I received The Phonics Road complete phonics curriculum for review in our homeschool. I used this program with my six and three-year-old children. This curriculum is extremely in-depth and includes the teacher manual, student book, dry erase clipboard and pen, USB drive with videos, early reader books, and flashcards.

This is a fantastic phonics program. The lady who authors this, Barbara Beers, knows what she is doing. It is very step-by-step, and she explains exactly how to teach not only phonics but also spelling. 

There are video files on the USB drive that we were able to view on my computer. The choice is open whether you view them and then teach the lessons to your child/children or they can watch the video themselves. I did a little of both. There are also audio files on the drive for songs to learn the letter sounds and more! My children enjoyed these songs. We burned them onto a CD so we could listen in the car.

This set also includes a dry erase clipboard so the child can practice their letter writing. It has a clear plastic dry-erase cover sheet and a paper with lines to write on to slip behind it. My son loved this part of the program. It is quite simple for the child to write their letters or words on this and it makes it a bit different at the same time. My son enjoyed having not only his own clipboard but his own dry erase board.

Letters and sounds are covered in groups. Early writing practice begins with making circles, straight lines, and slanted lines. A proper grasp of a pencil and good posture are also taught at the start.

It is a flexible program and it is easy to go as fast or as slow as the individual child needs. Flashcards are provided to help the child practice until they gain mastery.

This program has many features to it and its very parent and child friendly. In the beginning, it may look a bit overwhelming because there are so many resources included, however, I've found its best to read over the parent materials, watch the beginning videos then dive right in. I am incredibly pleased with how easy it is for me to use with my two middle children.

There are books included for the early reader, but this is a very neat feature; they do not have pictures. Instead, they have places for the child to draw their own pictures to match the story! I think this makes the books a little more special to the child. It also helps them learn to pay close attention to details they might otherwise not catch.

This is an excellent program for teaching phonics, and it has the added benefit that all the materials can be reused for multiple children. This makes it very cost-effective for families! I am extremely pleased that we were blessed with this product for review and look forward to continuing it with my children.

-Product review by Jenny Underwood, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, August 2020