What's the Best Program to Help a Child Learn to Read? Choosing the best learn to read program is a daunting task because every child is unique and learns differently. But there are a few tried and true ways to narrow down your search to find a perfect program that can help a child learn to read.
Best Option
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Many grownups remember Hooked on Phonics learn to read program fondly from their childhood. In business since 1987, Hooked on Phonics has used innovation to stay relevant in the modern digital age, while still holding on to the importance of physical workbooks and reading books to achieve a truly balanced way of learning for kids that includes off-screen time to maintain wellness. In addition, they have several features that are really friendly to children with disabilities, like creating a user experience that is not overwhelming or too stimulating, suggesting "brain breaks" when a child is struggling with a concept to avoid meltdowns, and the ability to replay instructions for kids who may have difficulty focusing or have trouble with auditory processing. With incredible resources and a proven track record, Hooked on Phonics is number one in our book.
Great
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Although it is available in the United States, Kiz Phonics primarily markets its learn to read program to China, Hong Kong, India, and Europe. The platform was developed by both native and non-native English-speaking education and digital experts and would be a fantastic learn to read program for children from bilingual homes or children who speak a language other than English. This learn to read program has a robust social media presence and a massive number of resources in its members area. Kiz Phonics not only provides lessons, workbooks, and activities for kids, but also offers numerous time-saving resources for teachers. The subscription plan is simple and a decent value, and Kiz Phonics even offers a refund if you aren't satisfied with your membership within the first 24 hours. Although the huge app library (with free "lite" versions available) is not available in North America, the rest of the features of this learn to read program are robust enough to earn Kiz Phonics a #2 ranking on our list.
Very Good
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Scholar Within transforms reading into an innovative, multisensory experience that not only boosts students' literacy skills but also enhances their overall learning abilities. Scholar Within employs a comprehensive approach, incorporating numerous offline activities that stimulate the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning processes, thereby improving the retention and efficiency of information. Despite the abundance of worksheets and other tactile materials available, Scholar Within offers these print materials at an additional, reasonable charge, eliminating the need for daily printer use. Scholar Within not only caters to homeschool families, but also provides a Summer Reading Program focused on reading skills for students from kindergarten to the 8th grade. A learning disabilities expert and board-certified educational therapist designed the program to be disability-friendly. While the price tag is higher than most, this is a fully comprehensive curriculum that can change the way children learn for life. We think Scholar Within is a learn to read program worth checking out.
Very Good
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When Duolingo's ABC learn to read program first launched in 2020, it was a pretty basic, bare bones app short on features and somewhat repetitive. Parents would get frustrated at the lack of features and complain. The company listened to user feedback and transformed this basic little app into a simple yet powerful learn to read program. With offline play capability, consistent rewards for play, and educator-backed games and other activities, as well as it being a free app with absolutely zero ads or in-app purchases, Duolingo's ABC learn to read program has impressed us. We wish they had a desktop version, but we can't help but be pleased with the vast improvements they've made in the app in a short amount of time.
Good
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K5 Learning wants all kids to have a chance at education. While the company used to have an online program, it has shifted to offering supplemental worksheets to complement a learn to read program, not be one itself. There are thousands of worksheets in a well organized format for anyone to choose from - many are free - but to get an ad-free experience, parents must pay an annual subscription fee of $23.95 per year. In addition to worksheets, K5 Learning offers a very informative blog, free ebook and often offers free gifts or bonuses for subscribers. The paid version also offers free export to Google Classroom, a great shortcut for busy teachers. If for any reason you aren't satisfied with your experience, you can cancel within 7 days of signing up without being charged. While we can't recommend this as a true learn to read program, we can suggest it as a great way to help your kids retain their reading skills during holiday or summer breaks, or as a way for homeschool teachers to have a quick way to print practice worksheets to supplement their primary learn to read program.
Average
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Phonics in Motion takes an innovative and whole body/mind approach to teaching reading. Children retain knowledge by associating motions with word sounds, writing, and spelling. Reviews from teachers in public schools have nothing but effusive praise for the program, and students really love it. Phonics in Motion is science-backed, and there is a bit of training and learning teachers/parents need to do in order to properly execute the program. Parents will also need to devote time interacting with their child if they want to implement the program correctly. Phonics in Motion is a bit more expensive than most programs out there, and there is no refund policy and an unclear cancellation policy, although the website states you can cancel anytime. It is also not very clear whether or not the subscription is automatically renewed. Social media presence is pretty but not updated often. Phonics in Motion is a brilliant innovation in teaching children to read, but because of the cost in time and money, we can only give it an average rating for now.
Not only is ABC Mouse a comprehensive learn to read program, complete with progress trackers and rewards, it is a multiple award-winning program recognized by educators and parents alike. With almost 900,000 reviews for their app, mostly positive, they are definitely one of the most recognized learn to read online programs. ABC Mouse offers their program free to educators as well. Children and parents can easily see when progress is being made, and children can even create their own avatars and have their own "classroom" that shows what games and activities are perfect for where they are in their learning to read journey. It's a great tool, but buyer beware - ABC Mouse has been in litigation regarding failure to properly inform subscribers that they will be auto-renewed and has charged subscribers without their permission.
Fair
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Homer's learn to read program has all the bells and whistles - over a thousand lessons based on phonics, sight words and the alphabet, character-driven stories, personalized programs for each child, and so much more. The program has been developed by educators, and users are often positive when talking about the effectiveness of the program. However, technical glitches like crashing and freezing, slow to respond customer service, unclear auto-renewal processes, and the sometimes overwhelming amount of content make Homer a work in progress. There are other learn to read programs out there that offer a more stable software free of glitches - and with better customer service.
Subpar
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Reading Raven's learn to read program is a beautiful little app that just shines in design and avoids overstimulation. It is a gem and in its heyday was a steal for $2.99. However, since 2019, it has not been updated. This has led to problematic glitches and lack of support. The website itself is full of broken links and outdated information, some not updated since 2013. For these reasons, we suggest that you don't expect any new updates or content for this app if you decide to download it.
Weak
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Time 4 Learning is a learn to read program and a whole homeschool curriculum. It is expensive, especially if you are really only looking for a reading program. No matter what you choose, whether an after school supplement or a full comprehensive program, the price is the same. Time 4 Learning offers great help in navigating homeschool requirements and making sure parents meet them. However, we did not appreciate having to complete personal information to get a price. We also did not like the inclusion of crass humor that kids would likely imitate. We also found it unacceptable to have a lack of quality control in the editing department, as spelling and grammatical errors have been found in the reading program. We think this program may be a solution if you really need help with the paperwork of homeschooling, or if you lack confidence in your ability to meet scope and sequence requirements. But, be warned - you are not guaranteed a fixed price for more than a month at a time, and you may face a hard-to-navigate parent dashboard and kids may experience glitches in the program. For all these reasons, we can only feel comfortable giving Time 4 Learning a low rating.
Weak
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Reading Kingdom is an Australian-based learn to read program that has been around for over 10 years. It uses a phonics-plus approach, but the focus does seem to be on the "plus" part of that term. Focusing on 100 core sight words to teach reading, along with lots of writing practice, Reading Kingdom does not offer many resources for the price tag, and the website is riddled with outdated information and broken links. We suggest going somewhere else for a learn to read program.
Poor
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Most kids love the Reading Eggs learn to read program - but it may not be for the best reasons. Parent reviewers who have rated the program negatively have found that it lacks explicit instructions, encourages guessing and memorization over actual learning, and can lead some children to incessantly beg to play and want to be on their screens for far beyond a healthy time. Children seem more interested in earning eggs (which they can get just by guessing) to supply their virtual avatar with clothes, items and homes than in learning reading. While parents do get progress information, it is not specific and does not allow the parent to assign lessons. The app is not disability-friendly and has a history of inappropriate content in its library and lessons. We can't recommend Reading Eggs as a learn to read program.
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Choosing the best learn to read program is a daunting task because every child is unique and learns differently. But there are a few tried and true ways to narrow down your search to find a perfect program that can help a child learn to read.
While every child is unique, there are some tried and true methods to teach literacy that have stood the test of time and are pretty universal in application. These are teaching reading and literacy through a phonics emphasis (teaching letter sounds) or a sight words emphasis (teaching children to memorize common words in the English language).
Phonics tends to be easier and more helpful since children can come across an unfamiliar word and, with the help of phonics, sound it out. Sight words tend to be trickier because memorization is favored over learning. This can also be problematic in spelling, too. If children don't understand phonics, they have a more difficult time spelling unfamiliar words.
Learn to read programs can utilize these principles in tailored, customized ways that fit with the individual student, and that is where you can really decide which program is best for your child. Some learning programs focus on games while others make use of songs. Still others have a multisensory approach, which works well for children who have disabilities or problems focusing. Some programs are not just for reading but offer a comprehensive curriculum.
As you consider different learn to read programs, there are a few key aspects you'll find to be most important:
To help your child learn to read, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the top programs available today. We're confident that this information will make it simple and even fun to find a learn to read program that is perfect for your emerging reader!
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