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Mastery-based homeschool reading and phonics programs, compared

3 programs, listed alphabetically, each with its grades, method, format and cost a year as the publisher’s own site showed them on October 31, 2026. Open a card for the strengths, the watch-outs and who it fits.

What this list holds

Mastery programs teach one skill until it is secure before moving to the next, instead of mixing many topics into each lesson.

Reading and phonics programs teach a child to read: letter sounds, blending, decoding and the first books. Some are scripted lessons a parent reads from; others are apps that teach and check the child on screen.

This list holds programs sold for reading and phonics on their own. Full curricula that teach it along with every other subject are on homeschool all-in-one curricula.

At a glance

  • 2 of the 3 show a price on the publisher's site. For one child and one year of the main package they run from $159.95 to $287.52.
  • How the child works: 2 books and workbooks, 1 books and screen.
  • 1 of the 3 has a placement test or level guide on the publisher's site, linked on each card.
  • Grades: all reach pre-K or kindergarten, all reach the elementary grades, 1 reaches middle school and none reach high school.

Grades each program covers

All About Reading
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Hooked on Phonics
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Kumon workbooks
  1. PK
  2. K
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
Alphabetical, as the table below. Each row lights the grades the publisher states.
Which grades are you shopping for?

All 3 reach pre-K or kindergarten:

  • All About Reading Pre-reading for preschool and kindergarten, then Levels 1 to 4, placed by skill rather than grade
  • Hooked on Phonics Ages 3 to 8, Pre-K to 2nd grade
  • Kumon workbooks Pre-K to 8th grade across the workbook lines; Kumon Ace covers 1st to 4th grade

All 3 reach the elementary grades:

  • All About Reading Pre-reading for preschool and kindergarten, then Levels 1 to 4, placed by skill rather than grade
  • Hooked on Phonics Ages 3 to 8, Pre-K to 2nd grade
  • Kumon workbooks Pre-K to 8th grade across the workbook lines; Kumon Ace covers 1st to 4th grade

1 of the 3 reaches middle school:

  • Kumon workbooks Pre-K to 8th grade across the workbook lines; Kumon Ace covers 1st to 4th grade

None of the programs on this list reaches high school. Every program, with a filter for any combination.

Alphabetical. We never rank programs, and none pays to appear.
ProgramSubjectsGradesMethodFormatCost a yearFaith label
All About ReadingAll About Learning PressReading and phonicsPre-K–4MasteryBooks and workbooks$159.95Secular
Hooked on PhonicsHooked & CompanyReading and phonicsPre-K–2MasteryBooks and screen$287.52Secular
Kumon workbooksKumon PublishingMath, Reading and phonics, Language artsPre-K–8MasteryBooks and workbooksNot shownNot labelled

Each program in a line

  • All About Reading: A parent who wants a step-by-step, lightly scripted phonics program to teach one child at a time, including a child who finds reading hard.
  • Hooked on Phonics: A family with a child aged 3 to 8 who wants short app lessons that plan themselves, with real books and workbooks arriving by mail.
  • Kumon workbooks: A family that wants low-cost, short daily practice on paper for one skill at a time beside another curriculum.

Before you buy

Placement matters more than usual, because levels follow skills rather than grades. Ask how the program reviews earlier skills once they are mastered.

Look at how many minutes a lesson takes, whether the readers are included or sold separately, and how the program places a child who already reads a little.

Most publishers post samples and a placement test; each card links the placement test where the publisher has one.

Side by side

Related lists

How we label

Every fact on a card was read on the publisher's own website on the date shown, and the page it came from is linked. A fact we could not confirm there is left out. Costs are for one child and one year of the main package, as the publisher's page showed them that day; prices and sales change. Method and format are the publisher's own description where it gives one. The only thing we say about religion is one label, secular or faith-based, given by the rule above; where the publisher's pages don't settle it, the card has no label.

No affiliate links, no sponsored places, no ranking. Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction; publishers can send corrections, never money.