyond second grade level after completing this book - at 6/7 years old!

I hope that Mrs. Beers will stock this at Amazon so that we can be recommending it from our emails, blogs, and websites, too.