Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Reading Eggs is an EGGciting Part of our Homeschool!

You know how sometimes you swear companies know exactly what you're thinking, and it's almost scary? That just happened to us with Reading Eggs.  We do love Reading Eggs, but we've always used it more as a fun, game time, Mom-needs-to-work-with-your-sister-so-leave-me-alone supplement, rather than a true part of our curriculum. The former reading specialist in me loves how beautifully it is set up to get kids hitting all those early literacy milestone, but we just don't do a lot of online stuff in the house. Well, they heard me, and they came out with workbooks. Real, written record of what they did and how they did, set up for a full school year, can do it themselves, workbooks. And because it lines up with the books and program online, it lets me use it as a real part of our paper and pencil curriculum. Both girls are already excited about Reading Eggs and now with the new workbooks we can solidify Madison's reading with 200 Essential Reading Skills for Third Grade.

Online Reading Eggs Suite


First of all, I LOVE the set up - it's EXACTLY how we work. Thirty six weeks, five pages a week. I don't need to count pages and divide things up. We do four day weeks, but can easily adjust. There is one story for the week (that you can find online) and you use that story to work through comprehension, grammar and spelling patterns. Every week you do a story with comprehension questions (the same story) for two days, spelling for two days, and grammar for one. I love any curriculum that organizes itself well.

Online Reading Eggs Suite

Now for the few cons, because nothing is perfect. I hate reading on a laptop screen and I really wish the stories were printed in the book OR that they used published stories that could be purchased or borrowed (they do print relevant passages FROM the books so that students can focus on certain areas). I'm all for e-reading and audiobooks - for myself AND my kids - but when you're teaching kids how to look back in the text and look for certain things, having a physical book helps. I also think that the spelling lists are very ambitious for only two days of study. There is no WAY a student could do twenty words a week in only two days of working with them, unless this was simply spelling review. BUT, we used it as a supplement for spelling patterns and continued using another spelling curriculum, so that wasn't a huge deal.








What using this workbook did, as well as provide a nice daily reading page for Madison, was encourage me to use the online program more. I had a subscription for both girls, but I'd let it lapse. I figured Madison was getting too old, and Reagan had an abundance of apps she loved. I really did forget that Reading Eggs, as a program, extends beyond the preschool years. Yes, they are great at those five early reading components, but they work with word patterns and spelling and vocabulary and fluency and comprehension all the way through the elementary years. Madison, as a third grade, has PLENTIFUL material to work through. Reading Eggspress (intended for second through fifth grade) isn't just a time filler. I had the girls re-do their placement tests to make sure they were working in the right "maps", and both were eager to immediately continue because the lessons are just FUN. Reagan, as a first grade, definitely benefits from the true phonics and phonemic awareness lessons you get at that stage. They also have a program called Mathseeds that Madison has outgrown, but is a great supplement for Reagan and her first grade math.

Online Reading Eggs Suite

Right now, by using this link, you can get FOUR free weeks to try things out instead of just the usual two. I don't know about you, but two weeks is tough to really know if you'll use a program, so this is definitely something to take advantage of. If, once you use it, you feel like the workbook is a key component to add (as I did, and do), use the code WK10VS4ZX5M for 10% off.

Online Reading Eggs Suite {Reading Eggs Reviews}


Crew Disclaimer
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Real Time Web Analytics