Explode the Code Series

by Maureen
(USA)

Product: Get Ready, Get Set, Go for the Code
Subject: Phonics
Levels Used: Levels 1-4

Dates Used: 2002-2009

Likes: I like how the Explode the Code books have simple drawings and silly sentences. My children never complained about doing their ETC work. Since each lesson has the same types of pages, once a child learns that format, they know what to do once they see the same type of page (ie which sentence goes w/ the picture worksheet, matching letters worksheet)

My favorite of the series though, are the Get Ready, Get Set, Go for the Code. I feel like they do a good job introducing the letters.

Dislikes:
This series does not teach the phonics rules well. It is more "assummed" that the child will grasp it via the repetition of the pages in that section. I found that my kids did not transfer what they were doing in the ETC book to other work (ie would spell duck right in the ETC but then would spell duk on a science page).
I now use ETC in conjunction with another spelling/phonics program, only doing the ETC pages that corresponds with the rule we are learning in the other series.