This post has been long overdue, in fact, a decade overdue. We have used the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Kindergarten Level curriculum for all our kids. It was the first comprehensive curriculum that I used in our homeschooling journey. If I have to recommend any complete reading curriculum to parents planning to homeschool their kids in preschool-kindergarten, this would be it. The materials are easy to understand and follow, it is fun for the kids, and it works! All our kids learned to read through SSRW.
We got our complete Kindergarten Level curriculum set from C&E Bookshop way back in 2014. They were still selling the PH-printed version of the SSRW 10 years ago, but now these are no longer available. I heard there are local vendors of SSRW since this is also being used by preschools here. In fact, Busy Bees Learninghive, our youngest son's homeschool provider when he was in preschool uses SSRW.
The Kindergarten Level complete set we got from C&E was only Php 2,858! It included:
- Teacher's Manual
- All Aboard (Student Book)
- On Track (Student Book)
- A-Z Phonics Song Cards
- Short Vowel Chart A
- Short Vowel Chart E
- Short Vowel Chart I
- Short Vowel Chart O
- Short Vowel Chart U
- Short Vowel Cards
- Ferris wheel Chart
- Ferris wheel ticket
- Phonics Songs Audio CD-ROM
- ABC Echoes
- Dad, Sam, and Pat (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-1)
- Ed the Pal (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-2)
- Miss Fix and the Class (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-3)
- The Hot Trip (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-4)
- Russ and the Gift (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-5)
- Mr. Fox (Phonetic Storybook Reader K-6)
Currently, a used US version print of the student workbook for Sing, Spell, Read, and Write All Aboard is already at least 2,500 pesos on Amazon. That's only for the student book. So far, I haven't found a complete set on Amazon.
What is Sing, Spell, Read, and Write
Sing, Spell, Read, and Write curriculum made by Sue Dickinson integrates top-notch teaching techniques that are backed by contemporary research on brain function, language acquisition, and reading.
SSRW is a multi-sensory, phonics-based reading program that addresses the five essential components of reading instruction advocated by the Reading First Initiative: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.
SSRW has a special 36-step program that teaches kids to read. It uses a well-organized, step-by-step approach to phonics to help kids become confident, independent readers. The program is based on the latest research on how the brain works, how we learn languages, and how we read. This way, it quickly and effectively reaches all types of learners.
Kindergarten Level
The SSRW Kindergarten Program gently introduces little ones to reading using fun phonics songs, engaging charts, and playful games. It teaches essential skills like recognizing letters and sounds, understanding how sounds and letters correspond, and blending short vowel sounds. By the end of the year, children will be excited to read storybooks filled with simple, single-syllable, short vowel words. This program is perfect for children who are new to Phonemic Awareness and Phonics. If your child, regardless of their age, has already mastered these phonetic sounds and can blend them, it's best to move them to the Advanced Level Program.
The Teacher's Manual provides step-by-step instruction with suggested pacing. The All Aboard Student book has lessons in readiness, phonetic awareness, phonics, and beginning manuscript writing. On Track includes blending, beginning reading, comprehension, and sequencing.
The phonetic storybooks included in the set are 100% decodable text which helps students have the confidence to read and actually enjoy and love reading.
Our Experience with SSRW in a Nut Shell
In our case, we started SSRW as early as 2 years old but at a gradual pace, going back and forth depending on the readiness of each child.
If our kids were not in the mood to do any activities or lessons, we did not push them. We just incorporate the lessons and concepts in our everyday activities like playing. We did not follow all the activities in the curriculum but used the concepts and applied them in regular life situations.
Phonetic awareness was a main activity when they were 2-4 years old. We practiced sound recognition. We would point out things at home and say their names out loud. We segmented the sounds of each word, starting with the beginning sound. We also practiced a lot on exercises like "what's missing or different in the pictures" even using other printables to solidify the concept taught in SSRW. This helped our kids identify the curves and lines that prepared them for the alphabet. We focused on those before we introduced them to the letters.
For our 2 younger kids, we did not use the CD-ROM anymore since our player got busted. A video of it on YouTube was available and we used that instead. Also, there were activities in the curriculum that would require more than 1 student so we skipped those.
Our eldest started reading on his own before he turned 4, our second child started reading at age 5 and a half, and our youngest before he turned 6.
Let me just put it out there - having a child reading early on is not better than the one who learned later. In our experience, although our youngest learned to read later than his siblings, he was the one who advanced to the next level faster. He was already reading on the same level as his older sister (Grade 2) by the time he was 6 - just a few months after learning to read on his own!
More than teaching the skill to read to our kids, for me the most thing I am grateful for SSRW is for teaching me the concepts behind reading. It opened my eyes to what is more important. Moreover, it has given me the confidence to teach our kids at home. And I know you, too, can do it.
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