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Another tool for expanding skills and providing instruction/reinforcement options for the Explode the Code books. Each lesson addresses the principles of effective reading instruction and follows the same easy-to-use format. Teaching sections for each lesson in the Teacher’s Guides include: review, phonemic awareness, phonics skill introduction, vocabulary guidance, fluency, comprehension, writing and reinforcement, and direction on how to help students with the corresponding student pages. Specific answers to the student pages are not offered, as the book assumes student and teacher will be completing these together. However, answers for pre-test and post-test questions are included. If you’re looking for ways to go “beyond” the lessons in the Explode the Code worksheets, but aren’t sure how to do it, these guides will give you the teaching assistance you need. ~ Janice

Customer Reviews

 
Sarah J. from Mechanicsville, VA wrote the following on 09/06/2007:
The Explode the Code Series has done wonders with my reluctant reader. The humor in the exercises kept his interest and he was always looking forward to doing another exercise. I did not think he would ever enjoy reading but this series has been a bridge to solid reading skills. As a parent, I found the workbooks to be very straightforward but did buy the teacher manuals with my second child. I found the manual to be useful in getting her to master her phonics through oral exercises. The confidence that she displays in her early reading makes this series very valuable. The program is inexpensive yet very effective. I will be starting our youngest on the Get Ready, Set, Go for the Code this fall.

 
Andrea J. from Ohio wrote the following on 07/22/2008:
This is one of two curricula that we have used from the beginning of our homeschool journey and never felt the need to change. Explode the Code has worked well alongside Alpha-Phonics in teaching my children to read. I credit this series with helping them to get over the hump of decoding each word/sentence to reading with ease for enjoyment. There are three books for pre-readers and eight books for those learning to decipher the "code" of our written language. We have used them over a period of 3-4 years for each student, allowing them to progress at their own pace. A child can easily finish a lesson in one week, sometimes just one day. One of my daughters liked the books so much that she would do more than I required each day. She enjoyed the cartoon-like drawings and silly sentences. My Kindergartener begged for me to purchase these books for her to begin. You know you have found a good learning resource when your children ask to use it. There is no drudgery in doing these pages. The teacher books are not really necessary as the books themselves explain the concept adequately. You will need the answer keys to check answers and give Posttests at the end of each book. But just like the books, they are inexpensive and worth every penny. Each workbook contains eleven to fifteen lessons around eight pages each. Simple directions are at the top of each page. Most children will be able to work independently after being introduced to a new concept. Book 1 covers short vowels, book 2 initial blends, book 3 silent e and digraphs, book 4 dividing words into syllables, book 5 word families (all, alk, ild, ind, ol ost) blends, and -ed, book 6 ar, ir, er, ur, and diphthongs (ou, ow, au, aw, ew, ui, ue, ou, oi, oy), book 7 c and g followed by vowels, dge, mb, kn, wr, ear, ph, ei, eigh, silent t and h, and book 8 suffixes (ness, less, ous, ist, ity, ture, tion, ment, able, ible, sion, ance, ence, tive, sive, ify, ize). If your child needs more practice in a particular book, there are 1/2 books in between each level. So, if your child had some difficulty in book 3, you could use book 3 1/2 before moving on to book 4. The series follows the same basic format. The first page or two of each lesson introduces a new phonics sound by having the student identify a simple picture, circling the word or beginning sound. They will also copy the word on a line and X the correct picture. Learning to spell the word is taught by circling letters for the beginning, middle and ending sounds, then writing it. The words are then used in silly questions for students to answer by checking a yes or no box. If you aren't sure yet that your children understand the words, the next page gives them opportunity to use it in a sentence or in the earlier levels to match and write the word next to a picture. The words to choose from are placed in a box at the top of the page and printed by the student in the correct sentence or box. On the following page, two sentences are given for one picture; your student chooses the one that matches the picture. This often results in giggles from my children because the pictures and sentences are so silly. The final page is a good indicator of what your child learned. It simply gives a picture and asks your child to write a word using the phonics sound covered in that lesson. The last two books also include passages for reading comprehension, giving lots of examples of that lesson's phonics sound. So simple, so affordable, and so effective. This series will continue to be an important resource in our home school. These workbooks do exactly what they say, "explode the code". They have made my job as teacher that much easier due to their popularity with all of my children.

 
Kheloud I. from Inland Empire, CA wrote the following on 02/21/2010:
Have you ever wished your child would pick a book and never put it down? This is it for us. Get Ready for the Code and Explode the Code as well as Beyond the Code, have been a hit in our household. My 2 boys ages 8 and 5 love them a lot and have learned a lot from the books. The no nonsense approach helps a lot, kind of cute and sometimes funny drawings. Though the books can be used alone, the Teachers Manual is packed with enrichment activities and fun ways to reinforce the material. My boys beg me to repeat what I read from the Teachers Manual. No need for any teacher preparation, just open and go. And Rainbow Resource rocks, with the best prices for those books. Search and you'll come back to Rainbow Resource to purchase those books.

 
julie m. from El Paso, TX wrote the following on 05/04/2011:
It was suggested as an "optional" workbook with our curriculum but I'd say it should be a regular part of everyone's phonics programs. I'm now using it with my fourth child and so far all have loved it!