Review: Reading Kingdom (TOS Review)

For this review we have been using Reading Kingdom Online by Reading Kingdom.  I was given this program for my 4 and 6 year olds.

My 4 year old, however, did not find much interest in the program.  I don’t like to force things, so I didn’t push the issue.  I did suggest it on a normal basis, but it never went anywhere.  My 6 year old however, has been using the program AND enjoying it!  I actually tried this program with him before when he was younger (for a previous review), at that time he was not interested either; so, it goes to show that readiness plays a HUGE role.  I’m glad we tried it again!  This time around he liked it even more than my older son did last review!

The placement test in the beginning can be killer if you have a more advanced reader, but since both of my boys are beginner readers, it was pretty easy and didn’t take too long! 

My 6 yo used the program 3-4 lessons a week, (they recommend 4 times a week for best results). 

The program really focuses on sequence of words, it also has keyboarding lessons.  (My son enjoyed those lessons the most.)  The method is based off of Phonics plus Five Method as outlined in the book The Reading Remedy by Dr. Marion Blank.  This is a great program for those who may be struggling with reading, for any reason, because it focuses on so much more than JUST phonics. 

One great thing about this program is that it CAN be used on a tablet, my son used it on our iPad, using Google Chrome (as recommended). 

The lessons are pretty short, they didn’t take very long to complete (though I never actually timed them).  They do keep track of progress, which can be viewed on the site when you click on your child’s name.

The lessons start out simple and progress based on how well your child performs.  They stress several times throughout the process that adults are not to assist the child in answering the problems.  This is because it will mess up the natural algorithms of the program. 

Below are a few screenshots from the beginning lessons.

What I also love about the program is it also works on keyboard skills and spelling while introducing reading!  It has nice graphics, entertaining, but nothing that detracts from the learning.  The fact it can be used on tablet or computer is great!  I also love that the lessons are short, so they are great for little ones with shorter attention spans.  They can choose to continue more than one lesson if they want, or be done with just one!

Reading Kingdom offers onetime pricing or monthly subscriptions and a 30 day FREE trial.  They also offer multi-child discounts! 

- 1st student is $19.99/month, or $199.99 per year (20% off) with a 30 day trial. If you pay at the time of signup (skip the trial) it is only $14.99/month.

- Each additional student is $9.99/month, or $99.99 per year (20% off) with a 30 day trial. If you pay at the time of signup for an additional student (skip the trial), it is only $7.49/month.

The program is recommended for children ages 4-10, but I would recommend the free trial or starting with a monthly subscription for children ages 4/5 to see if they are ready for it.  They also have a checklist to help determine if your child is ready to learn to read.  But, my 4 year old (almost 5) met these guidelines, but was still not interested.  Every child is different though, so you can determine if you think it’s right for your child! 

 

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/readingkingdom
https://twitter.com/readingkingdom
https://www.pinterest.com/readingkingdom/