All About Reading & Spelling Review: Is It Worth It?

What Is All About Learning Press?

All About Learning Press is the company behind All About Reading and All About Spelling.

They make hands-on, scripted reading and spelling programs for homeschool families who want a clear, step-by-step way to teach phonics, reading fluency, spelling, and decoding skills.

The two main programs are:

📖 All About Reading

All About Reading is the reading side of the program.

It teaches children how to decode words, blend sounds, read fluently, and eventually move into short stories and readers.

This is the program I would look at first if I had a child who was:

• struggling to learn to read
• dyslexic
• guessing words instead of decoding them
• bored by workbook-only phonics
• needing a more hands-on approach

It uses letter tiles, phonogram cards, word cards, activity sheets, readers, and scripted lessons so you are not left trying to invent phonics lessons from scratch. (I’ve put a pic of them below so you can get an idea of what they look like.)

And that is a huge win, because teaching reading can feel intimidating.

You can teach your child to count apples and add blocks together and feel fine.

But teaching a child to read?

That can feel like you’ve suddenly been handed the keys to a small educational aircraft and told, “Good luck.”

All About Reading helps take that panic away.

If you want to see the levels, readers, cards, and tiles for yourself, you can look through the All About Reading program here.

✏️ All About Spelling

All About Spelling is the spelling side of the program.

It uses a similar hands-on approach with tiles, cards, dictation, review, and clear teacher instructions.

Instead of asking children to memorise a random spelling list for Friday and then forget half of it by Monday, All About Spelling teaches spelling rules and patterns step by step.

I own pieces of the All About Spelling curriculum too, and my impression is that it is beautifully organised and very thorough.

This would especially suit a child who needs to understand why words are spelled the way they are, not just stare at a list and hope their brain behaves.

You can look through the All About Spelling levels here if you want to see how the program builds over time.

🧠 Is It Orton-Gillingham?

One reason All About Reading and All About Spelling are so often recommended for struggling readers is that they use an Orton-Gillingham approach.

That basically means the program is:

• explicit
• sequential
• multisensory
• mastery-based
• strong in phonics
• built with lots of review

In normal homeschool-parent language: it does not just throw words at your child and hope they pick reading up by osmosis.

It teaches reading carefully, in small steps, using eyes, ears, hands, speech, cards, tiles, and repetition.

That is why I think All About Reading stands out for struggling readers, dyslexic children, and kids who need reading broken down more clearly.

What Do You Get with All About Reading?

The pieces I have are from All About Reading Level 1 (you don’t really need the pre-reader level…many people say you can skip that entirely), along with some All About Spelling materials.

And the first thing you notice is this:

There are a lot of pieces.

Not in a bad way.

But definitely in a “clear the table, children, Mum has opened a phonics command centre” kind of way.

Depending on the level and package you buy, All About Reading may include things like:

• a teacher’s manual
• student activity pages
• hardback readers
• phonogram cards
• word cards
• review dividers
• letter tiles
• a reading review box
• stickers or progress charts
• activity sheets and games

The All About Reading curriculum is not just a thin workbook. It is more like a full homeschool reading curriculum toolkit.

📚 The Readers

The readers are one of my favourite parts.

They are hardback, beautifully illustrated, and feel like they would last through multiple children — possibly even if you have enough kids to field your own football team.

This matters because All About Reading is not the cheapest program upfront.

But the readers, letter tiles, cards, and teacher’s manual can be reused with younger siblings. Usually, the main thing you need to replace is the consumable student activity book.

So the more children you teach, the better value it becomes.

🧩 The Letter Tiles and Cards

The letter tiles are bright, colourful, and very visual.

Your child can physically build words instead of only writing them on paper. This is one of the reasons I think All About Reading is so helpful for children who struggle with reading.

A child can see the sounds, move the sounds, build the word, change the word, and say the word.

That is very different from just staring at a worksheet and being told, “Sound it out.”

The cards also give you an easy review system, so you can keep practising phonograms and words until your child has mastered them.

📘 The Teacher’s Manual

The teacher’s manual is very scripted.

It tells you what to do, what to say, which cards to use, when to pull out the tiles, and when to move to the reader or activity sheet.

That means you do not have to be a reading specialist to use it.

You still need to teach the lesson, but you are not making the lesson up yourself.

This is why I’d describe All About Reading as parent-led, but not parent-complicated.

You sit with your child, open the manual, follow the steps, and keep moving.

Give yourself half an hour at the beginning to work out where the pieces go, and after that, it starts to feel much more open-and-go.

If you are trying to decide whether it is worth buying, I’d start by looking at what comes in All About Reading here and then compare that with how much support your child needs.

Pros and Cons of All About Reading

Like every homeschool reading curriculum, All About Reading has some big strengths and a few things you should know before buying.

I really like this program, especially for struggling readers, but it is not the perfect fit for every homeschool family.

✅ Pros of All About Reading

1. It is excellent for struggling readers

This is the biggest pro for me.

All About Reading is clear, slow, hands-on, and mastery-based. It does not rush children through phonics before they are ready.

That makes it a strong choice for:

• struggling readers
• dyslexic children
• kids who guess words
• kids who need more review
• wiggly kids who hate workbook-only lessons

My son has dyslexia, and while I did not use All About Reading with him, I genuinely wish I had found it earlier. If I had a struggling reader again, this would be one of the first programs I’d look at.

2. The lessons are scripted

This is a huge help if teaching reading intimidates you.

The teacher’s manual tells you what to say, what to do, which card to pull out, when to use the letter tiles, and when to move on to the reader or activity.

So while All About Reading is parent-led, it is not parent-complicated.

You are teaching your child, but you are not sitting there trying to invent a phonics lesson from thin air like some desperate educational magician.

3. It is hands-on and multisensory

The program uses letter tiles, phonogram cards, word cards, readers, activity sheets, games, and review.

This makes it feel much more like a game than a traditional workbook-heavy phonics program.

Compared with something like Abeka phonics, All About Reading feels more colourful, playful, and hands-on. Abeka is popular and has its place, but All About Reading feels especially appealing for children who need to touch, move, build, and see the sounds.

4. The readers are beautiful

The hardback readers are one of my favourite parts of the program.

They are sturdy, beautifully illustrated, and feel like they could last through multiple children — even if you have enough kids to form your own homeschool football team.

That matters because the program is not cheap upfront. But the reusable pieces help soften the cost over time.

5. It only takes around 20 minutes a day

Yes, you need to sit with your child.

But the lessons are short.

For me, that matters because I have a back condition, and long periods sitting beside my kids are not ideal. I normally prefer curricula that allow more independence.

But if there is one subject I would happily be hands-on for, it is reading.

A short, focused 20-minute reading lesson is very doable for most families, especially when the payoff is your child finally learning to read confidently.

6. It is reusable with younger children

The teacher’s manual, readers, letter tiles, cards, and review boxes can usually be reused with younger siblings.

The main thing you will need to replace is the consumable student activity book.

So while All About Reading can feel expensive at first, it gets better value the more children you teach.

If you have several children coming up behind your first reader, this is worth keeping in mind before you write it off because of the price.

❌ Cons of All About Reading

1. It is parent-led

This is the biggest drawback.

All About Reading is not a video-based or independent program. You cannot just hand it to your child and go make a coffee while they teach themselves phonics.

You need to sit with them, guide the lesson, use the tiles, review the cards, and listen to them read.

The lessons are short, but they still require you.

So if you are looking for a mostly independent reading curriculum, this probably is not it.

2. There are a lot of pieces

When you first open the program, it can feel like a lot.

There are tiles, cards, dividers, readers, activity sheets, boxes, manuals, and sometimes extra bits depending on what you buy.

At first glance, it can feel a little overwhelming.

But the organisers help. Once everything has a home, it becomes much easier to use.

My advice is to give yourself about half an hour before starting. Open the books, sort the cards, look through the teacher’s manual, and work out where everything goes.

Do that, and the program feels much more open-and-go.

3. It is not the cheapest reading program

All About Reading is an investment. (Roughly between 100-150, depending on what you buy…checkout the current cost here).

You are paying for the teacher’s manual, readers, cards, tiles, activities, and the whole hands-on structure.

For some families, the price will be a genuine stretch.

But I do think the cost is easier to justify if you have a struggling reader, a dyslexic child, or younger siblings who can reuse the non-consumable pieces later.

This is not a cheap throwaway workbook.

It is more like a full reading toolkit.

4. It is secular

This is important to know.

All About Reading and All About Spelling are secular programs.

That means they are not Christian curricula, and you will not find Scripture woven through the lessons.

This is one reason our family has enjoyed BJU Press, because BJU includes a Christian worldview and Scripture throughout the program.

So here is how I would separate them:

BJU Press is better if you want a Christian, all-in-one homeschool program with reading, Bible, science, history, and other subjects built into the day.

All About Reading is better if your main priority is explicit, hands-on reading instruction — especially for a child who is struggling.

5. It may be more than you need for a natural reader

If your child is picking up reading easily, enjoys workbooks, and is progressing well with a simpler phonics program, you may not need something this involved.

All About Reading really shines when a child needs clear instruction, lots of review, and a hands-on approach.

For an easy, natural reader, it may still work beautifully, but it might be more teacher time and more pieces than you need.

Levels in All About Reading and How It Works

All About Reading has four levels, plus a Pre-reading program for children who are not ready for formal reading lessons yet.

The levels are:

• All About Reading Pre-reading (not super-nessisary)
• All About Reading Level 1 (can you start here)
• All About Reading Level 2
• All About Reading Level 3
• All About Reading Level 4

The pieces I own are from All About Reading Level 1, along with some All About Spelling materials.

📚 How the Program Teaches Reading

All About Reading uses a multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach, which means children learn through seeing, saying, touching, moving, and reviewing sounds and words.

The lessons are also scripted, so the teacher’s manual walks you through what to say and do each day.

That is one of the reasons this program feels so parent-friendly. You are still teaching the lesson, but you are not creating it from scratch.

🧩 What Makes It Different

The biggest difference is that All About Reading feels more like a hands-on reading lesson than a workbook.

Your child uses letter tiles, phonogram cards, word cards, readers, games, and short activities to practise reading skills in a way that feels active and memorable.

So while it is parent-led, it does not feel complicated.

You can see the All About Reading levels here, and if spelling is also an issue, All About Spelling follows a similar step-by-step style.

Cost and Extra Materials

All About Reading is not the cheapest homeschool reading curriculum, but it is also not a flimsy workbook you use once and throw away.

At the time of writing, All About Reading Pre-reading costs around $119.95 USD, while All About Reading Levels 1–4 are around $159.95 USD per level.

You may also need a few extra materials, such as the Letter Tiles and a Reading Review Box, depending on what you already own and which package you buy.

💰 Is All About Reading Worth the Cost?

For a single child, the price can feel a bit ouchy.

But the value improves if you have younger children coming behind, because many of the pieces are reusable.

You can usually reuse the:

• teacher’s manual
• hardback readers
• letter tiles
• phonogram cards
• word cards
• review box
• other non-consumable materials

The main thing you will normally need to replace for each child is the student activity book or student packet.

So if you are teaching multiple children, All About Reading gets cheaper per child over time. And if you have a struggling reader or a child with dyslexia, I think the cost is much easier to justify.

This is not a random phonics workbook. It is a full, hands-on reading toolkit.

You can check the current All About Reading prices here, because prices do change and it is worth looking at the latest bundles before buying.

Now, let’s look at the All About Spelling Program separately.

All About Spelling

Within the All About Learning Press Homeschool Curriculum, the All About Spelling program offers a complete approach to spelling success.

AAS is designed to teach:

• encoding skills,
• spelling rules, and
• multisensory strategies

Again, these are all crucial components for building proficient spellers.

This program has seven levels.

Parents can buy the basic materials; then, the extra manipulative boxes are also needed for the course.

Most of the boxes are re-used in later levels, so your initial outlay is more than your subsequent outlays will be.

Again, this is a scripted open-and-go homeschool reading curriculum.

Easy to Learn and Engaging

One of the key strengths of All About Spelling lies in its easy-to-learn methods.

The program employs a multisensory approach, breaking down words using colored squares to engage multiple senses and learning styles.

This not only facilitates understanding but also makes spelling an enjoyable and motivating experience for students.

The built-in review system further solidifies learning, helping students retain and apply spelling rules effectively.

All About Spelling is a mastery-based, building block program that caters to a diverse range of learners.

Whether a child has learning disabilities or not, the explicit teaching methods employed by the program ensure that all students can succeed in becoming proficient spellers.

Cost of All About Spelling

Is It Accredited?

No, All About Learning Press isn’t accredited. Only homeschool curricula that are attached to a main school, like BJU Press and Abeka, can be accredited.

If your kids are studying something accredited, they’ll technically be doing online school or distance education.

But see why I don’t think accreditation is that important here.

Which Level Should I Pick?

You can take placement tests before purchasing the course, so you don’t have to worry about choosing the wrong level.

This way, you can find the right fit without any stress.

What Is the Cost of All About Reading and Spelling?

In case you missed it, let’s review what these programs cost.

All About Reading Cost

All About Reading offers a five-level reading program, starting from Pre-Reading for $120, Level 1 priced at $160 and culminating in Level 4 priced at $160 also.

You’ll also need their manipulatives which will set you back around $40-55.

(MANIPULATIVES ARE ALSO USED FOR THE SPELLING PROGRAM).

Buy this program here.

All About Spelling Cost

For All About Spelling, which spans seven levels from Level 1 to Level 7, Level 1 costs $55, and Level 7 is priced at $48.

Again, it’s important to note that the letter tiles and boxes, sold separately for about $40-55, are a supplementary cost. But if you’ve purchased these for the reading program, they’re the same, you don’t need to buy them again.

Buy this program here.

The Bottom Line on All About Learning Press…

All About Learning Press emerges as an excellent choice for homeschooling families dedicated to fostering strong readers and spellers. With its time-efficient approach, multi-sensory methodology, and comprehensive curriculum, the program caters to the diverse needs of learners. The Orton Gillingham method forms the backbone, ensuring a solid foundation in phonics, while the refund policy underscores the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction. In just twenty minutes a day, All About Learning Press provides an engaging and effective solution for families navigating the journey of teaching their children to read and spell proficiently.