Review: All About Reading Level 4

We have officially reached the summit of All About Reading Level 4, and I am currently accepting trophies, high-fives, and perhaps a very large latte. If you had told me a few years ago that we’d be tackling "anomalous phonetic structures" and "loanwords" without a total household meltdown, I would have assumed you were hallucinating. Yet, here we are, and I am officially a fan-girl for All About Learning Press. This final level is essentially the "Black Belt" of literacy instruction, diving into the deep end of the linguistic pool with a level of clarity that is frankly miraculous.

The curriculum tackles those treacherous "borrowed" words that usually make the English language look like it was put together in a blender. As a dyslexic educator teaching a fellow dyslexic, I’ll be entirely transparent: I encountered phonetic principles in these four levels that were completely absent from my own public school experience. I was basically learning the "why" behind spelling alongside my daughter, filling in gaps in my own education that I didn't even know existed. There is a profound sense of empowerment in finally understanding the rules of a game that used to feel rigged against you.

While the average American adult reads at a seventh-grade level, my seven-year-old is casually browsing eighth-grade material like it’s the morning news. I attribute this entirely to the masterful pedagogical structure of the lessons. They are perfectly spaced to prevent cognitive overload, ensuring that the student feels challenged but never defeated. The Teacher’s Manual is so intuitive that it practically does the heavy lifting for you, allowing you to focus on the joy of the breakthrough rather than the stress of the prep.

Of course, the real MVPs of this program are the "little readers" and the gamified elements. The stories are actually engaging, which is a rare feat in a world filled with "The cat sat on a mat" drudgery. My daughter has transitioned from "avoiding books at all costs" to clandestinely reading past her bedtime. I often hear her whispering through the door, asking for "just one more chapter" before the lights go out. It is the kind of "problem" every parent dreams of having, and it makes every minute of the program worth it.

The primary struggle I face now isn't teaching her to read—it’s the logistical challenge of finding literature that matches her advanced Lexile level without introducing unnecessary "teenager angst" into our household. We are in that sweet spot where she can read almost anything, but I still want her to stay a little girl for a bit longer. If you have been on the fence about this program, consider this your sign to start. It hasn’t just taught my daughter to read; it has given her a lifelong superpower.