Hooked On Phonics

I have decided to try Hooked On Phonics with Diego. I have been so off with his homeschooling schedule and now it's time, especially in this new year, to refresh the curriculum and the resolve and get back on track again. So far I have printed stuff off the internet - worksheets, coloring pages, pictures, etc. - and put together my own homeschooling materials and layout. While that has worked very well (and I still keep all those materials in our homeschool binder) I am ready for a little change. I have been teaching Diego sight words, and while he has been able to memorize a few of them, I feel that the amount of time and effort going into it doesn't quite match the results. So I am exploring other options, hopefully those that will prove to be more time-effective. Also, teaching phonics has been relatively difficult. I spent a good deal of time putting together a whole poster board for the letter "A" and even adding a little poem on there, and sitting with Diego to go over the material. He loves the poem, knows that the "A" makes the "ah" sound (that's the only sound we've done), and sees the pictures and words associated with them - ambulance, alligator, apple etc. - and later he'll say that the "A" says "B." So that's not working as well as I estimated it would. This is why I have decided to try the Hooked On Phonics way. It has gotten rave reviews, comes with dvd's, workbooks, flashcards, sticker rewards, and beginner level books that coincide with what was taught on the dvd's and the workbooks. I should be getting the system in about a week, and will update a few weeks after I have started using the program.