TOS Review - Reading Kingdom

What is Reading Kingdom?

Reading Kingdom is an online reading program geared towards children from ages 4 to 10.  As stated on their site, www.readingkingdom.com, the child participating in the program will be at a third grade reading level upon completion of the program. 

Reading Kingdom uses the following as the means of their program: sequencing, writing, sounds, meaning, grammar and comprehension. 

At the beginning of the program the child is placed at the level in which the program feels he or she should begin. As the child progresses through the program, it is customized to the child's needs based on their previous work.

This online program can be used as a stand alone curriculum or just something extra for your child during the day. 

What We Received and How We Used It:

We received a one year online subscription for my son Kolt, age 5. 

Kolt was placed at the very beginning of the program which sort of surprised me. Although he is not fluently reading, he is still able to read small words by sounding them out - such as cat, dog, bat, etc. Kolt loves, loves, loves online games and his computer time. I was very excited about this program for him and had very high hopes. We used the program once a day for the first week or so. I wanted Kolt to be given an opportunity to work independently and this program offered him just that. Each day we would log in together, I would make sure he had got to the correct screen and I would leave him alone to work through the session.

After the first week, I began to notice Kolt's eagerness to "play the game" became less and less. I talked with him about his frustrations concerning Reading Kingdom and he simply said, "I am still doing the same thing." Although he was working daily, he was still within the first level after several days. 

I pushed him to continue the lessons and eventually he just didn't want to "play" anymore. Kolt stopped the program with only completing around 70% of the Seeing Sequences and Letter Land; only 12% of the entire program was completed. 

My Opinion:

The overall program was very easy for Kolt to work through and the graphics were wonderful. The vibrant colors were definitely eye catching for him.

 The website is easy to follow and offers great ways to track your child's progress. Because Kolt worked through the lessons independently, I chose not to stay in the room with him. Logging in and checking his progress was a total breeze. The reporting system is very thorough and emails you the child's progression, including their strengths and their weaknesses. 

My one problem with the program was how long it took Kolt to try and complete the first level. He became bored rather quickly and I would have liked to see him be more challenged through the program. Sequencing and Letter Land seemed very monotonous to him after the first couple lessons.

I am a firm believer, however, that what works for one may not work for another. Because this program is so well put together and offers such a wonderful tracking program, I would most definitely encourage parents to try the free trial with their child(ren).

Important Links:
www.readingkingdom.com
Price: $19.99 per Month
Start your free trial by clicking here.
Click here to read The Reading Kingdom Blog.