All About Reading

All About Learning Press Grades PreK-4 Updated July 2026

Who it fits

A gentle, scripted, hands-on phonics program taught one-on-one, and a longtime favorite for struggling and dyslexic readers. Parents who need a child working independently, or who have an early reader racing ahead, aren't the audience for it.

How it scores

Rigor
?

How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1gentle, below grade
  2. 2relaxed
  3. 3on grade
  4. 4demanding
  5. 5advanced
Read the rigor guide
Parent involvement
?

How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1hands-off
  2. 2light
  3. 3shared
  4. 4leading
  5. 5parent-taught
Read the parent involvement guide
Prep load
?

How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1open-and-go
  2. 2minimal
  3. 3moderate
  4. 4involved
  5. 5heavy
Read the prep load guide
Screen time
?

How much daily work is on a device. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1fully offline
  2. 2mostly offline
  3. 3blended
  4. 4mostly digital
  5. 5fully digital
Read the screen time guide
Independence
?

How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1adult-led
  2. 2guided
  3. 3semi-independent
  4. 4mostly independent
  5. 5fully independent
Read the independence guide
Time commitment
?

How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1under 15 min
  2. 215 to 25 min
  3. 325 to 40 min
  4. 440 to 60 min
  5. 560+ min
Read the time commitment guide

At a glance

Faith content None
Approach Mastery
Format Workbook A scripted teacher manual, a consumable student activity book, and hardcover phonetic readers form the print core, with heavy use of magnetic letter tiles and phonogram cards. Optional apps replace the physical tiles.
Used as Spine
Philosophy TraditionalEclectic Orton-GillinghamSynthetic phonics
Best for Struggling learnersHands-on learnersDyslexia

What parents consistently praise

  • Scripted lessons make it open and go
  • Gorgeous hardcover readers kids enjoy
  • Multisensory tiles keep little ones engaged
  • Reusable with younger siblings
  • It works even for reluctant or dyslexic kids

What parents report as challenges

  • Upfront cost per level stings
  • Lots of cards and tiles to cut and store
  • Pace can drag through Level 2
  • Fully parent-led, nothing done alone

How it shifts by grade

Most families finish about one level a year, and many stop after Level 3 or 4 once a child reads fluently.

Additional notes

Nearly everything except the student workbook is reusable, so it gets cheaper for the second and third child. Cathy Duffy files it secular but Christian-friendly.

Cost

Price$119.95-159.95/level
ConsumablePartial
Per child / year~$120-160 first child, ~$40-50 after
Check price All About Learning Press

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Compare head to head

See all 11 All About Reading comparisons

Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources (forums, Facebook groups, Reddit, and long-form reviews) together with the publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time.

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