Is All About Reading Worth It? An Honest Review

All About Reading is one of the most recommended reading curricula in the homeschool community, and its reputation for helping struggling readers is particularly strong. But is it worth the cost? Here is a thorough review to help you decide.

What Is All About Reading?

All About Reading (AAR) is a four-level reading curriculum for children in Kindergarten through approximately 4th grade. It is based on the Orton-Gillingham method, which is widely regarded as the gold standard for teaching children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. The curriculum uses a multisensory approach, engaging students through seeing, hearing, and manipulating letter tiles as they learn phonics.

What Is Included?

Each All About Reading level includes an Instructor's Handbook, a student activity book, a set of illustrated readers, and a set of flashcards. The program also uses letter tiles (sold separately as a one-time purchase) that students manipulate to build words during lessons. The Instructor's Handbook is scripted, meaning parents are given exact scripts for each lesson, requiring minimal preparation.

Pros of All About Reading:

All About Reading is one of the most effective reading programs available for children who struggle with reading, phonemic awareness, or show signs of dyslexia. The Orton-Gillingham foundation ensures systematic, structured phonics instruction that leaves no gaps in foundational reading skills. The scripted lessons eliminate the guesswork for parents who are not trained reading teachers. You open the book, you follow the script, and the program does the rest. For parents who feel uncertain about teaching reading, this structured approach is enormously reassuring.

Cons of All About Reading:

All About Reading requires significant one-on-one instructional time — typically 20 to 30 minutes of direct, focused parent-child instruction per session. This is not a program your child can complete independently, which limits its usefulness for busy households or parents with multiple children demanding simultaneous attention. The cost per level is also notable. Each level costs approximately $40 to $110 depending on the package, and the letter tiles are an additional $30 one-time purchase. Families with multiple children will need to repurchase the student activity book and readers for each child, though the Instructor's Handbook is reusable.

Is All About Reading Worth the Price?

For families with a child who struggles with reading, All About Reading is unquestionably worth the investment. The cost of professional reading tutoring far exceeds the cost of the curriculum, and AAR's Orton-Gillingham foundation is clinically proven to be effective for struggling readers. For families with a child who picks up reading naturally and easily, the cost may be less justified — a less structured, more affordable program might work just as well for a neurotypical, eager reader.

Who Is All About Reading Best For?

All About Reading is the best choice for children who show signs of reading difficulty, dyslexia, or phonemic awareness challenges. It is also an excellent choice for parents who want a structured, systematic phonics approach regardless of their child's reading level, and for parents who want scripted lessons that require no teaching background."

Verdict:

All About Reading is one of the most effective reading programs available, period. For children who struggle with reading, it can be genuinely life-changing. For typical readers, it is highly effective but potentially more than necessary. Either way, the quality of instruction is excellent and the program is worth the investment for families who value systematic, proven phonics instruction.

YES or NO?

YES — All About Reading is absolutely worth it, especially for struggling readers. The Orton-Gillingham approach is proven and the scripted lessons make teaching accessible for any parent.