Beyond the Code Book 1

Explode the Code is a proven Orton-Gillingham based program using systematic phonics instruction with multisensory activities. Students progress through the workbooks and build essential reading skills, including phonological and phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and more. Designed to cover skills ranging from preschool to 4^th grade, the workbooks are organized by skill level without grade levels printed on the covers. This makes them perfect for remediation as well as for beginning readers, since older children can progress confidently without the pressure of feeling behind. There are three sets of workbooks that loosely correlate with the following grades:

• Preliteracy Primers: Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, and Go for the Code are all perfect for preschool through 1^st grade.
• Explode the Code: Books 1-3 are ideal for 1^st grade and books 4-6 are great for 2^nd grade. Books 7 and 8 are excellent for 3^rd and 4^th graders. There are also 1/2 level books between each level that provide extra practice before moving up.
• Beyond the Code: Book 1 for Grade 1, Book 2 for Grade 2, Book 3 for Grades 2-3, and Book 4 for Grades 3-4.

Explode the Code books are a perfect supplement to use alongside any phonics program, providing practice worksheets to reinforce skills step-by-step whether in preschool, kindergarten, or beyond! If using as a full phonics curriculum, the Teacher’s Guide rounds out the program, offering scripted lesson plans with detailed instructions for teaching concepts, and various suggestions for activities and skill reinforcement (some activities use the optional Wall Chart with Activity Book or Card Set). Includes differentiation tips for learning styles, group sizes, and English language learners, along with Answer Keys.

Finally, the missing link! Reading comprehension and reasoning skills designed to accompany the Explode the Code series. Following and using the same presentation of phonetic structures as Explode the Code, Beyond the Code contains introductory (reading warm-up) exercises, reading selections, and follow-up activities that test understanding and critical thinking. This series is typical of the high quality of EPS products. The stories and exercises look very interesting to young readers. One feature I appreciate is the continuation of a story in several parts which I think would hold the attention of a child better than unrelated shorter stories. Although the publisher states that these two volumes are meant to be used with the first four books of the Explode series, my sample copy of Beyond the Code Book 1 begins with the long vowel constructs introduced in Explode the Code Book 3.