How to Correlate Explode the Code with All About Reading
Explode the Code is often recommended as a workbook that can supplement All About Reading. But how do you know when to use them and how they line up with each other? I have written a little about this before, but I wanted to do a side by side comparison of the two and present that info to all of you here.
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AAR with ETC
Why Combine Them?
I have been using All About Reading and Explode the Code in my homeschool for the past five years. As each of my children entered kindergarten I supplemented Level 1 and then later levels with various volumes of Explode the Code (ETC).
My children seem to enjoy, or at least don’t mind, these little workbooks. I love that they are getting regular written practice with the phonics skills that they are learning in a more hands-on approach through All About Reading (AAR). And on days when I don’t have time to sit down and do a one-on-one AAR lesson, they are still getting phonics work done independently.
What I Use
Explode the Code is an independent phonics curriculum, but I have never used the teacher’s guides. Rather, I utilize the ETC workbooks as supplementary written practice to reinforce and review what my kids are learning in AAR.
I have only included the main levels of ETC (1, 2, etc.) not the ½ levels (i.e., 1 ½). The ½ levels simply repeat the skills learned in the level they go with. So, you can take or leave them as you wish, depending on how much practice you want your child to have at each level.
Also, I have only included ETC levels 1-6 because I have never purchased any higher levels of ETC.
Level by Level Comparison
I’ve previously written a full article explaining How to Supplement All About Reading with Explode the Code. Here I give you my recommendations for when to start each level of ETC as well as a chart showing how the lessons of ETC and AAR line up with each other.
ETC Level 1
Begin after AAR 1 lesson 14.
ETC assumes they know all the consonants, at least for the initial letters in words in level 1. AAR slowly introduces letters in words over the first fourteen lessons but doesn’t differentiate between whether the consonants are used at the beginning or end of the word. If your kid knows their letter sounds really well and needs more to do as you begin AAR Level 1, you may want to disregard my suggestion and just start it along with AAR 1.
Chart for Explode the Code Level 1
ETC Level 2
Begin after AAR 1 lesson 28.
ETC teaches Final Blends AFTER Initial blends, but AAR teaches then BEFORE the initial blends. Since they are presented in an opposite order I suggest waiting until after you have covered both in AAR 1. However, blends may not be hard for your child, and if they come more naturally, you could easily start this book whenever you complete ETC 1.
Chart for Explode the Code Level 2
ETC Level 3
Begin ETC Level 3 after AAR 2 lesson 16. When you get to ETC 3 lesson 10 pause until you have begun AAR Level 3 and then resume.
See the chart below for a more thorough explanation.
Chart for Explode the Code Level 3
ETC Level 4
Begin ETC Level 4 after AAR 2 lesson 12 or AAR 3 lesson 8. See notes below.
To this point we have used the first three levels of ETC far more than levels 4-6. My kids all took off reading before they got to AAR 3, so my purpose in continuing AAR was to help them understand the “why” behind words even if they could already read them.
You’ll also notice the correlations are more scattered and less 1-for-1 in the next three levels of ETC. These workbooks are less aligned with AAR as you will see below. So, use them if and as they serve you. And don’t feel like you have to do every lesson in any given book.
Chart for Explode the Code Level 4
ETC Level 5
Begin ETC Level 5 after AAR 3 lesson 8 and ETC Level 4.
This level is also hard to compare to AAR. But as I’ve mentioned before, ETC 5 assumes you’ve covered all of ETC 4 material. So, I’d wait to start till after you completed ETC 4 (and all the prerequisites I recommended above).
Again, if your child is already reading beyond what they have covered in AAR then you can disregard these suggestions and use this book whenever you want!
Chart for Explode the Code Level 5
ETC Level 6
Begin ETC Level 6 after AAR 3 lesson 51
I own this book but don’t think my oldest used this one back when he was going through AAR. I may pull it out as a review (and for spelling practice). But the chart will show how it aligns.
Chart for Explode the Code Level 6
Final Thoughts
As with any curriculum, just use it as far as it serves you. Don’t feel bound to something simply because it got you this far. If it has served its purpose, you can move on. ETC may help in the early years of AAR but not be as useful as your kid moves on. Or you may find the opposite - your child is ready for more written work and needs review as they move up in AAR levels.
Where to Purchase
I prefer to compare prices before purchasing them, so you may want to shop around, but here are several sites you can find them on:
This link is to one set of books 1-4, but you may prefer to buy them individually. Just search for the curriculum on Amazon.
This is a link to Book 1, but you will see a list of “Companion Products” listed below the book, and you can search by book level as needed.
They have an entire page dedicated to this curriculum, and are available to answer any questions you have about this or other curricula in their inventory via phone call or email.
You can read more about this curricula on the publisher’s site.
They have downloadable samples, and lots of freebies.
Further Reading
This page links to all of my articles related to this curriculum.
