Beta Testing for Logic of English Foundations is over, and the first two levels, A and B are out and ready for you to buy! To celebrate this, I wanted to share with you our review of what Logic of English Foundations actually *is* so you don’t miss out on this program. We’ve been big fans for a long time, so sit back, and let me tell you about my absolute favorite Homeschool reading program on the market.
What is Logic of English Foundations?
Foundations is a new “Learn to Read” program from The Logic of English. This program starts at the very beginning- laying a solid Foundation for literacy in your child. The Logic of English is an Orton-Gillingham based program, which means it is rooted in phonics, spelling rules, and multi-sensory teaching. However, Logic of English doesn’t stop with this research done by Orton-Gillingham (which was in use as a reading program in the 1930’s!). Denise Eide, the author of Logic of English, has taken what is known of the English language, and has continued the research to create a complete, modern program.
The English language is kind of a beast- but Denise Eide has done what many say is impossible- she’s made sense of it. Between the use of phonograms, clarifying “rules” and understanding the linguistic origins of English words, she’s created a program that teaches English in a logical, consistent, and easy to understand way.
Logic of English Foundations is the first step, which introduces kids to the phonograms, teaches letter formation in both manuscript and cursive (you choose which one to use) and some of the rules.
This level is 40 lessons long, with 8 review and assessments (so, 48 lessons total). It can take you as little as 48 school days, or as long as your child needs to master the material. At the end of this level, your child will blend like a pro, be able to pull apart words to their smallest sound, correctly form all letters, spell simple words, and read simple phrases.
How does it work?
Level A of Logic of English Foundations starts at the very beginning, assuming a child has had very little or no instruction in reading. Children are introduced to the first 26 phonograms, including all their sounds (for example, an A says three sounds as in the words, apple, acorn, and father- the kids are not taught the words, but rather the sounds only).
Foundation also encourages strong phonemic awareness. Kids need to be able to hear the phonograms in the words they speak and listen to every day. You will teach your child to not only practice phonogram sounds in isolation, but will spend a significant time blending the sounds together and pulling words apart.
Children are taught to write the phonograms with a step by step process that starts with the strokes that form the letters, and progresses to writing the letters out. Handwriting, spelling, and reading go hand in hand, so instead of needing three separate programs to teach these skills, all you need is Logic of English Foundations.
All of these skills are taught through the use of games, physical activities, and fun lessons that will keep the child’s interest. Learning to read doesn’t need to be stressful and hard. It should be FUN. Logic of English Foundations speaks to the heart of a child. Lessons are written in such a way to make sure fun and learning go hand in hand.
For example, when introduced the “/d/” phonogram, some of the ideas include having a “D” themed day- eating D foods (dumplings, dill pickles, donuts), learning about animals that start with a D and playing games in the Dark. Blending is done with running, jumping, relay races, and more. Flash cards are even made FUN.
What do you need to purchase?
According to Logic of English, at a minimum, you need the teachers’ manual and the student workbook for Foundations Level A. The workbook comes with readers.
I’ll be honest with you here, and tell you although most of you know I am allergic to spending money, I have purchased almost every item in the Logic of English Store. But- that also means I can tell you with confidence that all the materials are good.
This is my breakdown:
At a minimum you need: The Teacher’s Manual, Student Workbook, and the Phonogram App (especially if you are new to Logic of English, the App will help you (as the teacher) learn the phonograms quickly, and correctly. This App will save you SO much headache as you learn the phonograms. You need it, and the kids will enjoy playing it. It also saves you a little bit of time since the kids will get extra practice with the phonograms there.
The “nice to have” items are: The white board. Logic of English has a lined whiteboard that is like giant paper for the kids to write on. When learning handwriting, it’s so important to have guidelines, and this board is the perfect size. Sure, you can do the same thing on paper, so you don’t need it, but I would encourage you to get it.
After the whiteboard, I would really recommend picking up a set of the large phonogram flash cards. They are big enough to put up in a pocket folder, and they are really nice to have for some of the active phonics games. You could make your own, but these ones are sturdy and they have the “helpers” on them so you will never forget what sound the letters make. If you plan on sticking with Logic of English for the long haul, or have older kids, this one set of flash cards works for all levels of Foundations, and for Essentials. You only need one set per household. The game cards are also used for all levels, and you only need two sets for your home.
The gravy that you really don’t *need* but is really nice to have would be the tactile cards, and doodling dragons. Both are very well done, and helpful. Doodling Dragons is cute, and Mr. Man has read it over and over. The only thing I don’t own from the shop is the tactile cards, but my friend has a set of them, and I covet them. They are thick and I can see how well they would work for strongly tactile kids- hopefully I’ll get my hands on my own set soon!
I started this program with Mr. Man before he even turned 5, because he was a little wild and crazy and needed some focused “Mama Time.” Mr. Man thrives with movement and fun activities, and we always had active games to choose from with this program.
When we first started, he struggled with his fine motor skills, so instead of learning to write on paper, Mr. Man focused large motor writing. This means he “wrote” letters in the air, he drew them in salt, and traced them in shaving crème. Once he got this down, he started writing them large on a dry erase board, and is just now, almost 8 months later, starting to write on paper.
And you know what? This never held Mr. Man back. He wanted to learn to read, and Foundations comes with so many ideas to make learning fun and easy. There are so many games and activities, that it was easy for me to say “No Big Deal” and have confidence that the method and the games would work, without feeling like I needed to be rushing Mr. Man to keep moving forward faster than his body and mind were ready to move.
I love that the program includes so MUCH- advice to help with speech and pronunciation is in there. Games and fun activities are included. Themed day ideas are there- as I have it in front of me writing this review, I am thinking that I can use Foundations Level A as a full preschool program with Little Miss- just do a lesson a week instead of a lesson a day when the time comes.
That is part of the beauty with it. You go at your own pace. One lesson can take 10 minutes, or you can spread it over weeks (ask me how I know- we spent about 6 months with the concepts in the first 30 lessons before moving on.) You can go at the pace of your child, and repeat the games over and over until the skill is mastered.
It never gets old, and Mr. Man never stopped having fun. Once he was able to get the phonemic awareness to click, he was able to keep moving on, and now, 7 months after he read his first words, he is able to read many level 1 readers. I am SO proud of him and his progress.
There is just so much magic, creativity, and life in this program. I have never seen anything like it before, and the results I have had with my kids and this process of phonograms, spelling and writing has been SO rewarding.
In a Nutshell
Logic of English Foundations is a “learn to read” program I tell everyone to use. It’s easy to teach, fun for kids, and effective. It’s more than memorizing words and sounding things out- it lays the foundation for reading at high levels, and spelling with ease. Foundations A is appropriate for brand new readers, and will teach them to read simple words and phrases. Logic of English also has Foundations Level B available for purchase, which will get your child reading sentences, and more levels coming very soon. There is also “Logic of English Essentials” for older children which can be used to teach spelling and/or reading remediation. You really should check this program out.
Watch this video from Denise Eide to see why you need the Logic of English
Pricing Information and a GIVEAWAY!
Foundations Level A Teachers Manual and Workbook are available from Logic of English for $56, or as a complete set with Level B and all the bells and whistles for less than $200. Head over to their store to see all pricing information, and configuration options. They have both PDF and hard copy formats, making this program accessible to everyone.
I am excited to share with you that this week, Logic of English has agreed to sponsor a giveaway of their Foundations Level A Teachers Manual and Workbook, so one of my lucky readers will get to try this program for FREE. Read all instructions and the Terms and Conditions closely before entering on the Raffle Copter below!
* a note on material connection- I did not receive any of these materials free, I purchased them all on my own dime, and told you about them because I honestly believe in this program, and have seen amazing success in my own home. I did approach Logic of English to sponsor this giveaway. My disclosure graphic is included to remind you that all opinions are my own, and because I was too lazy to make a new one*