When I first started homeschooling my kids, I had a picture-perfect vision of reading time. I imagined all of us snuggled up together, my children hanging on every word, effortlessly falling in love with books. In my mind, we would breeze through our curriculum without hesitation, and they’d become voracious readers in no time.
Now, as a veteran homeschool mom, I can’t help but laugh at that expectation. I’ve lived it—I know better. For most of us, teaching a child to read isn’t always smooth or magical. It can feel tedious, frustrating, and downright stressful at times.
But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. Teaching reading exists somewhere in the middle—it’s not a fairy-tale experience with woodland creatures singing along, but it also doesn’t have to be an exhausting battle of wills. Over the years, I’ve learned how to transform reading time from a stressful struggle into a calm, enjoyable, and relationship-building part of our homeschool. And the biggest game-changer for us? All About Reading from All About Learning Press.
How All About Reading Works
All About Reading (AAR) is an open-and-go reading curriculum designed for both struggling readers and those who pick it up more naturally. Spanning four levels, it takes children from learning basic phonograms to confidently reading multisyllable words—including those with roots in other languages.
AAR follows a step-by-step approach with built-in review, fluency practice, and books tailored to each reading level. The program’s multisensory method incorporates hands-on activities and games into every lesson, making learning both effective and enjoyable. Plus, each level includes an appendix full of extra activities to reinforce concepts in a fun way.
One of the biggest advantages of AAR is its flexibility. The curriculum recommends spending just 20 minutes per day on a lesson, even if you don’t complete it in one sitting. This simple shift in mindset relieved so much pressure in our homeschool—no more rushing through lessons just to “stay on track.” After all, one of the greatest perks of homeschooling is working at our own pace, ensuring our kids truly grasp what they’re learning.
While AAR focuses on phonics mastery rather than memorizing a long list of sight words, the results speak for themselves. It may feel like a slower process at first, but teaching children how to decode words using phonics rules builds strong, confident readers in the long run. And in my experience, taking the “hard way” has been absolutely worth it.
Why We Love All About Reading
Just this week, my son told me—completely unprompted—that he actually likes our reading curriculum. That’s huge! Naturally, I had to ask him why. His answer? The same reasons I love it: it’s not too long, too hard, or too boring.
Now that he’s nearly finished All About Reading, he can breeze through a lesson in 20 minutes. But it wasn’t always that way. In the beginning, lessons sometimes took days to complete. Yet, because we only spent 20 minutes at a time, it never felt overwhelming to him. To him, it was simply playing games and reading with mom. And without even realizing it, his skills stacked up—one small step at a time—until he became the confident reader he is today.
I’ve seen the same transformation happening with my youngest. Reading hasn’t always come easy for her, but little by little, her skills are growing. Every day, she amazes me with how far she’s come. It’s precious to watch!
All About Reading isn’t just teaching my kids how to read—it’s giving them the confidence to enjoy it and the proof that they’re capable of doing hard things. And that, to me, is the most valuable lesson of all.
What You Need to Get Started
At first glance, All About Reading might seem like it has a lot of moving parts—but trust me, it’s worth it. Once you get into a rhythm, it all comes together seamlessly.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- All About Reading Teacher’s Manual – This is absolutely essential for using the curriculum effectively.
- Student Activity Book – Includes hands-on activities that reinforce each lesson.
- Letter Tiles – Available as a magnetic set or an app, these help with phonics practice.
- Word Cards – Used for fluency practice and reinforcement.
- Leveled Readers – Used to reinforce the new phonics concept taught in each lesson.
You can find all of these All About Reading Resources and more on the All About Learning Press website.
I also like to keep a binder with page protectors to prep lessons ahead of time, though this is totally optional. Saving lessons in a binder is also useful if you want to reuse the curriculum with younger kids.
But the most important things you’ll need?
A good attitude, an open mind, and plenty of patience. Because while teaching reading takes time, the payoff—watching your child grow into a confident reader—is absolutely worth it.
If you’re searching for a reading program that is engaging, effective, and low-stress, I can’t recommend All About Reading enough. It’s been a game-changer for our homeschool, and I hope it can be for yours too!
Have you used All About Reading or another program that worked well for your family? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments!