I can’t count how many reading programs I’ve tried with my kids and abandoned. Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading? Lasted 5 minutes. High frequency word flashcards? Not even.
There are so many options that it’s hard to sort through what will work and what won’t.
I’ve come to the conclusion it is more about immersion and access than about a curriculum.
The following is a review of Reading Eggs and I have been compensated for my time in addition to a trial period for my kids. As always, all opinions are my own.
Reading Eggs has been so nice to provide a 4 week trial for you, too! Read on to get your link below!
I love to immerse my kids in reading great books. Each night the kids get to pick a book for me to read, plus we listen to audio books, and I try to keep a chapter book going in our bedtime routine as well.
As for access to decoding the letters to make words? It’s been mixed results to try to get that in, especially with Amatullah, my middle child. She wants lessons just like her big sister, and I’m sure I’m fully ingraining middle child syndrome as she gets skipped over for the needs of her sisters.
BUT, what I can do is let her have full access to her own online account where she can play and learn on her own. She loves that she gets her own account and can work on her lessons herself.
Plus, my Amatullah is a book worm. When she learns to read, watch out! I know she will devour books like crazy.
Online learning considerations
As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, I’m a bit conservative with my kids’ screen time. I don’t just allow them to self regulate, but I still allow them a bit of free reign for specified times of the day.
The fact is though that online learning definitely has a place in our homeschool.
I faced one issue when using online learning programs before: my kids just end up in some corner of the site updating their avatar and playing with some fake pet.
That’s not why I pay for the service.
I love that Reading Eggs is fun, and there aren’t areas for my kids to get lost in that have no value.
The Reading Eggs method
I’m a firm believer that it is better to teach letter sounds before letter names, which is exactly the method Reading Eggs employs. Kids can start with no previous knowledge of letters or sounds, and through each lesson they are learning the sound, finding it in various reading games, and as the lessons progress, they are mixing the sounds to make easy words.
Along with teaching basic phonics, my kids are learning sight words as well. And as they have learned some words via both phonics and sight words, they are introduced to sentences, followed by books for my girls to read.
Incremental reading
With young kids, it’s easy for them to get discouraged. I remember Kira getting really down if she couldn’t figure something out, and I’ve noticed that Aamina will stumble through a book with more and more trouble if she’s made a couple mistakes.
I’ve been there. I have shed a tear or two over learning Arabic.
With Reading Eggs, they don’t jump in with both feet. New sounds are presented, practiced, and then put into application. Step by step, and they don’t move forward until the step is mastered.
Reading for ages 2-13
I love that Reading Eggs grows with my kids! It’s not just about learning sounds, piecing them together, and then dropping kids off at the library to sort through ALL the options, getting frustrated in the process.
You can start with Reading Eggs Junior, move on to Reading Eggs to learn to read, then on to Reading Eggspress to solidify their reading skills and proficiency.
What I’ve found with many reading programs is that you get to a point that kids can read simple books, and then the help kind of drops off. “Welp, hope you get to chapter books! Good luck!” Reading Eggspress holds their hand along the way.
Homeschool ease
This is our 9th year homeschooling (holy buckets!), but the first year I’ve taught 1st grade. I need help, you guys! With two more kids that can wreak havoc on our day if not properly occupied, I need things to make it easier.
To be honest, in this season of my life, I just need the littlest kids in another room while I’m working on some of the more involved subjects with Aamina. Well, problem solved!
I want your homeschool to be easier on you, too! Give Reading Eggs a try for FREE for 4 weeks. No credit card required, no string attached. Give it a try and give yourself a homeschool boost! Offer expires Oct 6th, 2017.
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