Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling

by Dolores G. Hiskes

Teaches students of all ages the basics of phonics with a time-tested, foolproof method This tenth edition of the best-selling book teaches reading using sounds and spelling patterns. These sounds and patterns are introduced one at a time, and slowly built into words, syllables, phrases, and sentences. Simple step-by-step directions begin every lesson. Although originally designed for K-2 emergent readers, this award-winning book is also successfully being used with adolescent and adult learners, as well as second language learners and students with learning disabilities. Wise and humorous proverbs encourage virtues such as patience, perseverance, honesty, kindness, compassion, courage, and loyalty. This bestselling, much-loved book offers a complete approach to teaching phonics and reading for a fraction of the cost of other programs.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2011

Reviews

[Devon Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not the hippest of books, this really does the trick for teaching phonics. I still think that there must be (or should be) a book that explains phonics to homeschool moms/dads more thoroughly and straight-forwardly. But I like that I could just open this book from day to day and jump into lessons. It was easy to see where we needed to linger and where we could keep moving along. Also, there were some fairly fun games, at least near the beginning, and it would be easy to come back to certain concepts to review them. A chart of phonics rules for the wall would make this system work even better for us. We’ll be using more of these books in the future. (NOTE: This would usually be used for younger students, but we were working to fix some phonics knowledge holes.)

[Hannah Shaffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

update: I have decided this curriculum doesn’t work well for my family. If I had a student having trouble blending, this might be a good resource until they have mastered the technique. Repetitively reading lists of words is too tedious and boring for both me and my students.

I have surveyed this book as I research homeschooling Kindergarten in the fall. I really like how this book seems pretty comprehensive. It covers K-2 phonics and spelling lessons in one book. It doesn’t have a lot of teacher instructions so little lesson prep time. It also has multi-sensory lesson options. The only thing it doesn’t seem to cover is comprehension. I can’t give it a full rating until I teach lessons from it, but this is top on my list for phonics curriculum so far.

[Michell Karnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book on teaching children to read in a systematic way that is simple, short effective.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

M1 (1st grade reading). Will not use again.