Teaches consonant sounds b, f, k, m, r, and t.

Customer Reviews

 
Kathy A. from Southeast Wisconsin wrote the following on 04/03/2006:
This is a great tool for a child who is learning the letters of the alpabet. The primers are divided into three books: Get Set for the Code, Get Ready for the Code and Go for the Code. The consonants are covered in the primers with 12 pages per letter. Your child will learn how to trace the shape of the letter with their finger, write the letter in lowercase,along with same/different activities and a riddle page. If your child already knows the letters of the alphabet and their sounds I would recommend going on to Explode the Code Book 1. We have tried two other phonics programs in our homeschool. The programs, while looking great in the homeschooling catalogs, did not live up to our expectations once we began using them. Explode the Code is sequential, affordable and it works!

 
Melissa B. from Nevada wrote the following on 06/28/2006:
I have used this series with my daughter who is 4. She enjoys it greatly and it's been great for phonics instruction. Combined with leapfrog DVDs, this has been a winner and she's learned her letter sounds. We are now using them again in conjunction with Sonlight's funtales and their reader schedule along with Explode the Code Book 1 to get her off and reading this summer. I cannot recommend this series enough for those looking for something nice and easy to implement into your homeschooling experience. Combined with the above mentioned you have a great beginning reading program as well. This has been one of the best homeschool investments and the price is just unbeatable for such a great product.

 
Joy P. from South Carolina wrote the following on 06/28/2007:
The Explode the Code primers have been a great tool to help my daughter learn the consonants thoroughly. The three primers (Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, and Go for the Code) cover each of the consonants. For each letter, the child practices the sound associated with the letter and then practices writing the lowercase form of the letter. There are several pages of exercises for each consonant that provide ample practice. My daughter has enjoyed the variety in the practice pages, which range from tracing letters with your finger to coloring pictures whose name starts with a particular letter. These books are affordably priced and are a great way to introduce the consonant sounds!

 
S V. from Virginia wrote the following on 12/07/2007:
I bought this for my 4 year old to "work" while I helped my older kids. To my surprise, my daughter took off using this book. She had shown no interest in reading at the beginning of the school year. Her dexterity was not ready for any writing. In the beginning, I skipped most of the writing since she is a perfectionist - what Cathy Duffy describes as a "Perfect Paula" and this only frustrated her. The books are very easy to use. I did purchase the teacher's manual which is only necessary for some of the oral lessons. Over the last 4 months, she has developed an interest in learning to read and her writing has developed enough so that we include the short assignments in her lessons. There is a consistent pattern in the book which made it a book she could really do on her own. I often had to slow her down as she would whiz through 5-10 pages. We just completed book A today. These books only teach consonants but, she is able to read 3-letter words and she is enjoying learning to read. I did decide to use another program to continue from this point but I am so glad for the very simple start that sparked my daughters desire to read.

 
Jessica L. from Elmwood Park, IL wrote the following on 12/26/2008:
This book has definitely been a hit already. My daughter is reluctant to work on reading and phonics. These books are fun for her, and she enjoys doing a couple of pages a day. I cannot say enough about Rainbow Resource either! The shipping was SO fast and even over the holidays!

 
Jen D. from Ohio wrote the following on 10/19/2006:
This series of workbooks is well worth the small investment! I discovered Explode the Code at the homeschool convention, and bought a book for my struggling reader 2 years ago. He is now reading well and confidently after starting in book 3 and working through book 8. I bought the whole series starting with book A for my younger student, and he is working his way through the series very well, also. The books are pretty clear cut, easy to pick up and work through with no prep necessary. You may want to purchase the teacher books for more in-depth explanations of the rules presented in the workbooks, but I used them without the teacher books. I did purchase the keys which are necessary for the test at the end of each book. I have recommended this series over and over to mothers whose children are struggling with reading. They also have had good results. The books use humor, and simple drawings to keep attention without being a distraction to the reading process. You will want to supplement with some kind of readers either from your library or purchase a set. This series is a great find!

 
Heather B. from Tx wrote the following on 12/26/2006:
This is an awesome book! I have been doing it with my newly turned three yr old. He knew all his letters and their sounds but his phonemic awareness was awful. We are half way through the book and it is just amazing how his phonemic awareness has improved. If you ask him what sound a word starts with he is starting to be able to tell you the answer. He also loves doing this book.

 
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.