Reading Better Together is a fantastic curriculum to help you teach your child how to read. Not only are there detailed lesson plans and books to use, but tons of support, how-to videos, bonuses, games, a private Facebook group, and more. It is a rather printer-heavy curriculum, but that’s because there is so much on offer!
When I found out about this curriculum, both of my kids were already reading. Fluently, for the past few years. So in order to write a decent review, I really needed access to a child who wasn’t reading. Luckily, we spent the summer next door to an awesome family that had an emerging reader, B! So, thank you, B, for being my guinea pig, and it’s been such a treat to watch you have these lightbulb moments and breakthroughs.
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Reading Better Together Lesson Plans
Reading Better Together is a thoroughly scripted curriculum. It tells you exactly what to say to your child. There’s never any doubt or confusion, because it’s all there in black and white. Or, actually, you can choose to print it out in color instead.
When I was teaching my son how to read, since he took me by surprise and I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t know how to teach him to blend sounds together. We really struggled with this skill, and transitioning from “Ssssssaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmm” to “Sam.” When I used this curriculum with B, he didn’t have the same struggles as my son did. Now, part is probably age – B is 5 while my son was 3, so he’s more developmentally ready to read. (If you’re not sure if you should be teaching your kiddo to read, I strongly encourage you to wait. It’s much easier for kids to learn when they’re a bit older.) But I do think a large part of our success is how this curriculum includes all the steps and really makes it clear how to teach blending.
Books
Starting in the second week, side-by-side books are included. The parent reads the pages on the left, and the child reads the pages on the right. The parent’s pages are able to develop some plot and characters so the story is more interesting than the first Bob books. The child’s pages are simple and easy to decode. In this way, your child will begin reading books quickly and experience that amazing thrill of success. These sorts of books were one of the ways I supplemented my own children’s reading education, and they always loved them.
Reading Better Together’s side-by-side books are now available to purchase separately! So if you already have a curriculum you know and love, but just want easy access to books you can read with your child, you can purchase just the books.
How-to Videos
Near the beginning of the Reading Better Together curriculum is a 40-minute video on how to choose the right books so your kids will be excited to read them. Now, when I watched the video, my kids were already avid, competent readers who were comfortable choosing books for themselves. I watched it sped up, but there was a ton of great information for someone just figuring all this out. The video covered how to determine your child’s reading level, how to help them choose books they were interested in, and how to make sure those books are appropriate for your child. If you are just getting your child started with reading, just starting homeschooling, or for whatever reason aren’t sure what books your child should be reading, this video is chock-full of excellent information, tips, and strategies.
There were also extensive videos on how to teach phonological and phonemic awareness. These are the skills that I didn’t know we needed when I started teaching my kids how to read, and we really struggled. I would have so appreciated these simple videos guiding me through simple activities I could have done with my kids. Now that my daughter is getting interested in spelling, these phonemic awareness activities will really help her with spelling, too! I’m excited to try them with her.
Reading Better Together Printables
Sarah includes many, many worksheets and printables. I know many homeschoolers get really excited by these, so even though my family doesn’t, I’m glad she included them. Plus, if your child is struggling with a skill, more practice, and practice in different ways, is really helpful.
Games
I was delighted to learn that the Reading Better Together curriculum includes several different games. And, even better, there are different levels of cards. Each of your children can play the games at the same time, just working out of their level of cards. My kids loved playing these games with B!
If you’re not sure about the whole curriculum, I strongly encourage you to take a peek at Sarah Miller’s free offerings. You have nothing to lose with her freebies, and so much to gain! However, if you do purchase Reading Better Together through one of my links, you’ll also get my book, Gameschooling on a Budget, for free!