Have you thought about an online reading program for your kids?
Reading Kingdom has been so fun for our children. The are at two different reading levels, but can both use this program. We are sharing our experiences, what we like about the program, and some helpful information before you start.
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Reading Kingdom is an online reading program that we have had the privilege to use for the past month.
We have two children at two different reading levels, and Reading Kingdom is a program they both can use.
Our 6-year-old reader, in first grade this year, has been moving quickly through the program and it has been a great addition to what he is learning at school. Our pre-K daughter just turned 5 when starting this program and she is not reading yet, but enjoys Reading Kingdom.
Reading Kingdom is an award-winning online program that teaches children 4-10 to read and write with comprehension at a 3rd grade level. The program is based on the work of Dr. Marion Blank from Columbia University, one of the world’s top experts on reading and language development. It uses her patented and research based “6-SIM” (Six Skill Integrated Method) technique that yields incredible results. The program is extremely effective for both struggling readers and those who are on grade level because it does not rely solely on phonics-based instruction which is fraught with challenges because most words in English cannot be sounded out.
Important Skills before Reading Kingdom online reading program
Letter recognition. Reading Kingdom does include a lesson for keyboard skills. However, it does move a bit fast right off the bat. To adequately display their skills, it does help to have a good grasp on letter recognition.
Uppercase and Lowercase letter recognition. Our little lady is not a reader yet. She has been in preschool for 3 years and knows her letters. However, we have found that she does have trouble with letter recognition with uppercase and lowercase. The letters on the keyboard are upppercase and the letters in the program are lowercase. Therefore, we have had to work on matching uppercase and lowercase letters to make the program a little easier for her.
Familiarity with using a computer. Our kiddos typically use Grandma and Grandpa’s ipad. However, they haven’t had much experience with our laptop. It takes a little time learning how to navigate using a mouse before the kiddos can adequately demonstrate their skills.
Reading Kingdom for our 6-year-old reader
This program has been wonderful for our 6-year-old. He asks to play Reading Kingdom often and he’s sad to see his sessions end.
The most difficult hurdle has been learning the basic computer skills to complete the program. We realized it is easier for him to use a cordless mouse instead of the pad on the laptop. It also took a little bit of time for him to locate the letters and punctuation on the keyboard.
From that point on, he took off running. He is breezing through the curriculum and doing very well. Since starting, he has moved up a level and is doing great.
Reading Kingdom for our 5-year-old pre-reader
It has been a little harder for our 5-year-old pre-reader to get the hang of things. She is struggling with the computer skills and letter recognition.
During the part of the program with letter recognition and keyboard training, she is having trouble locating the keys before the time runs out. We have figured out she is having the most difficulty making the connection between the lowercase letters on the screen and the uppercase letters on the keyboard. Luckily, there is an option to practice these skills as often as necessary with a slower game.
So, as a supplement to this program, we have been working on flashcards with upper and lowercase letters. I’m thinking about getting these adorable popsicles too – she will love them!
Regardless of her struggles, she does love playing Reading Kingdom. However, it seems to advance without her. Parents receive email updates, and Reading Kingdom has been telling me that she’s struggling. However, some of the lessons she has been doing include identifying words.
We are looking at this program as a way for her to “play on the computer” but with educational material. I think it’s a little too advanced, but with our own work on her skills, it will become a better fit in no time.
What we love about Reading Kingdom
The kids love “playing” Reading Kingdom. They look forward to it and are learning. We enjoy watching their skills develop.
During the school week it can be hard to remember to get in a Reading Kingdom session. Especially, when it’s just before bed and we don’t want them on the computer. However, we have been wearing blue-light blocking glasses and the sessions are really short.
We are having such a good experience with this program. There are many reasons why…
Fun for Kids
The biggest bonus is that it is fun for the kids. They really look forward to logging on to Reading Kingdom and completing their session.
We never have to push because they always want to get on Reading Kingdom. They are proud of the things they learned and when they do well. They also love when new “games” are introduced.
Even when our Little Lady gets frustrated with her sessions, she always wants to play again later when asked.
Teaches Computer Skills
One of the things I hadn’t even considered is that the kiddos need some basic computer skills to complete an online reading program.
It is really interesting watching them learn computer and typing skills. It is so important in this high-tech world. They really have a leg up on other children their age.
Variety of Learning Games
As I mentioned, the kids love when new games are introduced. They love popping letter bubbles and freeing fish, shooting alien ships, and watching the scenes come to life as they recognize words in a sentence.
As they move through the program, they are rewarded with new games. it keeps things interesting as the sessions increase in difficulty.
The programs use fun games to teach skills such as scanning from left to right, recognizing words, identifying letters and punctuation on the keyboard, and putting sentences together.
Repetition
In addition to the variety of games, there is still a lot of repetition. This is key to learning and it really helps drive the skills home.
The kids do the same types of lessons over and over again. They also repeat concepts within the sessions. There is enough variety to keep the kids interested.
The Applied Behavior Analyst in me loves to see these tools used so effectively.
Reports to Parents
The kids are encouraged to complete the sessions themselves, free of parent intervention.
However, after assessments are completed, and email is sent to the parents. Also, emails are sent if any concerns arise.
Our daughter started getting frustrated with one specific lesson in the session and closing early. An email was sent to advise me to sit with her and provide support.
It’s great that this online reading program is structured to allow kids to complete it themselves. It’s also great to know that we will be notified when they need help.
Overall impressions of online reading program, Reading Kingdom
This is an online reading program that we are so happy to have and continue using.
- The kids love it.
- Reading Kingdom is a fantastic alternative to other games.
- The learning is so fun to watch.
- Learning computer skills is such an added bonus in today’s world.
We absolutely recommend this program as a supplement to reading and writing learned in schools. It would also make for an excellent tool for homeschoolers.
You can try Reading Kingdom free for 30-days! We have been using it for 30 days and love it!
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