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Wednesday, November 29th
Hooked on Phonics is a program designed to teach children to read. This is the same program you probably remember from your childhood. They have the famous catchphrase "Hooked on Phonics worked for me!" The concept is the same as you may remember, however they have gone digital. You now get an app and it can be synced across all of your devices. They also will send you workbooks and books via mail to supplement the app. The program is designed for children in grades pre-k through 2nd grade, although if your child is behind, they could use it longer to help catch up.
Four steps used to teach your child
Hooked on Phonics has a 100% guarantee that your child will read in 30 days. They offer a 4-step approach to teaching. Step one is Learn, where new concepts are introduced through games and play. Step two is Practice, where the skills are applied through games and activities. Step three is Read, where children will read a physical book or ebook at their current level. Step four is Celebrate, where the child will get a star sticker, a certificate of completion, and digital prizes.
Bonus programs included with your membership
One big bonus to Hooked on Phonics is that on top of getting the phonics and reading aspect, you get two other programs for free. Hooked on Math will assist your child in becoming proficient at mathematical concepts. Hooked on Spelling will help your child master spelling. Spelling goes hand in hand with reading: if you know how to spell a word, you can read it too. This is a phenomenal deal for $16 a month.
Up to 3 children can use the app
Hooked on Phonics allows for up to 3 children to use the app at a time. If you want the additional books and workbooks, there is a fee of $9.99 per month per extra child. The app can be accessed by any phone, computer or tablet and again, your child's progress will sync across all devices.
Proven progress
Almost all of the reviews we could find were positive for Hooked on Phonics teaching children to read. One mom, who is also a teacher, stated that her daughter was having so much fun learning to read that it was boosting her daughter's confidence. Another mom said that her child was deemed years behind on reading and this program helped quickly accelerate their reading and they were able to catch up to their peers. One negative review we found said that they were using the program for a grandchild and it was better when it was 100% offline years ago.
Solid first place program
Overall, Hooked on Phonics appears to be a solid program covering many aspects in helping a child learn to read. They do cost a tad more than other programs but they also provide more. Since it is an app plus workbooks and reading books, you get more for your money. With a 100% guarantee, there really isn't anything to lose. We suggest you go ahead and give it a try. We are proud to award Hooked on Phonics with our first place ranking.
The most common tools used to teach literacy to children are phonics and sight words. Phonics tends to be an easier skill for children as they are able to sound out the letters to create a word. Sight words can be trickier because they are words that just need memorized as they do not follow the rules when it comes to reading the English language.
Learn to read programs can be helpful for children as they tend to be game-based. Children love to play games and they do not necessarily realize they are learning. When looking at a learn to read program, you can expect it to offer some type of fun activity for children to do. Some programs go above and beyond this with other school subjects being covered or worksheets to print out.
Also, spelling can be an important part of learning to read. This helps children find patterns in words and how to read multiple that follow the same rule. An example is if you can spell light and know that the "gh" is silent, then you can read might, tight, and so on.
As you consider different learn to read programs, there are a few key aspects you'll find to be most important:
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