Apples and Pears Spelling

Sound Foundations Books Grades K-12 3rd Edition Updated July 2026

Who it fits

Made for a child who keeps struggling with spelling and needs scripted, repetition-heavy remediation with a parent beside them. Families wanting a colorful, independent, or low-writing program should keep looking.

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 consumable student workbook the child writes in, driven by a fully scripted Teacher's Notes book the parent reads aloud, with occasional whiteboard use. No tiles or software, print only.
Used as Spine
Philosophy TraditionalEclectic Orton-Gillingham
Best for Struggling learnersDyslexiaReluctant learners2e

What parents consistently praise

  • No word lists to memorize
  • Scripting makes it easy to open and teach
  • Constant built-in review of every pattern
  • Morphemic approach that clicks for dyslexic spellers
  • Steady visible progress

What parents report as challenges

  • Parent reads the script for every lesson
  • Heavy writing load can put kids off
  • Plain black-and-white pages with little color
  • Pricey for print-on-demand workbooks

How it shifts by grade

Placement tests decide the starting book, and kids can begin in A, B, or C. Older remedial students often begin at C; starting in D is discouraged.

Additional notes

Originally British, so select the USA flag on the publisher store for American English editions. Pairs with the same publisher's Dancing Bears reading program.

Cost

Price$51/level, full A-D set ~$145
ConsumablePartial
Per child / year~$51/level first child, ~$31 after (workbook only)
Check price Sound Foundations Books

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes how a curriculum is described or scored.

Compare head to head

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.

Used Apples and Pears Spelling yourself, or think something here is wrong? Send us a correction.