First Start Reading (Memoria Press)

First Start Reading is a Memoria Press phonics program sold as five student books (A through E) with Teacher Guides; the publisher lists the main sets for kindergarten and Book E for Grade 1. The publisher describes it as a complete phonics course that focuses on pencil grip and correct letter formation, mastering one sound, and mastering short and long vowel sounds, three-letter words, consonant blends, long vowel teams, soft c and g, the three sounds of y, and common words.

Last updated: 2026-10-08 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Classical and subject-specialist (Every Homeschool classification); the publisher says it prefers the traditional vowel-consonant approach combined with word families
Worldview	Christian; Memoria Press describes its products as developed from the perspective of a Christian worldview and its curriculum as classical Christian. Every Homeschool classifies it as Christian · Ecumenical, a term the publisher does not use
Grades	The A-D Set and the Student Set (Books A-E) are listed for kindergarten; Book E and its Teacher Guide are listed for Grade 1
Formats	Print student books and Teacher Guides, storybooks, and optional streaming instructional videos
Cost tier	Budget (Every Homeschool classification); the A-D Set is $54.20, retrieved October 2026
Parent intensity	4 (Every Homeschool rating; the Teacher Guide supplies teaching instructions for every lesson)
ESA-common	Not verified
Accredited	Not applicable: a curriculum product, not a school
Established	Not stated for the program; the Book A page shows a 2010 copyright date.
Website	memoriapress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	4	In our assessment, systematic short-vowel practice with assessments; the Book A page says most students begin reading sentences in the first lesson
Ease of teaching	3	In our assessment, the program is parent-led: the Teacher Guide gives recitation and teaching instructions for every lesson
Content quality	4	In our assessment, a plain, orderly sequence that combines printing, drawing, and reading in the same books
Flexibility	3	Sold as separate books and sets; the publisher's Book E page and article name real literature and Classical Phonics with Traditional Spelling as what follows
Value for money	5	A-D Set with Teacher Guide $54.20; Student Set (Books A-E) $38.05, retrieved October 2026
Worldview scope	3	The publisher's FAQ describes its whole curriculum as Christian, explicit in some materials and implicit in others
Visual/design	3	In our assessment, a plain look: the publisher's article describes no cartoons or clip art, and the storybooks have black-and-white illustrations
Support resources	4	Teacher Guides, storybooks, and optional streaming instructional videos

Who the publisher is

Memoria Press's About page describes it as a publishing company that produces classical Christian education materials for home and private schools, and states that it was founded by Cheryl Lowe. The page says the company has developed a K-12 classical curriculum at Highlands Latin School in Louisville, Kentucky, where it says its programs are written and field-tested, and it lists Highlands Latin School among the institutions it calls the Memoria Press Family. The publisher's home page says more than half a million homeschoolers have used its curriculum since its founding and that its materials are used in over 650 schools.

The product pages list Cheryl Lowe as the author of Book A, Book B, Book C, and the Teacher Guide, Third Edition (Books A-D); Kelly Booker and Michelle Tefertiller as the authors of Book D, Second Edition; and Michelle Tefertiller as the author of Book E and its Teacher Guide. The publisher's article Why First Start Reading?, which the page credits to Cheryl Lowe, says the program covers the kindergarten phonics taught at Highlands Latin School.

Memoria Press says its products are developed from the perspective of a Christian worldview and calls itself a Christian company on its home page. Its FAQ answers yes to whether the entire curriculum is Christian, says some materials contain explicit references to the faith and to Scripture and others are implicit, and says the publisher has released a separate line of products for educators in public settings. The pages we read state no denominational affiliation, and the First Start Reading product pages we read do not describe religious content. The A-D Set page links samples of the student books and the Teacher Guide.

The core pedagogy

The publisher's A-D Set page says Memoria Press prefers the traditional vowel-consonant approach combined with word families over the ladder approach, which blends a consonant with a vowel, and calls mastery of the short vowels the sine qua non of phonics programs. The product pages describe the student books this way:

• Book A has students cover short vowels through tracing, drawing, and rhyming, and the page says most students begin reading sentences in the first lesson.
• Book B continues the short vowels in 26 lessons with word mastery review and reading assessments.
• Book C finishes the short vowels in 33 lessons with coloring, drawing, dictation, and tracing activities and short reading passages.
• Book D, Second Edition moves to long vowels, silent e, and consonant blends in 12 lessons.
• Book E covers long vowel teams, soft c and g, and the three sounds of y in 8 lessons, and the page says it completes the series.

The Teacher Guide, Third Edition (Books A-D) is a 353-page spiral-bound book. The publisher says it contains a phonics overview and philosophy, general teaching guidelines, games and activities guidelines, and the inset of the student book with recitation and teaching instructions for every lesson.

Signature mechanics, as the publisher's article describes them: (1) Printing built into phonics. Students print the words they are learning to read, and the article lists correct pencil grip and left-to-right directionality as separate features. (2) Tracing under every reading line. The article says students trace with a pencil on a dotted line underneath all the blending and reading throughout the program. (3) Slow, assessed short-vowel work. The article says the short-vowel words are drilled three ways and then followed by an assessment. (4) Student books that hold the child's work. For each letter the article lists coloring pictures, drawing space, printing lines, and writing lines and stories to read.

A day in the life

The publisher does not state a daily time, a number of days per week, or a total pace for First Start Reading at home, so this review does not estimate them. The publisher's materials describe the following elements of the program:

• The A-D Set page says the set includes artist-drawn coloring pictures and drawing pages for every letter and phonetic stories, with titles such as "Hogs and Pigs" and "Jog to the Jet."
• The article says the short-vowel words are drilled three ways and then followed by an assessment: first reading the beginning consonant in lists of rhyming words, then the vowels and ending consonants in lists of words that begin with the same consonant, and finally lists that require every consonant and vowel.
• The same article says that when teaching letters and sounds to a three- or four-year-old, a parent should not put much emphasis on printing. The publisher lists the A-D Set for kindergarten, and the article describes the program as the kindergarten phonics taught at Highlands Latin School.
• The Teacher Guide supplies the recitation and teaching instructions for each lesson.

What they do exceptionally well

Short-vowel practice. In our assessment, the most distinctive feature is the amount of attention the publisher gives to short vowels. Books A, B, and C all cover them, and the publisher's article describes a three-list drill followed by an assessment. A family that agrees with the publisher's view that short-vowel mastery is foundational will find the program built around it.

Printing and phonics together. The publisher's article treats printing, pencil grip, and directionality as part of the phonics program, and the student books carry tracing, drawing, and writing lines. The article's stated reasoning is that a child has to practice printing with something, so the words being learned for reading are used. In our assessment, that is a reasonable design for a family that wants printing practice tied to the phonics work.

A restrained design. The publisher's article says the books avoid busy pages, cartoons, and clip art in favor of classic design and age-appropriate art. In our assessment, families who want a calm page will find the books consistent with that description.

A stated next step. The Book E page says that once the student has mastered the basic phonics in the First Start Reading series, he is ready to continue his reading progress with real literature, and the publisher's article says first and second graders continue with Classical Phonics and Traditional Spelling.

What they do poorly

Parent-led by design. The Teacher Guide gives instructions for every lesson, and in our assessment the parent presents each one. Families who want an independent-work or app-based phonics program, or who have little daily time for direct teaching, should look at other options.

Visually plain. The publisher's article describes the books as free of busy pages, cartoons, and clip art, and the storybooks use black-and-white illustrations that can be colored. In our assessment, families who prefer full-color books may find them austere.

Cost per child. Students trace, draw, color, and write in the books, according to the publisher's descriptions, so in our assessment a family teaching more than one child will likely need a student set for each child.

Several sets and editions. The A-D Set holds Books A through D and the Teacher Guide, while Book E is sold separately or in the Student Set with Books A through D and no Teacher Guide. The publisher lists Book D as a Second Edition and the Teacher Guide for Books A-D as a Third Edition, with Books A through C showing a 2010 copyright date, so a family buying used books should check which edition each item is.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick First Start Reading if: you want a parent-taught phonics program with printing and pencil grip built in; you plan to use Memoria Press's kindergarten materials or will supply your own first-grade reading plan; you are comfortable with a publisher that describes its whole curriculum as Christian.

• Skip First Start Reading if: you want an app-based or gamified phonics program; you have limited daily time for direct teaching; you prefer full-color books; you want a program that the publisher lists beyond Grade 1, since the publisher lists the sets for kindergarten and Book E for Grade 1.

Cost honest assessment

All prices below are the publisher's, retrieved October 2026.

• The A-D Set is $54.20. It contains Books A through D at $8.15 each and the Teacher Guide, Third Edition (Books A-D) at $21.60.
• The Student Set of Books A through E, with no Teacher Guide, is $38.05 (list price $40.75).
• The Book E Teacher Guide is $11.85.
• The storybooks are sold separately: A $8.15, B $9.25, C $9.25, D $10.85, and E $8.15. Adding Storybooks A through D to the A-D Set at these prices comes to $91.70 (our arithmetic).
• The streaming instructional videos are $55.00 as a lifetime membership.
• The Kindergarten Phonics & Reading Set is $274.30 (list price $304.70). The publisher lists Books A-D, Storybooks A-D, the Teacher Guide, and other kindergarten materials in it.

Component prices change from page to page because each set page shows its own discounts, so the price on the page you order from is the one that applies.

ESA eligibility notes

Whether any state ESA marketplace lists Memoria Press products was not confirmed for this review. The publisher's pages that we read do not state which ESA programs accept its products. Families should confirm with their program administrator that the specific items they plan to buy are eligible and whether the program applies restrictions to religious curriculum.

Alternatives

• All About Reading, a family would compare it with First Start Reading for a multi-level reading program from a single publisher; the publisher states its own levels and prices on its site.
• Logic of English Foundations, a family would compare it for a program that the publisher describes as covering phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and handwriting; the publisher states its own scope and prices on its site.
• Abeka, a family would compare its K5 materials if they want a different publisher's kindergarten program; the publisher lists its K5 offerings, scope, and prices on its site.