What all of these programs have in common
Every program in this guide is built on structured literacy, and most are explicitly Orton-Gillingham (O-G) based. That matters because the research is settled on this point. Structured, systematic, multisensory phonics instruction is the approach recommended for dyslexic readers by the National Reading Panel and reflected in the science of reading.
The defining features of this approach are:
- Explicit and systematic: skills are taught directly and in a deliberate sequence, not discovered.
- Multisensory: children see, hear, say, and touch as they learn, often using letter tiles, sound cards, and movement.
- Cumulative and mastery-based: each lesson builds on the last, and children move forward only when ready, rather than by grade level.
- Diagnostic: instruction adjusts to the individual child.
Roughly 1 in 5 people show signs of dyslexia, and about 4% have a moderate-to-severe form. The good news for homeschooling parents is that the same method used by specialists can be delivered at home, and several programs are now scripted specifically so that a parent with no formal training can teach it well.
The question is no longer “which method.” It is “which package fits my child, my budget, and how much time I can put into prep.”
Quick comparison chart
| Program | Method | Entry / per-level price | Full-program cost (approx.) | Parent training required? | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot Tree Academy | O-G informed, scripted | ~$50 per 12-week level | ~$150–$200 (3 levels) | No | Print workbook + online materials |
| PRIDE Reading Program | O-G, fully scripted | $95–$160 per kit | ~$700+ (6 levels) | No | Print + online |
| All About Reading / Spelling | O-G based, mastery | $159.95 (AAR Level 1) | ~$665+ (reading + spelling) | No | Print, letter tiles, app |
| Logic of English | Structured literacy | Foundations ~$489 | ~$429–$489 per program | No (training available) | Print + online |
| Lexercise | Online structured literacy | ~$150 / month | ~$1,800 / year (ongoing) | No (clinician-guided option) | Fully digital |
| Barton Reading & Spelling | O-G intensive intervention | ~$300 per level | ~$3,000+ (10 levels) | Built into the program | Print + tiles |
Prices verified June 2026. See sources. Apricot Tree Academy figures reflect the current Level One offer; confirm the latest pricing on the curriculum page.
Program-by-program breakdown
We have tried to be fair to each program. Each one has earned its audience, and the “best” choice depends entirely on your child and your situation.
PRIDE Reading Program
A fully scripted, open-and-go curriculum built explicitly on the Orton-Gillingham method. It requires no specialized parent training and walks you through the multisensory techniques step by step.
- Strengths: Truly scripted, so prep is minimal. Designed for parents and tutors, not just specialists. Clear level progression from pre-reading through about a sixth-grade reading level.
- Considerations: Costs add up across the full sequence of kits. Aesthetically and structurally similar to several other O-G kits, so the differentiator is mostly the script quality.
- Best for: Parents who want a done-for-you script and are comfortable buying level by level.
All About Reading / All About Spelling
Two of the most popular mastery-based programs in the homeschool world. They use physical and digital letter tiles, flashcards, and interactive games, and they let children progress at their own pace rather than by grade level.
- Strengths: Gentle, engaging, and very well supported with a large community. Strong customer service and a money-back guarantee. Reading and spelling are deliberately separated so you can target each skill.
- Considerations: Reading (AAR) and spelling (AAS) are sold separately, so the real cost to cover both is higher than the per-level sticker price suggests. Some parents find the pace slow for older students who need intensive remediation.
- Best for: Younger learners and families who want a warm, polished, widely-used program and do not mind buying two tracks.
Barton Reading & Spelling System
An intensive, research-backed O-G intervention designed for one-on-one home tutoring. It is the heavyweight of the category, widely recognized for its depth with moderate-to-severe dyslexia.
- Strengths: Extremely thorough. Tutor training is built into the program through streaming video, so you learn as you go. Strong reputation among specialists and parents dealing with significant reading difficulty.
- Considerations: It is the largest financial investment by a wide margin, often $3,000 or more for the full ten-level system. Some families find it dry or slow-moving, and it is a serious time commitment.
- Best for: Children with moderate-to-severe dyslexia where depth matters more than cost, and parents who want maximum structure.
Logic of English
A comprehensive option that weaves phonics, spelling, and grammar together. It appeals to analytical learners by explaining the logical rules behind why English words are spelled the way they are.
- Strengths: Integrated, so reading, spelling, handwriting, and grammar are taught together rather than as separate purchases. Excellent for kids who want the underlying logic, and the non-consumable parts can be reused with siblings.
- Considerations: Each level can be pricey, and some children move through more than one level per year. It is broad rather than a targeted intervention, so it may be more than a struggling reader needs at first.
- Best for: Analytical learners and families who want one integrated language-arts spine.
Lexercise
An online structured-literacy platform that delivers explicit digital lessons, games, and customized diagnostic practice tailored to a child’s specific struggles, with an optional clinician-guided therapy track.
- Strengths: Fully online with built-in diagnostics, so the program adapts to the child. The clinician option brings professional support without leaving home.
- Considerations: It is a subscription, so the cost is ongoing rather than a one-time purchase. At roughly $150 per month, a year of therapy can run well past the cost of a complete print curriculum. Promotional discounts and membership rates exist but the model is recurring.
- Best for: Families who want a screen-based, low-prep, adaptive option and prefer professional guidance over teaching it themselves.
Apricot Tree Academy
A scripted, Orton-Gillingham-informed curriculum built specifically for parents who are not trained reading specialists. The teacher’s guide is laid out step by step, so you can open the lesson and teach it the same day. The defining difference is price: a 12-week level costs roughly $50, which is a fraction of what comparable parent-led O-G programs charge.
What you get inside the program:
- Scripted, open-and-go lessons with a step-by-step teacher’s guide, so no training is required.
- Multisensory tools: letter tiles, color tiles, sound cards, and word sorts.
- Phonemic awareness and phonics from letter sounds through syllable types and syllable dissection.
- Full literacy coverage: reading, spelling, writing, and handwriting in one program.
- Engagement built in: games, music, colorful materials, and decodable readers.
- Individualized, intervention-grade instruction that adapts to the child.
- Online supplementary materials alongside the print workbook, available on Amazon.
- Award-recognized: Pacific Book Awards 2026 Finalist (Best Education), Literary Global 2026 Children’s Book Awards Finalist, Outstanding Creator Awards Winner, and Story Monsters Approved.
- Strengths: Lowest cost in the category by a wide margin, genuinely open-and-go, full literacy coverage in a single purchase, and parent-friendly by design.
- Considerations: A newer and smaller program than the established names, currently building out its full level sequence (Level Two in development). For the most severe cases, some families may still layer in a heavyweight intervention.
- Best for: Homeschooling parents who want a complete, scripted, affordable O-G-informed program they can start immediately without specialized training.
The real cost: total cost of ownership
Sticker prices can be misleading. A “$159 per level” program is not a $159 program if you need four levels and a separate spelling track. Here is the honest picture of what it typically costs to take a child through a meaningful sequence of instruction.
| Program | What it realistically costs to cover reading + spelling |
|---|---|
| Apricot Tree Academy | ~$50 per 12-week level; roughly $150–$200 for the full three-level program |
| Logic of English | ~$429–$489 per integrated program |
| All About Reading + Spelling | ~$665 or more (two separate tracks) |
| PRIDE Reading Program | ~$700 or more across the kit sequence |
| Lexercise | ~$150 per month, about $1,800 for a year |
| Barton Reading & Spelling | ~$3,000 or more for the full ten-level system |
The takeaway is not that the expensive programs are bad. Barton in particular earns its reputation for severe cases. The takeaway is that for a parent-led household, the price gap is enormous, and you do not have to spend thousands of dollars to teach your child with a real, research-based, multisensory method.
Apricot Tree Academy was built around exactly that gap: the same structured, multisensory O-G approach the specialists use, scripted so a parent can teach it, at a price that does not require a second mortgage. For many families, that is the difference between starting intervention this month and putting it off another year.
Which program is right for your family?
- You want the lowest-cost, complete, open-and-go option: start with Apricot Tree Academy.
- Your child has moderate-to-severe dyslexia and budget is secondary: look hard at Barton.
- You want a warm, popular, widely-supported program for a younger child: All About Reading / Spelling.
- You want a fully scripted O-G kit and will buy level by level: PRIDE.
- You have an analytical child and want one integrated language-arts spine: Logic of English.
- You want a screen-based, adaptive, professionally guided option: Lexercise.
There is no single “best” program, only the best fit for your child’s needs, your time, and your budget. The most important decision is to start with a structured, multisensory approach. Everything in this guide qualifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dyslexia curriculum for homeschooling parents with no training?
Scripted, open-and-go Orton-Gillingham programs are designed for exactly this. Apricot Tree Academy, PRIDE, and All About Reading all require no formal parent training. Apricot Tree Academy is the lowest cost of the three, at roughly $50 per 12-week level.
Do I need to be a certified reading specialist to teach a dyslexic child at home?
No. Several programs are fully scripted so that an untrained parent can deliver effective multisensory instruction. Barton even builds tutor training into the program through streaming video. The key is choosing a structured, systematic, Orton-Gillingham-based curriculum and following the script.
Why is Barton so much more expensive than other programs?
Barton is a deep, ten-level intensive intervention with built-in tutor training and all materials included for each level, which pushes the full system past $3,000. It is aimed at moderate-to-severe dyslexia where depth is the priority. For milder needs or tighter budgets, lower-cost scripted programs cover the same core method.
What is the cheapest research-based dyslexia program?
Among parent-led, structured-literacy programs, Apricot Tree Academy is the lowest cost in this comparison, at roughly $50 per 12-week level and around $150 to $200 for the full three-level program, compared with $665 or more for All About Reading plus Spelling and $3,000 or more for Barton.
Is Orton-Gillingham actually effective for dyslexia?
Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy represent the explicit, systematic, multisensory approach reflected in the science of reading and recommended for dyslexic learners. Every program in this guide is built on that foundation.
Can I combine programs?
Yes. Many families use one core curriculum and add targeted materials for a specific weakness, such as extra phonemic-awareness practice or decodable readers. A low-cost complete program is a practical core to build on without overspending.
How we compared (sources and method)
Pricing and program details were verified through each provider’s official site and independent homeschool reviews in June 2026. Curriculum prices change frequently and promotional discounts come and go, so treat the figures here as accurate as of that date and confirm the current price before purchasing.
Primary sources:
- PRIDE Reading Program: homeschool curriculum, best Orton-Gillingham programs
- All About Learning Press (All About Reading / Spelling): All About Reading, Level 1
- Barton Reading & Spelling System: levels, pricing
- Logic of English: Foundations
- Lexercise: help homeschooling dyslexia
- Apricot Tree Academy: curriculum, Our Approach methodology
This comparison is provided to help families make an informed choice. Apricot Tree Academy publishes it as part of its commitment to accessible, evidence-based literacy support.