Coffee and Curriculum: Educational Resource Reviews - Explode the Code
- shoalseer
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
I’ve been a homeschool mom for what feels like forever, but if we’re counting formal schooling years, it’s been about 8 years. I started out much like everyone else—really excited to do all the things, follow a curriculum to the letter, and have all the beautiful learning experiences. That was not the plan my then-3-year-old had in mind, and I’m pretty sure he’s only recently started to enjoy any aspect of what could loosely be called “schoolwork.”
Even then, I was pretty eclectic. We used The Critical Thinking Company logic workbooks, Right Start Math and tried every single reading and phonics program out there until we found one that worked.
For some context about me, to help you understand my perspective: I was homeschooled primarily from pre-K through 6th grade using Abeka, and after that, a much more eclectic/Charlotte Mason approach for middle and high school. As a homeschool mom, I have four kids ranging from 3–11 years old. Some are neurodivergent; all have different learning styles and strengths.
At the beginning of my homeschool journey with my own kids, I tried a lot of different curriculums and was much more willing to use faith-based options. At this stage, I’m very careful about researching where my curriculum money is going and who it’s going to, which has led to almost exclusively using secular curriculum or buying gently used.
I’m a self-described eclectic, academic homeschooler with a Charlotte Mason mindset about outside time and literature. I also own a small business, offer curriculum consultations within my community, and work a lot of hours around my kids’ schedules. One of my many side gigs is a twice-a-year curriculum consignment sale that I run with a fellow homeschool mom and friend. I see a shocking amount of curriculum, and whatever we use has to be something a busy homeschool mom actually has time to implement.
When I was thinking about how I wanted to approach this, I came up with a few criteria:
Ease of use — Is it usable? Is it open-and-go? Are there lesson plans or teacher instructions?
Do I have to print it? — Simple question, but critical to usability.
Cost
Who published it?
Secular or faith-based?
Who is it meant for?
Does it have a placement test?
Can I download a sample?
Did we use it/actually like it?
Did we finish it?
Each of these criteria gets 10 points, and at the end I’ll give it a letter grade based on how it performed overall.
Now on to my first review!
According to the internet:
“Explode the Code is a popular, research-based phonics curriculum designed to teach reading through systematic, multisensory, and Orton-Gillingham-based instruction.”
While I don’t entirely agree with that statement (I think “multisensory” is a stretch—it’s a workbook), it’s still a pretty good description.
There are three different parts to Explode the Code.
The pre-series is called Get Set for the Code, and it includes books A, B, and C. It familiarizes your child with letters, letter sounds, and the format used in later books. If you have a 3–6-year-old who isn’t reading yet, this is a good place to start. If they already know letters and sounds, move on to Book 1 of Explode the Code. There is also a set of books called Beyond the Code which are supposed to help children with reading comprehension.
This review is just going to cover Explode the Code. There are eight books in the main series, plus several half levels meant to provide extra practice or act as a bridge if your learner struggled. This isn’t an especially complicated program. You can order the workbooks from Amazon, and they’re very much open-and-go. The teacher’s guides don’t add much, in my opinion, and aren’t necessary. Each book is broken down into 10-12 lessons. Each lesson covers a phonics concept through matching a picture with the letter you are learning about, practicing writing, matching words, spelling, read and copy pages or sentence matching. Each book is progressively a little harder and the lessons definitely build on themselves.
We tried a lot of different reading programs, and this was the one we were able to stick with and see results from. Now I have an 11-year-old who is a strong, independent reader. Explode the Code works. If you stick with it, use it consistently, and pair it with good early readers, it can truly work wonders.
The design seems to suggest one level per semester. In practice, we usually finish a bit more than that each year, so we just order the next book when we finish the current level.
Final Thoughts:
Ease of use:
It’s easy to use. A teacher’s guide isn’t necessary, but they are available (often cheap used). My spouse—who isn’t the primary teacher and rarely has time to help—can easily jump in and assist. 10/10
Do I have to print it?
No. It’s a printed workbook. You can get it from Amazon, Christianbook.com, Rainbow Resource, and I’ve seen it at every curriculum sale I’ve attended. There is also an app version, though it’s browser-based rather than a traditional download. 10/10
Cost:
Relatively inexpensive—about $10–$18 per level depending on where you buy it. The cheapest I found was Christianbook.com, though you can also order directly from EPS Learning. Compared to many reading programs (often $100+), this is very affordable. 10/10
Who published it?
It’s published by EPS Learning. It’s used in both schools and homeschool settings. I originally heard about it from a friend who was a special education teacher. They’re a research-based company focused on literacy. I couldn’t find a super clear “about us,” but there are articles that outline their philosophy. 8/10
Secular or faith-based:
As far as I can tell, it’s secular. 10/10
Who is it meant for?
Any child learning to read, though the company emphasizes the Orton-Gillingham method and offers additional resources for dyslexic learners. 8/10
Does it have a placement test?
Yes—there are pretests, and you can buy a placement test booklet for the full program. 10/10
Can I download a sample?
No, but there are plenty of flip-throughs on YouTube. 5/10
Did we use it/actually like it?
Yes—we’ve used it three times over and love it. Even my reluctant learners like the cartoons and how quick it is. 10/10
Did we finish it?
Yes—multiple times. 10/10
Explode the Code gets an A- from us, and we would recommend it every time.
What do you think? Have you used it? Did you love it or hate it? Drop a comment and share your experience!