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Here\u2019s Karen\u2026<\/h2>\r\n\r\n ![\"Real](\"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/20160617_1111001.jpg\")
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My children are second language learners. Our sons have been in our home since October 2013. We live in Ethiopia, so they have never lived in the United States long-term. In 2014, we visited for five months and are currently here for a short-term stay. We speak English in our family most of the time, but the boys are still very much immersed in their birth language.<\/p>\r\n \r\n \t
We began using AAR<\/cite> and AAS<\/cite> in February 2015. My older son completed AAR<\/cite> levels 2-4 in one year and AAS<\/cite> levels 1-4 in 16 months. My younger son completed the first three\u00a0AAR<\/cite> levels in one year and the first three spelling levels in 16 months. Both programs helped my children differentiate and identify sounds in the English language. I'm a speech therapist, so I was able to give my kids placement cues and talk to them about the difference in sounds and how they are made in the mouth. This helped a lot with phoneme discrimination and articulation. I didn\u2019t use the phonogram app<\/a> because of my experience and training, but this would be a huge help for other English language learners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The programs also support vocabulary<\/a> building and problem solving. One of my sons is a very visual learner, and my other son needs to know why things are the way they are in order for him to understand them. But despite their differences, the programs are perfect for both of them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The programs have helped develop my sons\u2019 problem-solving skills. It is wonderful to watch as they talk out loud to themselves and reason out the ways in which they should spell a word. While reading, I never have to tell them what a word says, but can remind them of simple rules or ask them certain questions about a rule, enabling them to successfully decode a word.<\/p>\r\n\r\n My seven-year-old is a visual learner and can often remember a word after reading it just one time. He is ready for All About Reading<\/cite> Level 4, but is not ready for the level of comprehension it requires. I may go ahead and complete the level with him for the sake of building his fluency<\/a>, but may supplement with other literature to build his comprehension, understanding, and language skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n These programs are so very different from\u00a0many other spelling and reading programs, as a child does not have to rely on memorizing individual words in order to decode or spell them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n If your child is gifted at memorizing words, then this program will fit your child and you can move at a faster pace. But if your child has difficulty memorizing words, it gives your child the tools he or she needs to understand how different letters and sounds fit together in order to be a successful reader and speller. It also enables the instructor to quickly see the \u201choles\u201d<\/a> where your child might be struggling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n I have a child with each<\/span> of these learning styles, and they are both<\/span> thriving. My children LOVE to read AND write because of All About Reading<\/cite> and All About Spelling<\/cite>!<\/p>\r\n\r\n Oh \u2026 and did I mention that I am also using AAS<\/cite> with an adult friend who is learning English as a second language? She is thriving in all the same ways that my children are!<\/p>\r\n\r\n Did you enjoy Karen\u2019s story? Read more stories from Real Moms and Real Kids<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n Is your child an English language learner who is learning to read or spell with AAR<\/cite> and AAS<\/cite>? Check out our free report, \u201c20 Best Tips for Teaching Reading and Spelling<\/a>,\u201d for more great tips! <\/p>\r\n\r\n _________________________![\"Real](\"https:\/\/blog.allaboutlearningpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/real-moms-ELL-4-600x400.jpg\")
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\r\nWhy AAR<\/cite> and AAS<\/cite> Are Effective for English Language Learners<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nWhat Makes All About Reading<\/cite> and All About Spelling<\/cite> Different?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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\r\n\r\nHere's What I Love about Karen's Story<\/h2>\r\n
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Products Karen Used with Her English Language Learners<\/h2>\r\n
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\r\n *To preserve the privacy of the children featured in this story, we did not use the family's real names.<\/p>\r\n
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