We had the opportunity to review the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program created by Spencer Learning.
Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics. No frills, direct and easy to understand. That is what your child will get when they use the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program by Spencer Learning.
I have to admit that at first sight, Canyon did say the program looked “boring”. This is from a child who has used other reading programs that are more colorful, have cute animals to guide the student through the material and are highly interactive. I actually thought so too, but sometimes “boring” can be very, very good.
The Ultimate Phonics Reading Program does not sing. It does not dance. It does not entertain. It helps educate and teach your child how to read. The program is geared towards beginning readers to struggling older readers. The age span is not definitive, but rather according to the reading need of the student. Spencer Learning shared a disappointing fact: Most children who are behind in reading by the end of third grade never catch up! If they do, some are weak readers or non-readers for the rest of their lives.
That is scary and sad. Reading is the basis for everything we do. It is very difficult to function well into adulthood if you do not have good reading skills.
The Ultimate Phonics Reading Program addressed some of the issues I have seen in Canyon’s reading. He guesses at words, skips words and adds words that are not on the page. I correct him and I know he gets frustrated. When you are reading, you just want to read and you want to do it well. According to Spencer Learning, understanding the phonics is the key to better reading and comprehension.
Despite Canyon’s original comment about the program, he was willing to try it out.
The lessons are relatively easy to complete. If your child is able to navigate a mouse, they are able to works through the lessons independently. I love that there is the option (a speaker icon) for the lessons to be read to the student. Students are introduced to the phonics. They get a visual as well as are able to hear the correct pronunciations of them. This is extremely helpful, because we all know all of the letters (especially when combined) do not sound as they look.
The student has the opportunity to see words in which the phonics may appear. Most are familiar words by sounds, but may not be by sight. So they get to see them in use in common words they will hear and may already use.
The student also gets to see the phonics used in words and how they may appear in a sentences. Seeing the phonics in presentation, then moving to see how they at used to put a word together and then seeing how everything comes together is a sentence is shows the full circle of reading. There are also times when previously presented phonics appear in reading reviews in a lesson. Students are able to see that the phonics are the foundation of a bigger picture, which is the skill of reading.
Something I really like about the program is that there is an option for the lessons to be read to the student. Some of the reading programs we have used in the past have required the reading of instructions to learn how to complete the lesson. If your child is an early reader or one who struggles, obviously, reading the directions is going to be challenging. The Ultimate Phonics Reading Program is easy to understand and gives the student small victories along the way with the ease of completing the lessons, which are short, and may be completed daily.
I had Canyon begin his school day completing one lesson every morning. If he had time, he would complete a second lesson at the end of the day. The “boring” program has become one he does not mind doing. He is also strengthening his reading skills.
Other resources that come with the program are User’s Guide and Words and Sentences lists, which can help you teach the program.
If you have a child (or are an adult) who struggles with reading and comprehension, is dyslexic or is an ESL student, you may want to consider the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program for your school. There is a very easy download of the program, which you may try for free.
The Ultimate Phonics Reading Program is $69.95 (a very good price for this program), but on sale for $49.95 through Friday, September 30.
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