Headsprout, Destination Reading, Reading Assistant, T4L: Online Reading Programs

[Spinning]

What are your favorite?

 

I have a struggling reader and an emerging reader.

My struggling reader (9 yo) has been through phonics until we are both blue in the face—it’s making the connection of bringing it together that’s a bit of a problem. She can read, but is not what I would consider fluent. We have used several programs—HOP, ETC, some reading workbooks, and now we are using T4L (2nd grade level). T4L has so far been the best—or maybe I’m just able to see where the struggles are specifically. The thing is T4L doesn’t always get the best reviews, so I’m concerned. Reading Assistant seems to be geared towards dyslexic kids, but I’m not sure that is what our problem is…but if someone had great success with it, I would totally be willing to give it a try! She knows she struggles; she has friends the same age who are reading very well. Of course, we don’t focus on this, but I would love to get her to a level where she feels competent reading in front of them (as in a Sunday school setting).

Also, my Ker is doing T4L 1st grade (reading) and ETC workbooks and is doing well with it. I had signed her up for Headsprout and she got a bit a bored with it—but I’m thinking of trying it again. I love the “when finished, your child will be reading at a mid-2nd grade level†guarantee. She seems to be picking up reading pretty quickly, and so far I don’t see the struggles her sister has. I don’t want to mess her up!

So, what are your favorite on-line reading programs? Has anything been specifically inspiring? In looking at them, many seem essentially the same. Homeschool Buyers Co-op has a couple of them listed right now that I’m thinking of trying. Again, I’m looking for better reading fluency for my 9 yo and learning-to-read for my 5 yo. I do read with them, but I also work, so I really like the help of an on-line program in this area. And I’m kinda scared of messing up my K’er like I feel like I did with my 9 yo struggling reader, and I want to help my 9yo get to where she needs to be—but in a fun way.

Any opinions on Destination Reading, Headsprout (more for my K’er), or Reading Assistant or good reviews for T4L or any other program?

Thanks so much!

[SophiaH]

:bigear: Bumping for you.

[AngieW in Texas]

My youngest is dyslexic. When she was where your dd is at, Phonics for Reading level 2 (Curriculum Associates) helped a lot. After that comes Phonics for Reading 3 and then Rewards Reading Intermediate.

 

The stories in Phonics for Reading 2 are lame, but the stories in level 3 are better.

 

To increase her reading speed, we did repeated timed readings of the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency passages. I started her at the 1st grade level. She had three tries each to read at 100wpm. The first try, she read the entire passage cold. The 2nd time, I read the passage out loud at the same time, but I paced myself to about 100wpm. The 3rd time, my dd read for just one minute and tried to get through at least 100 words correctly. If she didn't make her goal speed by the 3rd try, she worked on the same story the next day. This helped my dd a lot.

[prairie rose]

We use and like Headsprout but I'm pretty sure that your 9yo would find it baby-ish. My 8yo and 9yo both completed the program but they are both they type of readers that I don't think it would have mattered what program we used, they were both just ready to learn when they were 4 or 5yo. My 3yo is completing the program now and she's doing pretty well with it. I've not tried any of the other programs you mentioned and I taught my struggling reader (my oldest, he's 11 now but didn't start really reading well until he was 9) to read with Spell to Write and Read which we still use with all the kids as a spelling program. Headsprout is just kind of "fun with a purpose" for us these days.

[Hen]

I had 2 -9 year olds complete the Headsprout program, they were 8 when they started and have winter birthdays. It was a bit easy at first for my son, I gave him prizes for the first 10 lessons done, and then after the first 2, moved it to 20 lessons for a prize. It motivated him to sometimes do 2 lessons a day at first, so he moved through the easy stuff quickly. I was very pleased with it. They were not enjoying phonics pathways, so even if on the young side, Headsprout was a treat.

 

Here's a review I did on my blogHeadsprout review

[Hen]

Good point Linda,

 

I didn't mention in my answer, that one of the 9 year old boys I had do headsprout has an auditory processing disorder, he did have issues learning to read. Testing brought this to light, many puzzle pieces fell into place.

He is my bonus student, a friend's son.