Alpha-Phonics Book (Library Edition)

SKU
008873
ISBN
9781979228473
Grade PK-2
Traditional
Neutral
High Teacher Involvement
Multi-Sensory
Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.
Rated 4.9 out of 5
Read 10 Reviews|6 Questions, 65 Answersor
Our Price
$29.95
Description

A complete, sensible, lesson-by-lesson phonics program by Sam Blumenfeld, an ardent advocate of literacy through phonics. Mr. Blumenfeld shows you simply and effectively how to teach a child to read, even supplying the lesson visuals in large type for beginners. Many, many thankful parents have testified to the success they've had in using this book with their children. There are no illustrations or distractions, just what is needed to learn and understand the phonetic system. A child begins to read words almost immediately, which seems infinitely more rewarding than a phonics program which insists on teaching all the sounds before the student actually puts them together to read a word. Note: This edition does not include the book on CDROM. 168 pgs, pb ~ Janice


Category Description for Alphaphonics

Alpha-Phonics is a straight-forward phonics program showing you simply and effectively how to teach a child to read, even supplying the lesson visual in large type for beginners. There are no illustrations or distractions, just what is needed to learn and understand the basic phonetic system. Lessons for students to read are found at the beginning of the book with complete teaching instructions and tips found at the end of the book. Many, many thankful parents have testified to the success they have experienced by using this book with their children. The Print Book is a bound volume with an Addendum of Helps for the Parent with teaching tips; does not include CD-ROM. Alpha-Phonics is also available on Flash Drive with audio instructions from the author, Sam Blumenfeld. Little Companion Readers is a small-format softcover book containing ten stories, each roughly 10 pages. Stories reinforce skills learned in Alpha-Phonics including: short vowel sounds, consonants, blends, and digraphs. The Companion Workbook provides extra worksheet practice. There is an "order of lessons sheet" to help coordinate the worksheets with the books. Activities include fill-in-the-blank, matching, underlining, and circling. Answers are provided along with a syllabication practice section.

Details
More Information
Product Format:Softcover Book
Grades:PK-2
Brand:Paradigm Company
Author:Samuel L. Blumenfeld
ISBN:9781979228473
Length in Inches:11
Width in Inches:8.5
Height in Inches:0.5
Weight in Pounds:1.05
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Reviews
10 Ratings
4.9out of 5 stars
10 Ratings

Rated 5 stars by 90% of reviewers

Rated 4 stars by 10% of reviewers

Rated 3 stars by 0% of reviewers

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10 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 9, 2020
I am so glad I got this!
My kids were really dragging their feet with reading lessons until I got this. My daughter likes to have an option between this and the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
Rated 5 out of 5
Mar 4, 2019
We liked it
If your kid isnt getting this yet just wait a little longer. I have had two of my kids teach themselves to read at 3 and one who didnt read till 10 and two who are on track and one who is just starting to get this at 7. It varies but the program is great. If you push your kid too hard they can shut down and it can be worse for them in the long run.
Rated 4 out of 5
Mar 15, 2018
This book has been a big help getting my 4 year old Grandaughter started on her letters and sounds. It is very helpful with the guide at the back of the book.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 12, 2016
Amazing!
I cannot brag this product up enough. I started working through this program with my son when he was 3. He is now 4 and he is progressing through the book wonderfully. Before we started the program I had him watch Leap Frog Letter Factory and/or the Amazing Alphabet daily. By the time he was 3 1/2, he was ready to begin Alpha Phonic. We work through Alpha Phonics slowly. If he gets through a lesson very easily, we move on to the next lesson the next day. If he struggles even a little, we repeat the lesson the next day. Also, when we come to a lesson that has four pages of word lists, we do one page a day. I would do the entire lesson in a day if he were not so young. After we finish a lesson, I have him write a few words off his word or if he reads sentences that day, I have him write a sentence. This way he practices reading and writing. We spend about 10 minutes a day completing an Alpha Phonics lesson.

The lessons are very easy to teach, there is a short explanation of how to teach the lessons in the back of the book. The instructions are short and could not be easier to understand. I have the computer disc with an explanation of the lessons. I used it a couple of times, but it is much easier for me to quickly read the instructions in the back of the book. Very very little teacher prep time with this program.

My son is my third child and I would have never dreamed of having a 4 year old who reads so well. The best part is, he is not pushed. He learns far more than he would at preschool and Alpha phonics requires very little of his time.

Users can also buy the workbook and/or readers. I personally do not believe either are necessary. I have no desire to add anything to the primer. However, I did read How to Tudor before starting Alpha Phonics. I highly recommend this book. It taught me a ton about teaching a child to read, write, and do arithmetic. I took thorough notes!

I strongly believe that anyone who tries Alpha Phonics could not honestly recommend any other program over Alpha Phonics. Alpha Phonics is quite simply as good as it gets.

I hope this helps someone. I write a great deal of reviews, but probably of everything I have ever reviewed, this is the item I recommend most.
Rated 5 out of 5
Apr 7, 2011
Alpha-Phonics is a book that teaches children to read in a series of lessons that increase in difficulty What makes this different from many other reading programs is that it is just reading no bells and whistles no cartoons no fancy color pictures just combining sounds to form words That is the beauty of Alpha-Phonics because there is very little to distract a wiggly 5 year old To use this program effectively a child does need to have some knowledge of letters but they will learn the letter sounds as they go There are even some pages for kids who need to learn the letters firstFor example in Lesson One the child sees the a and says the a sound then sees a t and says the t sound then sees the a and t together and blends the sounds together to say at This is repeated several more times The child learns that reading is simply putting the sounds together to make words Since each lesson is short this book is appropriate for young children who dont have the attention span to sit for too long This is a book that goes along well with just about any reading program or curriculum since it is so simple and can be used in short sessionsThis program proves that you dont need hundreds of dollars to teach children to read! In the age of Hooked on Phonics and other reading programs that cost hundreds of dollars Alpha-Phonics is a breath of fresh air and hearkens back to a simpler time where reading was more about letters and sounds and less about frills and games I am using Alpha-Phonics right now with my son who is 4 and it is a great way to introduce the basics of reading in a way that is clear an not frustrating and confusing
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 4, 2009
I absolutely love this book! I have been homeschooling for over twelve years and though my children are all in high school now I still keep this one gem on my shelf for that day when I will be able to teach my grandchildren how to read Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes to have your child reading their very first book in only two lessons I used The Fat Cat Sat on a Mat for the very first book that they could read all by themselves Within just a few weeks they were reading chapter books on their own Simple progressive phonics with no distracting illustrations has been perfect for my distractable children I recommend this book to everyone I know whether they are teaching or tutoring beginning or remedial reading skills I disassembled mine and put the pages in a binder with page protectors making it easy to keep notes on each child with their current lesson Each child also had a key ring to keep their letter cards for practicing their sounds The kids loved it because they could succeed with this program
Rated 5 out of 5
Mar 21, 2009
I see I'm not the only one that likes Alpha Phonics! It's not a hefty book but it contains enough to help the child read My children too went through it easily and now they read great! Alpha Phonics teaches phonics in a simple and easy manner You'll start out with the vowel sounds short and long and progress to sentences that use the words with that sound And it's easy to use should you need to review with your child Really just open the book and begin it's that simple! Easy on the home educator and easy for the student
Rated 5 out of 5
Apr 12, 2008
I agree with the others' assessments of this book It is clear simple and easy to follow My four year old daughter benefited from me taking the info in the earlier lessons and putting them on notecards to practice more informally at first (the book intimidated her but the actual content she handled well)No teacher prep is needed My one recommendation is to buy two of them so you can have one where you might be multi-tasking (say at the kitchen sink) so you can listen and ensure your child is saying the right words without having to be right there looking over his/her shoulder Follow his advice though and take the first lessons as slowly as needed to avoid overwhelming the child Those first few lessons are foundational Once they get the initial sounds subsequent lessons go much faster naturally
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 7, 2007
I cannot say enough about this program I used it many years ago when my oldest was learning to read We went through the first few pages and in just minutes my little girl was reading Eight years later when my next child wanted to read I just wasn't sure if this "simple" approach would work for him With all the new "reading programs" that involve videos music and gadgets galore how could this simple inexpensive book do the job for a BOY?! Well it was perfect He learned to read just as easily as his sister did so many years before It's so simple and it really gives students confidence and a desire to learn as they are "reading" in just a few minutes!! I HIGHLY recommend this product to anyone!!
Rated 5 out of 5
Dec 6, 2003
My 6-year-old son began Alpha Phonics a few days before his fifth birthday in February and by May was picking up a real book (not a Bob book) on his own initiative That's when I knew that HE knew he was a reader By age six he was reading on a 4th-grade level with excellent comprehension One of his favorite authors as a 6-year-old is E B White He is spelling at a 2nd-grade level with no studying Easy-to-use word-family format Student is reading words from the beginning which makes them feel very successful I like that it is a simple logical no frills approach: large print clean pages (no busy pictures to interfere with the words) short lessons which provide flexibility short instructions included for each lesson No preparation time required just sit down and read together!
Product Q&A
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6 Questions
Why did you choose this?

I had a dear friend and veteran homeschooler recommend the simplicity of this book! It's all she used to teach her kiddos to read!!

As I stated my K-5 student is reading 3 letter words and I would like her to begin writing the words that she is reading. .

I used this to teach all four children to read, and now my granddaughter is ready to learn!

Homeschooling my grandson who needs help in learning the basics that he did not learn in school.

Do you feel your child can decode unfamiliar words well? Are they facing hard words at the end of the book? I get that this gives them confidence early on, but did they just become an average reader in later elementary? What did you use for spelling?

I felt like this book had a very thorough approach to teaching reading. I like how it was broken up (a list of words one day, sentences another). That helped my daughter not get too overwhelmed on a daily basis. As for how this book will help their reading level, I have children who excel in reading and children who struggle, but are at grade level, and with all of them I have found it is more about the material that is used outside of school. Their reading level soared once they found a subject of book that was interesting to them. When they discover for themselves that books can take them places mentally, that's when they become fantastic readers.

I found this book to do a great job of teaching my children enough for them to pick up books on their own and start reading.

Did you use another phonics program after completing Alpha-Phonics?

No. My oldest learned to read before finishing the book. Youngest seems to be on the same path. Once my kids have the basic sounds down, they don't need to learn every single variation in the book. Like the last lessons (132 or something) cover words like wrestle and wring. I just teach those as we read books once they have the basics. It's a great book and very simple.

What grade level are they reading at after completing Alpha-Phonics?

I think hypothetically they can read absolutely anything they are given at the end of the program. I found that at that point it is a matter of practice and more practice to push the rules from something they have to think about to something automatic. For my son, he was reading at about Frog and Toad level when we stopped Alpha-Phonics, because longer books were intimidating. Six months later he was reading chapter books like Star Wars junior novelizations.

Is this a paperback or spiral bound book?

This is paperback. It's an easy fix to cut the binding off and add your own spiral bound at an office supply store though!

Is this the new 2016 version?

The back page does say Feb. 7th 2016.