I was blessed to receive the complete Horizons 2nd Grade Phonics & Reading Set, for this review. I received two student workbooks, two student readers and the Teacher’s Guide from Alpha Omega Publications.
Alpha Omega Publications is a leading Christian homeschooling curriculum publisher. They have print-based, computer-based and online formats available. Over their 30+ years of serving the Christian school and homeschooling market they have won numerous awards for their curriculum, including Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 Picks, Homeschooling Parent Magazine: Homeschool Friendly Stamp of Approval Award, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: Excellence in Education Award and Practical Homeschooling Magazine Reader Awards.
What Does Horizons 2nd Grade Phonics & Reading Set consist of?
There are 160 full-color lessons and activities in the workbooks which are designed to help the student master phonics, spelling rules, and vocabulary. The pages of the workbook are perforated so they can easily be removed to make it easier for the student to write neatly.
The Readers are also divided into 160 lessons. Some of the stories are actually read over multiple lessons but they are clearly marked as to where the lesson ends and the next one begins. Reader 1 contains the story of Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children and several classic stories and poems. While Reader 2 features classic stories and poems such as The Wolf and the Goslings and A Little Princess.
The Teacher’s Guide is laid out in a very easy to follow manner. In the front of the book, is a Lesson List, Scope & Sequence, and a section with Phonics & Spelling Rules. Each lesson is presented on a two-page spread with an Overview, Materials & Supplies list, and Teaching Tips. The pages from the student’s book are also included as reduced size black and white images. This makes it easy to follow along with the student book while having the teacher’s instructions close at hand.
How Did We Use It and What Did We Think?
When given the opportunity to review Horizons 2nd Grade Phonics & Reading Set, my hope was that I could use it with Eli to help him improve his reading skills. I am happy to say that he has, in fact, been improving! Hooray!
We have been working through Workbook 1 and Reader 1. Eli has enjoyed the both the workbook and the reader. I like how simply the Teacher’s Guide is laid out; I can truly open it and go. There isn’t a lot of prep time to use this Phonics & Reading Set which I really appreciate! Having a complete, easy to use curriculum for Phonics & Reading is such a blessing.
I would definitely recommend using Horizons 2nd Grade Phonics & Reading with either a struggling reader or a student starting 2nd grade. For my struggling reader, it has been a great fit!
To find out what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew had to say about this and other Alpha Omega Products just click on the banner below.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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