Reading Kingdom--TOS Review

Reading Kingdom is an online program designed to teach children ages 4-10 years old how to read and write (to a third grade level).  This is an interactive reading program and you can customize it based on each child's needs. I found it very easy to use and because it is so fun, children feel as if they are playing a game and are eager to practice. My daughter loved this as a way to get more computer time; I didn't mind because I know this program was helping her have fun and get better at reading!

 

This program isn't your every-day-run-of-the-mill reading program! I found it uniquely different in the way it brings in elements of phonics (and whole language) and added in other skills needed to achieve reading and writing success. There weren't a bunch of complicated rules to work through; we noticed the use of something called the "six skills method." This method focuses on sequencing, motor skills, phonemic awareness, meaning, grammar, and reading comprehension. This reading enhancement program works with any curriculum and can used in any homeschool, preschool – 3rd grade classrooms, ESL programs, and special education classes.

Below is an example of  the 6 skills method and the areas covered in this reading method:

 

I found this program to be comprehensive in what it had to offer, definitely worth its weight in gold! In the Reading Kingdom program, you can expect:

• Easy to use… after a few lessons, children can often use entirely on their own.
• Customized to match each child’s skill level
• Major emphasis is placed on accurate spelling, punctuation, and writing
• No boring, difficult rule memorization! The system teaches rules implicitly.
• Designed to minimize error
• When error occurs, specific techniques are offered to overcome the problem
• Regularly checks child’s progress
• Children progress quickly with sessions only 15-30 minutes in length
• A parent/teacher report is always available when you log into the program

 

My daughter especially liked the graphics used throughout the program, she was always engaged and never lost interest! I smiled because I new she was learning and having fun at the same time. One of the things she does is try to look at pictures and determine what is said in the sentence based on what the picture looks like. You can see in the screenshot below that the sentence doesn't say a thing about bowling. My daughter learned very quickly to go right to the sentence instead of trying to evaluate the picture instead. :)

 

I consider this program to be risk-free because you have the ability to create an account and use the program (at no charge) for 30 days.  You can see if you like it and if it would work for your family. If so, you can buy a subscription for $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr for your first reader/child.  Additional readers are $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr.  Also, if you are interested, additional books, kits, and resources are available in the Reading Kingdom Store.

Overall, we found this program to be a win-win for our family! 

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Reading Kingdom visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.