T'smom Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Does anyone have experience using Explode the Code online? It looks good- but I'd really like to have a trial period.....I wouldn't mind paying for a trial period, just a chance to cancel if it wasn't working out after a month instead of having to pay for a whole year. I'm looking to use it with a 4 1/2 year old boy who loves anything he gets to do on the computer, knows all the letter sounds and can identify initial sounds. He's really right on the cusp of reading, we haven't done anything "formal" yet, but I'm kindof stumped with what to do next...... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Have you been to http://www.starfall.com? That is the best site for FREE phonics games! I looked at ETC online, but it is better for schools. Apparently, if kids miss one thing on accident, they have to keep reviewing it. It didn't seem worth it to me, but I know others might disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 There are a bunch of threads on here that turned me off of the ETC online purchase. Seems no one thought it worth the money. Instead I opted to spend my money on More.starfall.com It has all the stuff the free starfall.com site has but LOADS of other fun activities. Some math, lots of reading and loads of phonics, colors, etc. The more starfall yearly membership was around $35 or $39 bucks if I remember correctly. It's one membership I never regret and we use often with all my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) NOOOOOOOOO! Don't do it!!!! It was horrible!!!! (at least, it was for us... I've been pretty vocal about it being a big waste of money...) ETA: I found the thread where I posted before, so here's my critique: * Too much typing! I've seen research about how writing words as kids learn phonics can help reinforce the learning, but I've never seen such a thing about typing. Plus, some people feel that typing at a young age is actually a negative thing for brain development (I don't know if I totally buy that... but... regardless...). My kids are very computer savvy, but they don't type much yet and I don't really want them to until their handwriting skills are more firmed up. * Too much emphasis on timing instead of on correct answers. I have twins at very different reading levels, so it was fascinating to see that the kid who couldn't read was doing better than the kid who can! Why? Because he's so good at computer games. He clicked like mad and got only a certain percentage right, but that was clearly valued over my slower, more industrious kid who read every single word correctly, but went slower. And when I say slower, we're not talking about spending a huge amount of time on each word. We're talking about a matter of a couple seconds more. * The weird pictures! Somehow, in the workbooks, the strange pictures and the obscure meanings are a bit charming. But not when you're trying to figure out that a foot sticking out of a hammock means "nap" - and remember - you have to do it super fast or it'll kick you down a level. It strongly encouraged my son to memorize the pictures and the associated words as sight words. * It's hard to control the levels. All that might have been okay if I could have just told the program what to do. After all, if I'm there, I can evaluate if they really get it and allow them to move on. And you can... but you have to log the kid out, go through about a dozen clicks, then log the kid back in. And if he doesn't do it fast enough, he'll be kicked back down a level again. Edited January 9, 2012 by farrarwilliams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 NOOOOOOOOO! Don't do it!!!! It was horrible!!!! (at least, it was for us... I've been pretty vocal about it being a big waste of money...) ETA: I found the thread where I posted before, so here's my critique: Thank you! This is excellent info- looks like I'll be trying something else! (And dh thanks you too- because I didn't spend that money on something that wasn't going to work!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 NOOOOOOOOO! Don't do it!!!! It was horrible!!!! (at least, it was for us... I've been pretty vocal about it being a big waste of money...) ETA: I found the thread where I posted before, so here's my critique: :iagree: The emphasis on timing was what was the worst part. Spend your money (and not as much, at that) on more.starfall.com :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paceofnature Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I agree with the others...total waste of money. My son was constantly getting frustrated with the pictures and the timer just stressed him out. We stopped using it after about a month. I wish there had been a trial so that we could have put the money to better use :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Here is my review. In summary, it is a waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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