Here is what Cathy Duffy, one of the premier reviewers of phonics programs, says about Blumenfeld's phonics reading program Alpha-Phonics.
Phonics and Beginning Reading
Alpha-Phonics
by Samuel L. Blumenfeld
Paradigm Company
P.O. Box 45161
Boise, ID 83711
(208) 322-4440
www.alphaphonics.com
$29.95; CD-$39.95
Alpha-Phonics, Sam Blumenfeld's classic phonics manual provides comprehensive phonics instruction in a simple, straightforward manner. Rules are presented along with lists of words, syllables, and eventually, sentences. A parent works through lessons with his or her child, working from the book. You can add extra activities, practice readers, or games if you wish.
Alpha-Phonics has heavy-duty plastic covers and a plastic comb binding so it will lie flat while you're working through lessons. Print is very large, making it suitable for young readers.
The methodology is solid phonics. Blending is taught via the vowel-consonant method, with initial consonants added next (e.g., am taught first, followed by Sam and ham). Words are taught in families (e.g., an, ban, can, Dan, fan, Jan). However, many nonsense syllables are included in the early stages to help students develop phonetic fluency. Some of the practice lists of such syl1ables get quite silly as students read through syllables and words like gob, gac, gack, gad, gal, gag, gal, gam, gan, gap, gas, gat, gav, gax, and gaz. Students practice with quite a few such lists, but they also move quickly into reading actual sentences.
This program does not use pictures for key words as do many other programs. The print is very large and clear with no illustrations or other distractions. The intent is that students concentrate on the letters themselves so that they immediately recognize the sounds associated with a letter rather than taking an extra mental step to recall a key word associated with a picture.
Alpha-Phonics teaches forty-four different sounds for the letters of the alphabet. It teaches basic phonic rules, but nor so many rules as we find in other programs such as Writing Road to Reading and Saxon's Phonics. You will want to use other reading material for additional practice once students have actually begun to read sentences. The publisher has a set of ten Little Companion Readers ($19.95 for the set) that work well alongside Alpha Phonics.
Parents must work with children through this book, but it requires no preparation time and is a very efficient, even if unexciting way for children to learn phonics.
You can preview sample lessons at the Web site.
Computer fans might be interested in the CD version: Alpha-Phonics the Book on CD-ROM. This program mirrors the original book, but with both spoken and written instructions. Students respond with the mouse rather than keyboarding.
In addition, there is an Alpha-Phonics / How To Tutor Workbook ($14.95) that reinforces lessons in Alpha-Phonics with fill-in-the-blank and written exercises.
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