Sing, Spell, Read and Write : Kindergarten Level 1 Combo Kit [BOX SET] (Paperback)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Combo Kit is packed with enough language arts instructional material for two full years. Featuring age-appropriate lessons for the younger child, the kindergarten portion of this kit covers the first 15 steps of the 36-step Level 1 program. Two kindergarten student workbooks are included featuring larger print and fewer words per page. Topics covered include letter recognition, letter sounds, manuscript writing, and beginning reading. Boxed: 18" x 12" x 6".

Sing, Spell, Read & Write is a learning-to-read curriculum that uses a 36-step program of carefully sequenced systematic, explicit phonics instruction to build fluent independent readers. For more than two decades, veteran educator Sue Dickson developed and field-tested this program in her own classroom. Where other reading programs were failing the students who were struggling the most, Mrs. Dickson saw first-hand the amazing results her students achieved when she combined music with multimodal teaching strategies. Using look, listen, point, sing-along, and echo routines along with gross motor and fine motor activities, the program activitely engages the senses and effectively reaches all types of learners. Virtually every child is assured of success. Today, the program has a proven, nationwide track record and the soundness of such an approach is strongly supported by current research on brain function, language acquisition, and reading.

Features • Sing, Spell, Read & Write helps you: • Put the proven power of multisensory learning to work in your classroom. • Develop a complete Language Arts curriculum with correlated and sequenced phonics, reading, writing, spelling, comprehension, and grammar lessons. • Engage students and make learning fun with catchy sing-along songs, games, phonetic storybook readers, and hands-on activities. • Boost Language Arts skills for all students, including those who struggle with traditional approaches. • Promote independent reading by the end of Grade 1 for virtually every child. • Incorporate step-by-step guidelines and scripted lessons into your curriculum. • Track each child's progress using built-in assessments and achievement tests. • Improved reading scores nationwide -- 42 percentile-point increase in total reading scores, 34-point increase in comprehension, increase of 2.7 reading grade levels in one year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Good Year Books (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567048099
• ISBN-13: 978-1567048094
• Product Dimensions: 19 x 13.3 x 5.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 17.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Phonics Program Out There, February 27, 2006

By	Janet Lee Wolfson (Woodstock, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a homeschooler and think this is the best product available for teaching phonics and reading. I first heard about SSR&W when I began homeschooling back in 1993. I wanted to use it, but didn't want to spend so much $$$. So I used HomeRun Reading instead. It looked like a lot of fun and my son enjoyed it, but he didn't really retain any of the material, and didn't learn to read.

When my twin daughters were ready to learn to read, I looked around for another program. Every other homeschooler I talked to used SSR&W, so I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money. I figured I would only have to spend the money once, since I would only have to buy workbooks for my younger children.

So I bought SSR&W and I couldn't believe how much my kids liked the program, how easy it was to use, and how quickly and well my children learned to read. I re-taught my son along with my girls, and they learned to read together.

A couple of years later, son #2 was ready to read, and when I went to the homeschool store, I found out that I could no longer purchase replacement workbooks. Apparently the company had been sold and they had changed their policy of selling to homeschoolers. I was extremely disappointed. I ended up buying Saxon Phonics, which got the job done, but I found it very repetitive and boring. I used Saxon with child #5, also.

For child #6, I switched to Bob Jones Phonics. I quit after a month because it was just unworkable in the homeschool setting, in my opinion. (I will say I love BJ's math textbooks.)

Imagine my surprise when I was surfing the 'net for phonics recommendations and found out that SSR&W was again available to homeschoolers and I could buy it from Amazon. Since I had sold, given away and/or lost all the SSR&W materials I bought back in 1996, I had to re-buy the whole thing, but I was happy to do so if it means that my youngest four children will learn to read with this wonderful program.

Now down to the details of the program. With this Combo set you receive the following:

- Four consumable workbooks (2 Kindergarten, 2 First grade)
- Instructor's guide
- Set of 6 cassettes AND a CD with all the phonics songs
- Laminated Raceway chart
- Laminated alphabet chart
- Pen and eraser to use on charts
- Set of 17 readers
- Three sets of bingo-like phonics games
- Two decks of phonics game cards
- Treasure Box of rewards

Everything comes in a sturdy storage box. It was really fun to open the box and see all the familiar books and accessories, only updated with better illustrations and higher quality materials.

I have started my 6 year old daughter on the "Off We Go" book and my 4 year old son on "All Aboard". They are making great progress and are really enjoying it.

I don't plan on ever using another phonics program, and can't recommend Sing Spell Read and Write highly enough to anyone who wants to teach their children to read.

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars [e-mail], March 14, 2004

By	Karen Buettner (Saipan, MP, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this Kinder-Level 1 Combination Kit for $240 two years ago on the advise of a mom with older children. Since then 5 other moms in my area have purchased it. The step by step program makes it easy for anyone to teach their children how to read. The first step is learning the alphabet and the corresponding sounds. Musical tools and games are included and this type of learning was easy for my boys. The second step is learning short vowel sounds. Each concept includes readers using words a child has learned or knows at that point. Next they learn long vowels, letter blends (digraphs), silent e, two vowel combinations, and many other reading rules. Once again the readers use words or rules the child has learned and does not skip ahead. For example, silent e stories don't include 'ea' combinations until both concepts have been presented then the story includes both rules. Another example is how 'ch' has three different sounds; sh, k and ch. These are not taught at the same time, but the readers introduce these concepts at the appropriate point. It is great to have these concepts as examples in the readers without having to search for them.

I did not follow all the instructions, but modified it to the interest of my children at the time. I did not use it as a 'homeschooling' text, but as an activity for me to engage in with my children. I skipped some of the spelling lessons too, but the results are what counts right? My oldest son, now 6, was reading at an upper second grade level at age 5-1/2. He was tested with a modified IRI form after two months of kindergarten, but his kindergarten class is not enhansing his reading ability. That all comes from home. My youngest son, now 4, is reading at a first grade level. He started with reading my 'sight word' reader from first grade when he was 3-1/2. Remember Judy, Puff, John, Jean and Spot? Who said boys are slower learners? Both showed an interest in knowing what words or signs said when they were 3 years old, so I followed their lead and introduced reading. I used sight words first even though this program doesn't introduce them until later. I have also used this program with ESL children. In the Kinder Program the cut and paste appropriate letter sounds is a great starting point for all children.

My oldest son finished this program and all the texts books when he was 5-1/2 years old. Other than a few exceptions, he has no interest in reading them again, unlike other books he owns. But it is all about the final results right? Both my sons read! When your child is ready to read this is a great program to have on hand. Enjoy!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best phonics program I've found!, February 2, 2007

By	Kris Kight - See all my reviews

I've wanted this program from the beginning for homeschooling. But Scholastic called and asked us if we'd like to try their Phonics program right as my son said he was ready to learn to read. So we started with that. He learned an excellent sight word vocabulary from it, but couldn't sound out words. So we tried Hooked On Phonics. That didn't work for us either. I decided I was going to buy SSR&W, and if that didn't work, hold off on phonics until he was older. We got the combo kit, and after looking through the K level, we started on the 1st grade. He insisted on going through the letters, even though he knows all of them! We are on the letter T, and moving along nicely.

I am very pleased with the instructional video and the teacher's manual. One of the first things I learned is that Bb DOES NOT say Buh! There are no umbrellas in letter land. She explains that that incorrect sound can make it harder to sound out words. It was like a big light bulb. Within a few days of starting the program, my son was sounding out small words. While I don't think it's a miracle, I do think he enjoys this program more than our others, and that helps.

If it weren't for having 2 younger children, I would say I shouldn't have bought the combo kit. My son would have been just fine without the K level. But, I do have 2 others coming up that will probably benefit from the K level.