Supplementing All About Reading with Explode the Code
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Why We Use Explode the Code with All About Reading
We love the All About Reading program and all of the fun hands-on activities and games that they incorporate to make learning to read fun. One of the benefits of this program is that it does not have written work, so kids can truly focus on phonics and reading rather than handwriting, spelling, etc. All About Reading (AAR) is a full phonics program, but it does not pretend to include all of the language arts components that typical school programs do. I’ve written more about what it covers (and what it doesn’t) in this article.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a full language arts curriculum, you will need to add some supplemental resources to the AAR reading program. I have added Grammar (see this article) and handwriting as well as their All About Spelling program, depending on the age and grade of my child.
As I’ve worked through the reading program with multiple kids, I have found it helpful to supplement with some simple written workbooks. These add a slightly different way to reinforce what they are learning in AAR. It also gives a way to review if we need to slow down. And, I actually saw it give a really big boost to my second child partially because he felt like he was doing big kid work like his brother.
Since I wanted to include a written phonics component in my kids’ curriculum, I chose the Explode the Code series of workbooks after seeing them recommended by another mom blogger (I think it was Katie from LifeintheMundane).
This has been a fantastic way to reinforce the phonics concepts my children have already learned, practice writing answers to questions, practice handwriting, and give them something to do independently.
What is Explode the Code?
Explode the Code (ETC) workbooks are black-and-white style workbooks that make my kids (and me) laugh. They provide written practice with phonics concepts in a systematic way. If you look at the table of contents of each one, it tells what phonics concept is being taught in each lesson. Then, you can align them with what your child has already learned in All About Reading.
While ETC is a curriculum in and of itself, I have never actually used it that way. I’ve never owned one of their teacher’s manuals, and have simply used their workbooks as a way to practice what my children are learning in their main reading program - All About Reading.
Where do you buy Explode the Code workbooks?
Here are some places I like to look - and I always shop around for the best prices. Some of these will offer free shipping - but you have to compare the price difference to make sure it helps (esp. if you’re buying a bunch of curricula at once).
How does Explode the Code work?
Explode the Code (ETC) has a series of workbooks labeled A, B, C (for their pre-reading) and then begins with numbers followed by half numbers. I am simplifying them here for readability and typing them as 1.5, 2.5, etc. I believe it goes up to level 8 or 9 (and a 1/2), but to this point the highest I have used with my kids is level 6.
I’ve written briefly about levels A-C in another post. My youngest was very eager to join her big brothers in the schoolroom, so I purchased ETC A and B for her, and we worked through it together. At time of writing we have not completed level A or B yet. (Read more about teaching a 4 year old in this article.)
Back to the numbered books…each initial book introduces the topic and the 1/2 book for that level reinforces what was taught. In other words, you do not necessarily “need” the 1/2 books unless your child needs more practice with those skills. I have used some of the 1/2 books but not all of them. Again, it’s up to you and how much practice you want your kid to have.
Here a side-by-side comparison of the tables of contents for Level 4 and 4.5 You can see how they are very similar but don’t line up exactly. For instance, lesson 6 in book 4 aligns with Book 4.5 lessons 2 and 3 (shown with pink arrows). Whereas Book 4.5 Lesson 4 aligns with Book 4 Lessons 7 and 8 (shown with green arrows). So, the 1/2 book is a supplement and further resource to reinforce the original book.
There is very little “explanation” in the student books, but I still did not find the teacher’s guides necessary since we use All About Reading as our actual instruction. The Table of Contents for each book shows what phonics concepts are covered in each lesson (see image examples above).
Each lesson in ETC is typically 8 pages long. I usually have my kids do all the pages except the last one, which is just writing the words that go with a picture from memory. This page would work well if you wanted a sort of spelling test, but I prefer to stick with the “fun” pages.
Sample Explode the Code Pages
Here are some sample lessons from Book 3 and Book 5. I chose the fifth lesson from each book and photographed all eight pages of each. Sorry for the quality of the photos. I’m not a photographer!! But I hope it provides a good idea of what the Explode the Code workbooks are like.
Aligning the Lessons
So how do I combine them? I have used the with two different children, and even with them I haven’t done the exact same lineup. But what I have done both times is make sure that whatever we are working on in ETC has already been covered in our AAR lessons - or at the very least has already been introduced.
When we start AAR Level 1 I don’t supplement it with any ETC workbooks initially. We just work through the lessons and games and stories that they include. This seems to be enough in the beginning of kindergarten or even through it into first grade.
However, sometime after AAR 1 introduces consonant blends, I pull out ETC book 2. This book covers beginning blends and ending blends - which pairs perfectly with the concepts from AAR 1.
This is how I implemented Explode the Code (ETC) with my oldest child…
Around AAR 1.43 (Level 1, lesson 43) I added in Explode the Code Level 2 workbook and had him complete two pages per school day. We usually skipped the final page in each section (which tends to be a lot of writing), but the rest of the pages in each section were a combination of writing words and circling answers - often with funny pictures or silly sentences to keep the kids entertained.
As we completed AAR Level 1 and started level 2, I continued with approximately two pages per day of ETC level 2. I had also purchased level 2.5 but found that we ended up not using all of it. So, in future I would probably only buy ETC 2 before moving on to ETC Level 3.
After completing ETC 2 I started cherry-picking lessons from ETC 3 that corresponded with concepts we had already covered in AAR 2.
By the time we started AAR 3 we were finishing up ETC 3 (and 3.5) and beginning level 4 of the ETC curriculum. These were pretty easy by this point and corresponded fairly well with what we were studying (not exactly in the same order, but generally they were a little “behind” the AAR, which is what I was going for - REVIEW and independent practice).
As we finished AAR 3 and began AAR 4, we began working through levels 4-6 of ETC. Again, they were easier than what we were studying in AAR but still complemented AAR with a written component.
Note: With my second child I started ETC sooner - around AAR lesson 20. And I am so glad I did! It brought some fresh air into our reading classroom and gave a much needed boost when we were feeling stuck in a rut. In fact, I have a note from working with my first kid that he preferred doing the lessons that more closely aligned with his current AAR rather than the “easier” ones from weeks before. So, I would recommend that you gauge your child’s interest and determine whether to slow down on the ETC books or use them more closely in conjunction with recently taught AAR concepts.
Flexibly Blending the Programs
We do 1-2 pages a day of ETC, and as my kids get older they are able to do much (if not all of it) independently. This has been a wonderful thing not only for me but also for their own growth. My job is to help my kids grow into independent adults, and so this small step is the first of many on their schooling path to get there. (Kudos to my husband for initially encouraging me to find ways that they could be more independent in their schoolwork.)
Also, I have not always used ETC consistently. We have taken months off at a time before returning to it when I felt my kid was ready for more review. Again, I have used it primarily as a reinforcement of what he has ALREADY studied in AAR rather than to teach new concepts.
As kids become more self-sufficient, the ETC workbooks can be a great way for them to start off the school day with some independent work while mom is working with a sibling.
Sometimes I have even paused the AAR lessons and focused on ETC for a little while, and other times we focus mainly on AAR and then weeks or months later supplement with ETC. It’s not a perfect match in the sense of scheduling it out for the whole year. But, it does align beautifully as a supplement.
Checklists for ETC Levels 2-4
I created these checklists to use with my kids as we completed Explode the code and to give me a visual of what skills we were completing. This worked well when I needed to carry an ETC book over from one school year to the next. I was able to create a copy or scan one into my records (see this article for how I do that) and then continue on with the checklist into the new school year.
If you would like a copy of these three checklists, they are included in my Free Printables Page for subscribers. Just click on the link and submit your email to receive instructions about accessing that page.
Making it Work for Your Child
Because these two curricula were not “intended” to be used together, they don’t sync perfectly. So, I have had times where we took a big break from ETC to continue with AAR. And we’ve even done the opposite - take a break from AAR to focus on ETC.
That’s one of the most wonderful things about homeschooling. You can switch it up and go with what is working for your child at that moment. And, since you’re not sending the kid on to another teacher the next year, you can let some subjects span more than one grade. (All About Reading, for instance, is not grade specific.)
Anyway, it has been so sweet to see the breath of fresh air it can bring into my homeschool classroom when I take a break and do something “new” and “exciting” with my young ones.
While filling out a workbook might seem boring to kids who do that all day every day, the All About Reading curriculum has none of that. So, when we bring in the ETC workbook it’s something new and different and they get to see the progress they’ve made.
