Explode The Code - 3 Books - A, Get Ready, B, Get Set & C, Go For The Code Paperback – January 1, 2016

Based on Orton Gillingham, these workbooks have helped my new and struggling readers gain confidence and skills. Some of the sentences are silly which causes them to chuckle and be less anxious as well as to really read.

We had been doing a different phonics curriculum (Spell to Write and Read), which was perfect for one of my children, but one of my kids was struggling to remember the various rules (like silent e's and long vowels) the way SWR presents them (kind of...haphazardly). We needed more regimented structure and ridiculous amounts of repetition to boost his confidence. So we jumped right in to this book for my 1st grader and (remedial) 2nd grader without doing any of the others in the series.My kids love:1. The silly sentences2. The "tricky" choose-the-right-word sections3. That they can jump right in and do pages without my help.I love:1. That they can jump right in and do pages without my help.2. The VERY methodical approach and plentiful repetition. My struggling son really needs the repetition, but he gets annoyed and discouraged when I remind him of the same things over and over. He seems to accept the repetition from the workbook more happily than from me. My not-struggling daughter doesn't really need the reading repetition, but she thinks the activities are pretty fun, and she benefits from the writing practice.3. The pictures of the other levels on the back of the book. My kids are stoked to "move up a level" when they're done with this book.I DON'T love:1. That there's no cursive option. We have been doing cursive since age 4 and love it, but there are unfortunately no phonics workbooks available that use cursive.2. That some phonics rules are kind of loose. SWR (which is like the Spalding method or Writing Road to Reading method) is amazing at being thorough and closing all those dumb English loopholes, and this is a bit less intensive. But it's working for us right now.

I know that Explode the code has been a round for a while. But to me this is new as my oldest is in Kindergarten now.I was unsure which book would be appropriate for him and I guessed that 3 would be the right one for him. I was right. I took a picture of the explode the code series content so you too - new parent- know what is in each book. I am not sure why the specifics of the contents of the book is not written on the product description.I am homeschooling and we have a very nice phonics program. However, it is nice to have extra practice that includes some writing and other little activities already there for me to pick through and for my child to complete. I think parents with kids struggling in school or looking for summer practice could also benefit of a workbook like this one.The pages are of decent quality. The child can erase a few times without ripping the page. All the pictures are black and white. In some activities the pictures will help kids know which word they are looking for. The book includes activities where the child has to read the words to match a picture or read a little sentence. There are explanations written in simple language for the kids. For example here's a quote: "If a little word ends in y, the y says /ī/."I bought a "used" workbook from one of the vendors. It doesn't look used to me. I did pick one that was described as excellent condition and I'm very happy with the purchase.

I was very glad I started my 14 year old with Down Syndrome on these early books even though he was above this level. It gave him confidence to do the work books and helped him focus on following directions which will help when getting to the books in the series he struggles with. Great pictures. The only issue I have is sometimes the pictures can be confusing like for the letter N the picture is a tie in a collar. The first word that came to my mind and my son’s was “tie” but I realized since we were on the letter N it must be “necktie” that seems like two different words to a young reader and there are a couple of other compound words like that which young kids and ones with learning disability might struggle with so it is important to sit with your child and make sure they understand the right word for the drawing.

I'm using these books I originally discovered at our local thrift store. They are excellent books to teach little ones to learn to read, whoever designed these books did a very good job. the only complaint I would have is the illustrations in the book could be way better. I fully recommend these books.

I have the other levels of ETC and this set is just as good. It is for those learning letters/sounds. If you’re on the fence, buy it!

I cannot say enough good things about these books. Yes, they have some "silly nonsense" but 5yr olds love that "silly" stuff. We have been very happy with all the Explode the Code books and this one is no exception! After introducing a new phonic sound, etc my son can sit, follow the directions and practice independently. As some other people have said, I do agree that the pictures can be somewhat confusing and need some explanation. Multiple times a week (we do 2-3 of these worksheets a day) my children have to stop and ask what the pictures represent. I can see how that may be frustrating for struggling readers also. That is why I gave this 4 stars.

The media could not be loaded. My daughter really enjoys doing this book and it’s especially great for independent practice! Definitely recommend!