Jolly Phonics & Jolly Grammar ~ a TOS review

I never thought I would see the day when Miss J begged to do multiple phonics and grammar lessons. This is the case every almost every school day since we began using Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar, which are both by jollyliteracy.com.

Jollyliteracy.com, also known by the official company name just2ducks LLC, is quite a different program than any I have seen. I’ll be honest and tell you I really don’t like teaching phonics. It seems almost a waste time to me but that is because reading has come very easily for everyone in our family. Even so, jollyliteracy.com has helped me to see the value in teaching phonics, even after a student can read.

Miss J is beginning 2nd grade, reading very well, and knows quite a bit about phonics through general day-to-day reading and discussion, plus a previous phonics program. She has not, however, done any specific grammar programs. I give you that just to kind of help you understand why we are using jollyliteracy.com as we are.

Jolly Phonics came with three Student Books (Student Books 1, 2, and 3 in print letters) and a Teacher’s Book in print letters which includes the lessons for all three Student Books. These three books are progressive in the knowledge, with each one building on the one before. Once we received these books, I looked through them to try to gauge where Miss J would place.

Student Book 1 is dedicated to introducing the student to the letter sounds. There is a page for each of the 42 main sounds of the English language. 12 tricky words are covered. Student Book 2 begins providing the student opportunities to practice reading and writing the letter sounds and introduces capital letters. There are alternative spellings discussed for some of the sounds and more tricky words are introduced. Student Book 3 works on better understanding of alternative letter-sound spellings and introduces the remainder of the tricky words. Improvement of comprehension, reading and writing skills are also goals of Student Book 3. All three levels are designed for one page to be completed per lesson. All together, these three books give a complete year of instruction. Jolly Songs book and CD, which we also received, go right alongside Student Book 1, presenting a letter sound in song format with a familiar tune. These tunes repeat and the CD is right there to help you out if you need it.

I could easily have chosen to not have her do any of the phonics Student Books as there is quite a bit in Book 3 that she already knew. However, there was enough in there that we hadn’t really covered that I felt it would be a good review and teaching combination for her.

Some of what she knew: the ph sound combination, most of the “tricky words” she could read without any problem, blending sounds, comprehension of simple to mildly complex sentences.

Some of what I knew she needed: finding alternatives that make the same sound (i.e. – ou and ow), spelling, dictation practice.

We absolutely enjoy using Jolly Phonics. We complete a lesson on Monday and Thursday with Jolly Grammar on Wednesday and Friday. And most days, she wants to do more than one lesson. Alright by me, as it doesn’t seem to affect the phonics program.

Each lesson follows a fairly consistent plan. Begin with some review of sounds or tricky words. Give instruction for the lesson, using the page in the student book for some parts. These might include reading, writing, or drawing. There will either be some dictation of simple sentences, blending practice with some more difficult words, or reading some sentences. The Teacher’s Book is essential for this program as it contains many things that are not in the student book for each lesson.

Each page is colorful, simple and draws Miss J right in. As I said, she really likes this program and asks to do more than one lesson a day. Sometimes, she asks to do both phonics and grammar on the same day. Which brings us to the grammar program.

Jolly Grammar 1 is what we have been using. We received Jolly Grammar 1 Student Book in print letters and Jolly Grammar 1 Teacher’s Book in print letters. Jolly Grammar is just as simple to implement as Jolly Phonics. It’s bright, colorful, and uncluttered pages make it a joy and it draws the student right to the page without being a distraction. This program follows the Jolly Phonics program with the goal of teaching basic grammar, spelling, reinforcing the phonics program, and improving comprehension and vocabulary. The Teacher’s Book is required for this program, as with the phonics, because it contains a number of pieces for each lesson that are not printed in the Student Book.

Jolly Grammar is intended to be taught with two lessons a week. This gives you approximately 36 weeks’ worth of lessons in this program. This equates to a single page per lesson. One lesson is designed to be mostly spelling and the other mostly grammar. Again, we are using this in combination with the Jolly Phonics, so we are alternating days and seeing a lot of overlap, which is quite good. I contacted jollyliteracy.com to ask about the combination of the two programs and she felt like, based on what I told her about Miss J’s abilities, that this combination would work fine and I have been very pleased.

Examples of activities from the grammar book include: finding words that have a particular sound in them, listing the words, and illustrating them; finding mistakes in sentences such as missing capitals and periods in the wrong place; and, dictation of words and sentences. Spelling tests include 10 words and have a special place at the back of the student book for writing the test.

The biggest issue we are having is that Miss J is enjoying these two programs so much that she really wants to fly through them. Which is hard when every other lesson in Jolly Grammar includes a spelling test! But, Miss J is a very good speller so these are pretty much reviews for her. Except for the long word included in each list. Those are giving her problems but she is still loving it and the challenges the program presents. And I am enjoying using this program to teach. Published by just2ducks LLC, Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar get my vote.

At Home.

 

Visit jollyliteracy.com and just2ducks LLC on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jollyliteracy
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jollyliteracy
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jollyliteracy/

 

Please visit the Review Crew to find other families who have been using jollyliteracy.com and to read about their experiences.

Science Shepherd ~ a TOS review

While we enjoy science, we have not yet found a homeschool science program that is just “the” one for our family. Science Shepherd has definitely come pretty close with the product Miss J has been using recently – Introductory Science.

I had heard about Science Shepherd quite a bit from my friends on the Crew when discussions about science came up. However, I had not checked into it because what we were doing worked. It worked but wasn’t great. When we had the opportunity to review Science Shepherd and I took some time to look into it, I kind of wondered why I hadn’t paid more attention in the past. It looked great. And, we have not been disappointed!

We have been using Introductory Science, an online video series and the physical workbook Level A. Miss J has been the student using it, though the other girls have been sneaking views of the videos while they are going on.

The use of the program is surprisingly simple. You log into the site (you have to have purchased the course and have a computer with internet access as these are not downloadable) to access the video lessons. You click through to the video you are on and the watch and listen to the video. The videos are tending to run between 2 and 4 minutes. I am sure there are some that are longer but this is the range of most of them for us so far. After watching the video, the student completes the workbook page(s). Simple as that.

Science Shepherd is creation based. I love that! It takes what the girls believe and uses it as the lens through which science is viewed. Beginning at God’s creation of the world, these videos cover everything! Ok – probably not everything but definitely a lot of science at the introductory level. Topics include:

• Creation
• Science Skills and tools
• Meteorology
• Geology
• Oceanography
•  other Life Sciences
• other Earth Sciences, and
• other Physical Sciences.

In all, there are 35 weeks worth of lessons at 5 lessons per week. With a bundle of video demonstrations as well, there is a good bit of information in this program.

It is not designed to be an in-depth study but is great for student who have not done a lot with science yet. That means it is perfect for younger students. Miss J is 7 and completing first grade; this is right up her alley! The level A workbook is good but I think she could easily have used the level B workbook.

 

The level A workbook is designed to follow the video lessons. After watching each lesson, there is a page or two in the workbook to complete. The pages have a question or two, sometimes three. The print is large and well spaced, making it easy for new readers to be able to read. The lines, though they are single lines, are big enough to be able to use. Handwriting lines with a dotted center line would be super helpful here for these young writers and there is plenty of space on the pages to be able to do so. There is often a puzzle or activity of some sort, as well. A crossword puzzle or a word find or drawing a picture. Once it asked for the student to create something out of clay.

Something that I have really liked about this program and the workbook is its adaptability. Miss J broke her arm, of course – the one she writes with, while we were reviewing this program. In regards to completing the work for this program, it was not a big deal. The workbook is done in such a way that instead of having to write answers, she could often just circle the correct answer in the question. Also, because the spaces were so large, when she did need to write or draw and wanted to do so, there was plenty of space. It also worked well for doing a narration-style answer for the workbook with a big sister or parent doing the writing on some of the questions and activities. Easy adaptation is a bonus for me.

Once a week or so, there is also a video demonstration for the student to watch. There are girls on the video showing the activity. The student is then to go do the activity. There are often directions in the workbook, as well. These were fun activities that just gave a hands on approach to what the topic of the week was. An example: For creation, she created a picture for each day of creation. It is hanging on the wall next to me as I type. 🙂

Miss J’s take on the program:

I loved it! I have a whole book full of pages for me to answer and get to watch videos to find the answers.

 

 

This is truly a very enjoyable, gentle program. It is covering a lot of territory in topics and I am finding that some of that is really quite in depth, though not enough for it to be an upper elementary program in my mind. This is a very good, age appropriate program that exposes the children to a lot of the world of science through the lens of the Bible.

At Home.

Connect with Science Shepherd on Facebook, Twitter , and Pinterest.

Read more Review Crew families’ takes on the program by clicking the banner below.

Talking Fingers Inc. ~ a TOS review

Never in my wildest dreams did I think little Miss J would go ga-ga over Talking Fingers Inc. This has been an amazing review for us to be a part of and Read, Write & Type has been a wonderful learning opportunity.

Talking Fingers Inc. is a company that desires to help children excel in reading, writing, and thinking. The idea that they can use these skills to change the world around them, earn a living, and contribute to bettering the world is central to the mission of the company. Based on the simple concept that writing is talking, the company created a program to teach children to connect sounds to letters and using those letters to “talk” with a pencil and paper or keyboard.

 

With this program, you get more than just typing instruction. Yes, the student will learn to type and be continuously encouraged to do so with correct posture and position. But, the student is also learning so much more. Phonics, letters, consonant blends, sentences, grammar, spelling, and more are seamlessly woven into Read, Write & Type so that without even knowing it, the student is learning multiple concepts, stretching the brain more and more. The program has also proven to be very effective for second language learners. So versatile! What a fantastic program!

I’ll tell you a secret – I almost didn’t even ask Miss J if she wanted to try this. I didn’t think she would like it and I didn’t think it would be a good fit. I almost just said “no thanks.” I am so glad that I didn’t listen to myself! We signed up for the free trial and Miss J loved it. I figured that learning to type now would be a good thing so we’d take a chance with it. I had no idea just how much benefit would come from this program and just a few minutes a day. This program is so much more than typing.

We started out with the program as soon as we received the email with the login information. Since this is an online subscription, you will want to have a computer for typing (not a tablet) and an internet connection. It is not a download, though they do have CDs available for older computer systems.

Once we logged in, Miss J did not want to stop. At all! She became completely involved in the learning situation that was set before her. In a nutshell, there are storytellers who are waiting to tell their stories. They live in two houses, which are the two halves of the keyboard. Just as they are ready to tell their stories, a mean ‘ol computer virus named Vexor steals the letters and you have to retrieve them, saving the storytellers from Vexor one at a time. To give you some assistance, there are two Helping Hands: Lefty and Rightway. These two help guide the student through the games and activities, building sounds and sentences and stories as they work to save each of the 40 letter and sound combos.

 At the end of each successful level (a set of 4 letters or letter combos saved), the student receives a certificate. This is brightly colored, personalized, and so much fun for the student to receive. We printed these in black-and-white (I cannot seem to remember to go get colored ink!) and Miss J is so proud of each one of them. She has completed 7 levels at this point with only 3 more to go.

Why is this program so successful? I am certain there is a lot of brain research that would tell you the scientific parts of it. From my perspective, the program is successful because it engages the brain with visual, verbal, tactile, and oral uses. The student sees the sounds, words, or sentences. The student hears them being read to them. The student repeats it and then types it. All these go together to engage the student fully in the learning. Add to it fun colors, exciting stories, and funny characters and you get something that just fits.

She is having such fun with this program. She has made tremendous jumps in her reading and writing and spelling abilities since we started this program. I am sure that some of it is to be attributed to Read, Write & Type. Not all, since she was due for a big learning jump, but I know for a fact that Talking Fingers Inc. has helped her a lot. If allowed, she would sit at this program all day long. It is a hit!

At Home.

Find Talking Fingers Inc. on social media:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TalkingFingers/
YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/user/talkingfingersvideo
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ReadWriteType/with_replies @readwritetype

Read additional reviews on how others have used this program at the Review Crew by clicking below.

EdTechLens Rainforest Journey ~ a TOS review

I have always enjoyed reading about and seeing pictures of rainforests. Seeing how the girls have responded to EdTechLens and their Rainforest Journey while we have been reviewing the program has been a joy. Miss J has been working in Grade 1 and Miss L has been working on Grade 5.

About EdTechLens

EdTechLens is an educational program developer. They are developing online curriculum to meet the needs to home educators, as well as public and private educators. Their age focus, for now, is at the elementary level. Rainforest Journey is the first of three science offerings they plan to have available. Other content areas are in development.

About Rainforest Journey

Rainforest Journey is just that – a virtual journey through the rainforest. Consisting of five units, this program uses beautiful photography, gorgeous videography, and first hand accounts from scientists and rainforest visitors to take you on your journey.

The units are:

1. The Big Picture of the Rainforest
2. Adapt or Die!
3. Animals
4. Plants and Fungi
5. Ecosystem

Each unit has several chapters, vocabulary lists, illustrations, and assessments all related to the unit topic. In the teacher’s account, there are also hands-on activities related to the unit.

Rainforest Journey includes some primary source material. There are some very short interviews with scientists: Expert Interviews. There is a trip journal. The last type is video footage of different sights and sounds in the rainforest.

There is a teacher side and a student side to the program. The teacher account has access to everything already mentioned but also has the ability to score assessments and track progress. Additionally, there are science standards, Lexile scores, and word counts for each passage.

Example of an open-ended assessment, the student response, the sample response, and the teacher feedback

Sample of student progress tracking

Sample of the science standards, Lexile scores, and word counts

The Appeal

Rainforest Journey is super appealing to the girls. There are vibrantly colored photographs and the videos are stunning. It draws the children right in. In fact, one of the girls claimed “It looks so alive!” And it’s true – the photos and videos draw you right into the place and make you feel as if you are there. They are unbelievable! This alone makes this program a joy to be using. In the very first lesson, Miss J hollered “I HAVE to draw this!” So she took the time to draw what she was seeing.

“I HAVE to draw this!”

Additionally, it can be used fairly independently, which the girls like. There is a voice recording that can be chosen for each passage, if the student wants it read to them. The only place this is not true is in the primary source materials. If you have a student that can read pretty well, this is not an issue at all.

How We Use It

When it is Miss J’s turn, she and I sit down together. She logs in to her account and begins. She has the program do all of the reading when it is available. I read her the captions on the pictures if she cannot sound them out (which is often since they are commonly the names of the plants, trees, or animals). She follows all of the links. Then, depending on the lesson review, we may or may not print it.

Most of the time, we did not print it because it was not an age-appropriate activity. Most of the first grade reviews were to be written on a page lined with single lines, rather than the three-line set-up a new writer needs. Also, the questions were pretty high level for a first grader (and I have a pretty smart one on my hands). I reworded and reworked many of her reviews.

We often did the reviews verbally or I would do the writing. This is also how we did the assessments.  There are three unit assessments, at least one of which is open-ended. We did have the option to print but it just didn’t make any sense to when her answer verbally would be much more thorough. So I typed her answers.

When Miss L is working, she logs into her own account. She navigates to the next lesson and begins. She reads, views the pictures, follows links to primary source materials, and then prints her lesson review. She logs out and completes her review.

Miss L’s reviews were fine because she likes to write. But it would often ask the same questions with minute variations for each chapter of a unit. For example, in the adaptations unit, the lesson reviews looked exactly the same for each chapter of the structural adaptations with only the type of adaptation changed. The final review then asked them to evaluate which ones was most interesting from previous reviews that were all so similar.

At the end of each unit, she completed the assessments on the computer. She typed her answers into the computer and then I went in later and graded how she did. It gives a sample answer to help the teacher in the grading.

During Miss L’s turn at the computer, Miss J is watching and asking questions because the two levels have completely different pictures, videos, and often times, information. Going through both levels allows the girls to get a much more thorough understanding of the topic.

What I Think

As I noted before we used both first and fifth grades. Neither of these are good level indications, though. Both levels needed more complete information in the lessons. We often had to go searching on the internet to find information to answer the review questions. I have noticed that there are many places where information from a later chapter would have helped in an earlier one.

In the first grade, the lesson review and assessments are completely off what is age appropriate: almost all writing essay-style answers. Fifth grade wasn’t too bad, though we had Miss L working a grade level up from her normal level because this appeared just too easy. I was hopeful that 5th grade level would challenge her some. It did not.

I really like the photography, the videography, and the illustrations.

I have enjoyed this journey and we will finish it out. I would like to see EdTechLens develop this more fully so that it acts as a life science course. At this point, it is just something fun. It is completely possible to complete Rainforest Journey in a couple of sittings if you don’t do the reviews and assessments. It would serve well as a supplement to a life science course.

At Home.

 

Read more reviews from others on the Review Crew.

Connect with EdTechLens and Rainforest Journey on social media:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/edtechlens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edtechlens
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edtechlens/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/+Edtechlens
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtechlens

Middlebury Spanish ~ a TOS review

When languages fascinate, the opportunity to review an online language learning program is exciting. The youngest giggly girl loves languages and Middlebury Interactive Languages has been a great fit for her. We reviewed Middlebury previously and J used the first semester of their Elementary Spanish I, K-2. This time around she was able to complete the second semester of this course. There are a number of Spanish Courses available, from Kindergarten through high school, including an AP course.

J was just as excited this time around as she was before and insisted on completing more than one lesson each time. Most common, she completed an entire unit at a sitting. She will be going back through the lessons if time permits before the subscription runs out to help engrain the learning in her mind. But she is getting it and remembering it.

That is what happens for her when learning is authentic. What I mean by that is the learning is done true to the situations in which it will be encountered or through stories and songs and discussions. Middlebury teaches their elementary courses through themes – colors, numbers, body parts, and more. Then, using authentic stories, fables, myths and legends, the vocabulary is emphasized within the story to help the student understand and gain the context use of the words. This helps the student understand the culture while learning the vocabulary.

When the learning is authentic like this, I see the application of it happening in daily life. It is not at all unusual for J to use Spanish words to ask for something or to discuss something. No, they are not yet complete sentences but she knows and understands the words she is using. A big part of that understanding comes from the authenticity of the teaching and the age-appropriateness of the topics and themes. The immersion in the language, combined with the funny cartoon characters and variety of activities has made all the difference.

An Example Unit

In any given unit, the student will experience a wide variety of activities and immersion moments. Each unit begins with an exploration of the words that are the focus of the unit. Then there will be a story told entirely in Spanish with illustrations and words on the screen to help the student follow the story line. Then the student will revisit the cartoon and the movement will stop on certain scenes to help focus the student’s attention on the key words for the unit.

After this, the student will begin listening to words and matching them to a picture or setting. The student might match the written word to an audio of the word. The student might have to click on the matching picture of an audio prompt. There is a lot of verbal work with the program. The student is exposed to the pronunciation a lot during a unit, as many as 20 times or more. This is very helpful and by the end of a unit, J’s pronunciation is pretty good.

Each unit generally has at least one printable worksheet for the student to complete. There are coloring sheets, vocabulary lists, full stories, and worksheets to go along with the lessons. Most units have seven lessons.

At the end of the unit, there are tests for matching the words and phrases but there is also a speaking lab test. In the speaking lab, the student has to pronounce the words. This provides a well-rounded, experiential exposure for the student to the language and its use.

Each part of Middlebury’s unit works together to give the student a very diverse, immersion into the language and culture for a better understanding.

What You’ll Need

Middlebury is an online course. To use Middlebury Interactive Languages, you will need:

• a computer with speakers and a microphone; and
• a subscription to the site (either with or without a teacher; see options for Spanish Courses).

***We used this program without issue on both a relatively new desktop PC and a pretty old Mac laptop.
***For the microphone, we hooked up our video conference camera. The microphone worked with the program just fine.

A Couple of Notes

We had some of the same issues this time around with navigation. When you log into the site, there is a fairly blank screen. Time and again, I have had to remind her where to click to find the table of contents. Then she had to remember which unit she was on. Once to this point, there are check marks that come up when you have completed a lesson (if the student remembers to click to have the activity checked) so it is easier to find which lesson of the unit you are on. I would love to see a navigation that required a lot less clicking from the initial page, especially for these younger ages. My 11 year old was more than capable of helping her get to her lessons but as a 6 year old, it was just too many clicks for her to remember.

We have really enjoyed this course, yet again. We love the interactivity of each lesson and the inclusion of cultural lessons and stories/myths/legends. It makes for a language learning experience that is remembered.

At Home.

Connect With Middlebury Interactive Languagues on social media:
Twitter  https://twitter.com/MiddInteractive
Instagram https://instagram.com/languageacademy/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middlebury-Interactive-Languages/141015515949753
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/middinteractive/
Google + https://plus.google.com/b/110371351490550861545/110371351490550861545/posts

For further reviews of Middlebury Interactive Languages, including French, German, and Chinese, click on the banner below.

 

 

 

 

Writing A Letter for Young Ones

I have a fun thing for you guys today. We stumbled across a way for your little girls, or your bigger girls, or whoever enjoys Sofia The First to be able to write a letter to her. It was in the September 2015 issue of Family Fun that came yesterday. The fine print says that if you include your return address on the envelope, Sofia will write your child back. There is the disclaimer on it that says not every letter can be guaranteed a reply should any errors occur with the mailing process and letters should be received by 12/31/15. But, still, its worth a chance, right?

J cut it out right away and wrote the letter. It is finished and she’ll be mailing it off at the first chance.

Here’s the address:
Dear Sofia
244 Madison Avenue Box #411
New York, NY  10016

Any chance to get them writing that they are excited about has me excited too. Do you have anyone in your home who is going to want to write to Sofia?

At Home.

**Disclaimer: The name Sofia the First and all of these images are not mine. I copied them directly off the pages from the magazine so that you all would know that this was not a random thing I dreamed up. The name Sofia the First is, of course, a Disney name and so copyrighted, protected, and all that other legal stuff. Family Fun is also, I am sure, copyrighted and protected and trade marked.

Horizon 1st Grade Phonics & Reading ~ a TOS review

Last year, J enjoying having Alpha Omega Publications Horizons Kindergarten math. She would often ask to complete more than one lesson at a time. Needless to say, we are using their math program again this year. When the opportunity came up to review an additional component of their curriculum, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to review Horizons 1st Grade Phonics & Reading Set. So far, so good with it!

Alpha Omega Publications, or AOP, is a company who has made it their mission to change education for the glory of God, educating and inspiring others. Their range of products is pretty broad and includes print, online, and computer-based products. They have curriculum choices, games, family entertainment, and distance learning programs. They have a lot to offer.

This review is focusing on Horizons 1st Grade Phonics and Reading Set. We have been working with it for several weeks now and J has been enjoying it, for the most part. This set comes with a Teacher’s Guide, two student workbooks, and two student reading books.

The Teacher’s Guide has the following features:

• Introduction – helps familiarize the teacher with the format of the program and suggestions for pacing
• Reading: The First Chapter in Education – an article to help understand the importance of reading
• Lessons – Each lesson includes an overview, materials & supplies, teaching tips/instructions, and answer keys which are copies of the student pages with answers
• Resources – alphabet cards and phonics rules cards

The student workbook is a comfortable book to work in but it also has perforated pages if you would like to remove them from the book for working. J prefers to keep the book intact. We work on one lesson a day and do this most days in a week, though summertime was a bit slower than our pace is now that was have gotten back into the swing of things. These lessons, if J works without distraction, take us about 20 minutes. This does not include the reading book. The activities run from copying words, to writing letter combinations and then reading the created words, to marking sounds, to matching words and pictures. The sound ladders early on were a really good review of phonics sounds and uses. There is a test every 10 lessons to check for comprehension of concepts.

The reading books are designed to go along with the lessons. There is one story to read for each lesson. It reinforces the practice or the rule that was introduced in the lesson. J is a fairly good reader and is able to read these almost independently. It is noted in the teacher’s guide, however, that this is not to be expected and that the first 40 or so stories are probably not going to be able to be read independently by the student.

Some Notes:

• These are comfortably paced and thorough workbooks that have a good combination of color illustrations and activities.
• The Teacher’s Guide has enough information to help me through things I might not understand well but doesn’t give so much information that it is overwhelming or make me feel incapable.
• It is easy to break the lesson up into more than one session, which is actually suggested for the longer lessons, if your student needs the break in focus.
• The reading stories are not very interesting but they do a very good job of reinforcing the concept from the lesson. We did struggle a bit with attention span during the stories which is somewhat uncommon for J.
• While this is a Christian company, I have not seen anything in this particular set that indicates anything Christian or secular. It is fairly straightforward phonics learning.

Visit the AOP site for more information, including a scope and sequence and current pricing. The Horizons program has a lot of options for subject and level so be sure to check them all out.

At Home.

Catch up with AOP on social media.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aophomeschooling
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+Aophomeschooling/posts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/homeschoolers/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aophomeschool/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/aophomeschooling/

View additional reviews of K-2 curriculum, including phonics/reading, math, health, penmanship, and PE, as well as a pre-school option by clicking on the banner below.