It's that time! I have another boy learning to read, and it's such an exciting time in our homeschool. After having 4 kids master phonics and reading, I was really happy to have a program for him to try this fall. The Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar products from jollyliteracy.com and just2ducks LLC were exactly what he wanted. He specifically asked for a workbook-based program, and I feel like it was perfect for his learning style.
Since Marcus is 6, and in the first grade, he had been sounding out words, but has had a terrible time holding and pencil and writing letters. He would get tired and complain, want to use all capital letters for his words, and generally was disinterested in anything but looking at the same books his brothers were reading (junior high chapter books) and trying to painfully sound out words.
This program took him back to square one and made it fun for him. The Jolly Phonics Student Book I (in print letters) helped him practice good writing form, reinforced letter sounds, and continued to build on what he already knew, PLUS added a bit of new development with each page. I really liked this approach. He was happy to do school each day that we worked through it.
Unlike some other programs, the teacher's book was really more of a guide for the parent to go over the basic principles that they will learn. I love how it is worded. It is to the point, explains things well (in case a parent has forgotten something) and gives a brief explanation of what the child will learn. I am not personally one for teacher's guides that are hundreds of pages long and that walk you through every word you say to your child. This guide is effective and gives the parent some flexibility to communicate to their child in the language they understand best.
The song book that comes with it feels like an extra treat! Each short tune reinforces the letters and phonic sounds that Marcus was learning.
This multi-level system has something for about every stage of phonics and grammar learning for the lower elementary levels. In all, we had the chance to look at the following:
While we only got through the Phonics Student Book I during our review period, and a bit of the Book 2, I was so happy to see how the Grammar books were laid out. I sometimes shy away from workbook programs because they seem to require too much memorization; Jolly Grammar, however, is full of brightly-colored activities and games, and no two pages are alike. My children would never feel like these exercises were drills or busy work. It's a very high-quality product!
Be sure to check out all of Jolly Literacy's amazing products, including the Can Do Cubes (which we will review later in the week.) You can also follow them on social media here:
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Since Marcus is 6, and in the first grade, he had been sounding out words, but has had a terrible time holding and pencil and writing letters. He would get tired and complain, want to use all capital letters for his words, and generally was disinterested in anything but looking at the same books his brothers were reading (junior high chapter books) and trying to painfully sound out words.
Unlike some other programs, the teacher's book was really more of a guide for the parent to go over the basic principles that they will learn. I love how it is worded. It is to the point, explains things well (in case a parent has forgotten something) and gives a brief explanation of what the child will learn. I am not personally one for teacher's guides that are hundreds of pages long and that walk you through every word you say to your child. This guide is effective and gives the parent some flexibility to communicate to their child in the language they understand best.
The song book that comes with it feels like an extra treat! Each short tune reinforces the letters and phonic sounds that Marcus was learning.
This multi-level system has something for about every stage of phonics and grammar learning for the lower elementary levels. In all, we had the chance to look at the following:
- Jolly Phonics Teacher's Book in print letters
- Jolly Phonics Student Book 1, 2 and 3
- Jolly Grammar 1 Teacher's Book in print letters Jolly
- Grammar 1 Student Book
- Jolly Songs in print letters
Be sure to check out all of Jolly Literacy's amazing products, including the Can Do Cubes (which we will review later in the week.) You can also follow them on social media here:
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