Explode the Code vs All About Reading: Workbook Practice or Full Curriculum?
Updated · By Edulist · 8 sources
All About Reading vs Explode the Code: side by side
| All About Reading | Explode the Code | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Complete parent-taught reading curriculum | Phonics workbook series (plus optional online version) |
| Levels and grades | Pre-Reading plus Levels 1–4 (about pre-K to grade 4) | Primers plus Books 1–8 and half books (pre-K to grade 4) |
| Method | Multisensory: letter tiles, flashcards, activities, readers | Orton-Gillingham-based exercises: match, copy, blend, spell |
| Who teaches | Parent, from a lightly scripted manual | Adult explains new page types; child works mostly alone |
| Daily time | About 20 minutes plus 20 minutes of read-aloud | A few workbook pages |
| Reading books included | Yes, decodable readers each level | No; add separate readers |
| Writing load | Lighter; tiles do much of the word building | Heavier; hard for weak fine motor skills |
| Price (Oct 2026) | $119.95 Pre-Reading; $159.95 per level; tiles $25.95; review box $17.95 | $12.49 per workbook; online $43.49 per student per year |
| Try first | Free placement test; one-year return guarantee | Free one-month trial of Explode the Code Online |
| Scholarship/ESA fit | Accepts ESA purchases; each program decides | Curriculum; commonly allowable; each program decides |
| Type | Curriculum, Books | Books, Curriculum, App |
| Scholarship programs on Edulist | None yet | None yet |
Who should choose which
Choose All About Reading if…
All About Reading fits parents who want to teach reading step by step, struggling and dyslexic readers who need multisensory instruction, and families who want readers and review built in.
Choose Explode the Code if…
Explode the Code fits budget-minded families, kids who can work a few workbook pages on their own, older children who missed phonics, and anyone adding practice to another program.
Not sure yet? Save both and decide later. Your wishlist shows which scholarships can pay for each.
Explode the Code vs All About Reading: the short answer
These two show up side by side on many homeschool shelves, because they do different jobs.
All About Reading is a full reading curriculum you teach. A scripted manual, letter tiles, flashcards and decodable readers take a child from letter sounds to multisyllable words. It's explicit, gentle and complete.
Explode the Code is a practice series. Simple workbook pages have kids match, copy, blend and spell words, a few pages a day. An adult explains each new type of page, and then most children can work alone.
If you need to teach reading from scratch, start with All About Reading. If you need cheap, steady practice, or something your child can do while you teach a sibling, Explode the Code is a great tool.
Teaching approach
All About Reading is multisensory. Kids see, hear, say and move tiles to build words. Each concept is taught explicitly, reviewed with flashcards in a Review Box, and practiced in a decodable story. You move on only when your child is ready, so some lessons take a week.
Explode the Code is based on Orton-Gillingham principles, with a clear sequence: short vowels in Book 1, blends in Book 2, silent-e and digraphs in Book 3, and on to suffixes and irregular endings in Book 8. Pages use large print and little text, which helps kids who tire quickly. Teacher's guides add routines if you want to teach more directly.
What a lesson looks like
All About Reading (Level 1): Review flashcards, introduce a new sound with the tiles, build and read words together, do a short activity, then read a story. About 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes of reading aloud to your child.
Explode the Code: You read the directions on a new kind of page. Your child does two or three pages: matching pictures to words, copying and spelling, building words from syllables. Each book ends with post-tests.
Price and value
As of October 2026, All About Reading is $119.95 for Pre-Reading and $159.95 for each of Levels 1–4, plus letter tiles ($25.95) once and a review box ($17.95). Siblings need only a new Student Packet. Direct orders carry a one-year return guarantee.
Explode the Code workbooks are $12.49 each from EPS, and Explode the Code Online is $43.49 per student per year, with a free one-month trial for parents and homeschoolers.
Explode the Code is far cheaper, but you'll also need books to read. All About Reading costs more because it includes the teaching, the readers and the review system.
Who should choose All About Reading
- Parents who want a scripted, open-and-go reading curriculum
- Struggling and dyslexic readers who need explicit, multisensory teaching
- Families who want decodable readers included
- Kids who find a lot of writing tiring
Who should choose Explode the Code
- Families on a tight budget
- Kids who like short, quiet workbook pages
- Older kids who missed phonics and need review
- Parents adding written practice to another program
Alternatives to both
- Logic of English: rules-based reading and spelling. See All About Reading vs Logic of English.
- Hooked on Phonics: app-led phonics. See All About Reading vs Hooked on Phonics.
- Primary Phonics and Bob Books: inexpensive workbooks and decodable readers that pair well with Explode the Code.
- All About Spelling: the spelling companion to All About Reading.
See the best phonics programs and reading programs for dyslexia.
Can you use a scholarship for either?
Often, yes. Workbooks and online phonics programs are curriculum, which Arizona's ESA law lists as an allowable expense, and phonics curriculum is commonly allowed in programs such as Florida's scholarships. All About Learning Press accepts ESA and state scholarship purchases, with a 45-day return window on those orders. Each program decides. Learn more about the Arizona ESA, save your pick to your wishlist, and apply once to the scholarships your family may qualify for.
Alternatives to All About Reading and Explode the Code
Neither one feels right? These cover similar ground.
Sources
Questions
Can you use Explode the Code with All About Reading?
Yes, and many families do. All About Reading teaches the concept, and Explode the Code workbooks add written practice on the same patterns. Match the book to what your child has learned, since the two sequences differ.
Is Explode the Code enough to teach reading?
For some kids, with a parent explaining each new page and plenty of real books, it can be. It isn't a full reading curriculum: it doesn't include a library of readers, and it has little read-aloud or comprehension work until Books 7 and 8.
Which is better for dyslexia?
All About Reading is the stronger choice because the parent teaches explicitly and uses tiles, sound cards and review. Explode the Code is Orton-Gillingham based, but a workbook on its own isn't intensive enough for most dyslexic kids.
Can older kids use Explode the Code?
Yes. Its simple pages are focused rather than cartoonish, and many families use it with older children who missed phonics. The online version uses an adaptive path so students work only on areas of need.
What do the half books do?
Explode the Code's half books (1½ through 6½) repeat the same skills as the whole-number book before them with more practice. Use them when your child needs more time before moving on.
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