Logic of English Foundations: Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

I went back-and-forth about our kindergarten curriculum this year, and eventually landed on Logic of English Foundations. I’m talking a different, more simplified approach to kindergarten this year, and LoE fit the bill. Read on for first impressions and WHY Logic of English might be the perfect fit for your little one, too!

Check out all our kindergarten picks!

We’ve got three kids here, and my youngest is finally ready to learn to read. When I say finally, I don’t mean he didn’t want to! He’s been interested in books and letters for a while, but I ended up putting off formal instruction as long as I could with this little guy. He’s my last baby!

Okay, okay. Keeping him a baby isn’t the real reason I have been putting off instruction. I’m pretty relieved to be out of the baby years. But, with three kids going in different directions, all with different needs – I’ve been putting off formal, sit-down instruction for my sanity as well.

Choosing Logic of English Foundations

In the past (and present, actually), I’ve always selected stand-alone phonics programs. Honestly, we’ve been through umpteen reading curricula over the years. My oldest ate it for breakfast – we went through tons of programs, and I still had to create more to feed his appetite. Meanwhile my daughter has been taking her sweet time learning to read. It’s been a challenge for her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s progressing at her own pace.

That’s the beauty of homeschool, right? Everyone at their own pace. It does, however, get increasingly complicated with multiple kids. Not for the kids, for us!

Enter Logic of English Foundations.

Kid #3 is my first typical learner (seemingly, so far, at least!). He doesn’t need a completely separate program or multiple programs. What he needs is structure, consistency, and attention. I can give him all of the above with Logic of English.

Logic of English Foundations – The Basics

Logic of English is a structured, systematic approach to reading instruction that covers your entire Language Arts curriculum. It’s available for Kish-2ish, based on the placement test. These are leveled A-D, not by grade – which I think is important to note because kindergartners, in particular, can be all over the map when it comes to reading! Some are just learning letters while others are already blending sounds to figure out words and read sentences.

My son fit right into Level A – just starting kindergarten and knows most of his letters, most of the time. To further seal the deal, I showed my son the website, and he was VERY enthusiastic about the dragon on the cover.

More important than the dragon on the cover, to me at least. Is the content of the Foundations Level A package. Since Logic of English Foundations covers the full scope of Language Arts, it does not stop at phonics instruction and readers.

Why I Picked Logic of English Foundations

Attention: Hands-on Instruction

Beyond being a structured, all-in-one language arts program, another reason I chose Logic of English for my kindergartner this year is that this program is hands-on. Rather than drills, we use games to practice and master concepts. Rather than writing everything down on paper, we use cards, tiles, and and a whiteboard to practice. To him, it’s fun and he’s getting the attention he needs.

Foundations Level A kit includes:

• Student workbook (we chose manuscript, but cursive is also available)
• Doodling Dragons ABC Book of Sounds
• Phonogram flash cards, game, and tiles
• Laminated quick-reference guides
• Rhythm of handwriting tactile cards & quick reference guide
• Kid-sized whiteboard and marker
• And, of course, the teachers manual

Structure: Orton-Gillingham Approach

I’ll admit, Logic of English looked a little… teacher intensive when I first checked it out. I knew, at the time, that they took a bit of a different approach to reading instruction introducing all sorts of phonograms early in the program. That plus the fact that it’s an all-on-one had me questioning if LoE was going to be a good fit for ME – as well as my son. I know that he needs a lot of structure… but would this be too much?

I asked around a bit and read tons of reviews. Found out that LoE uses the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching reading, a tried and trusted approach of systematic instruction that is widely used in small group and one-on-one instruction in schools.

I’ve used the OG approach while I was teaching and with my own kids. There’s usually a good amount of teacher-guided instruction, but not more than a kid (or a parent teaching for the first time) can handle. I knew the OG system of building little-by-little on each concept would provide the structure that my son needed to really thrive.

Consistency: Time is a Factor

Then I came upon a page on the Logic of English website that broke down the scheduling and pacing of the program. Turns out, Foundations Level A only takes 20-30 minutes per day. Seeing thatI could teach my son in just 20-30 mintues was the tipping point for me. That means I could integrate his daily reading instruction into our centers rotation and make sure he was getting consistent practice each day.

How long does Logic of English Foundations take to teach? From the website:

Foundations Level A: approximately 25-30 minutes
B: approximately 30-40 minutes
C: approximately 45-60 minutes
D: approximately 90 minutes

Increasing the time with the progression of the program makes sense. A brand-new reader probably won’t be able to focus (or enjoy) a 90 minute reading session. It would be so frustrating! But by Level D, your child will be nearly fluent and have built up their reading stamina over time.

To me, that says that neither he nor I will be given more than we can handle. With three kids at home this year, I feel like I can’t commit to an extended 1-on-1 instructional time for one kid (while the other two run around going crazy for two hours). But thirty minutes? I can do thirty minutes.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re going for simplicity in your homeschool – or simply trying to manage the chaos, Logic of English might be the right reading program for you. This program allows me to deliver a systematic, research-based reading program with hands-on materials in about thirty minutes a day. That means I can provide the structure, attention, and consistency my son needs to (1) learn how to read and (2) really enjoy it!

I’m so excited to dig into this program. This post consists of our first impressions and lots of details about the curriculum that it took me a little while to find. I hope that summing it up helped you understand what it’s all about!

I’ll be back around mid-school-year to give you more details about what it’s like to teach with Logic of English Foundations Level A and how we are doing with the program. I’ll tell ya, I have high hopes for this one. The first weeks have made it fun for him and easy on me!!

Try the placement test and check out 5 sample lessons on LogicofEnglish.com.

And for or a side-by-side comparison of ten top phonics programs see our Phonics Curriculum Guide post.