A Classical Curriculum for Phonics
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy for more information. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sis recently told me that she wanted to learn how to read. She is 4.5 years old. I would not start her on a reading program this early unless she asked for it, so it seemed like perfect timing when we got the chance to review First Start Reading from Memoria Press!
What is First Start Reading?
First Start Reading is a complete phonics program that not only teaches letter names and sounds, but also printing. We received the teacher’s manual and books A-D. In this program, your child will learn short and long vowels, 45 common words, as well as manuscript printing right from the start. There is an emphasis on teaching your child the correct pencil grip from the very beginning.
Letters and sounds are introduced with coloring pages. There is also a drawing page where your child can draw something that begins with the sound they are working on. The first word is introduced in lesson 3 of the first book, so children begin reading very quickly.
Children are taught by learning one sound for each consonant and vowel first, then eventually they learn the alternate sounds. All together there are 25 stories for your child to read.
How We Used First Start Reading
I used First Start Reading with Sis three times per week. I quickly realized she is probably not ready for printing. She really struggled with it. She did very well with learning the sounds, though, so we just did that. She really enjoyed the drawing pages. The teacher’s manual told me exactly what to say and do, which was great for me.
Sis liked that she could make the connection for the sounds to create words by tracing a line with her finger. For example, the first word introduced is “am.” She traces a dashed line to blend “a” and “m” together and I really think that helped her learn the word. The tracing is great for reinforcement!
I already mentioned that she really enjoyed the drawing pages. In one of the lessons she learned that sentence “I am” and got to draw a picture of herself. She LOVED that!
By the end of Book A, your child will be able to read three short stories. There is also a page for the child to illustrate a sentence from the story, which is a huge hit with my daughter!
Do We Recommend First Start Reading?
Yes, I love this program! While I don’t consider myself a classical homeschooler, I think this program really teaches phonics, reading, and printing in a fun and unique way. My daughter may still be a tad too young for it right now, but I do plan to pick it back up with her in the fall!
The teacher’s manual covers all of the workbooks and the workbooks are simple, yet engaging. I do plan to go through all of the workbooks with her!
Find Memoria Press on social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemoriaPress
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/memoriapress/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Memoriapress1/posts
Instagram: https://instagram.com/memoriapress/
