I received a year's subscription to Reading Kingdom, for up to 3 students as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. We used this program with my 6 year old son.
Reading Kingdom was created by Dr. Marion Blank, who carries quite an extensive list of credentials. She has authored numerous books, is on faculty at Columbia University, where she developed the Light on Learning Program, and is a developmental psychologist, with a specialization in language and learning. It was with all her years of studying how children read that she developed Reading Kingdom.
Challenges in reading education have been around for over 100 years. You will find countless books and curriculum to help teach your child to read. However, something is lacking in our approach when 2 out of 3 children are not proficient in reading (US Dept. of Education Stats in PDF). Reading Kingdom does not focus on hundreds of rules, like the Phonics Approach, or reading without word structure and meaning as with the Whole Language model. So what makes Reading Kingdom stand out?
"It is the only system using an innovative approach"; a patented "Integrated Six Skill Method." Reading Kingdom believes that teaching the six skills of reading and writing at the same time "fosters comprehension at every level." Sequencing, Writing, Phonology, Semantics, Syntax, and Comprehension are woven into each lesson.
Another key difference about Reading Kingdom it guided by the students abilities; "it is customized to your child/ student. They understand that every child is different. The system automatically skips over lessons that the child has shown they know how to read and write and provides tutoring techniques to help in areas of weakness.
To get started with Reading Kingdom my son took a Skills Survey to help determine his placement in the program. He was assessed in his sequencing and keyboard abilities. He was actually placed to begin "Letter Land," which reinforces keyboarding skills. It made sense as he has not learned any keyboarding skills; however, we asked to be moved to the next level as it was pretty redundant and I could see his enthusiasm wane after a few days. Reading Kingdom quickly responded to our request and moved him to the next level.
Keyboard Assessment |
Reading and Writing Skills |
Although we wouldn't rank this program high in "fun factor," we will continue using this to supplement his reading lessons as I agree with Dr. Marion Blank's philosophy on reading instruction. "Fun" is pretty subjective, too. The lessons are not cluttered with "cute" things, which I liked because they tend to distract my son and take away, rather than add to the teachable moment. I do appreciate that the lessons are not too short nor too long. I cannot say how effective this has been as we have yet to complete a level, but my son seems to enjoy this computer time. I also like that reading and writing (keyboarding) are integrated throughout the lessons.
Reading Kingdom suggests working through the program about four days a week to get the best results. You will need access to a computer and a mouse, Internet connection, and a distraction-free environment. You will need to help your child login the first couple of days, but after that your child can access the program independently. It's been a pretty hands-off experience on my end. I am able to access his progress report which includes % of completed level and an icon describing his performance.
Reading Kingdom offers a 30 Day Risk Free Trial. After the trial period, a subscription is $19.99/ month or $199.99 for the year. Additional children receive 50% off monthly/ yearly prices. Your subscription can be cancelled at anytime, too.
If you haven't used it, see what other Crew Members are saying and/or give it a try!
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