Having young readers, we are always on the lookout for reading programs that encourage them in their path of learning to read. Reading is a challenge for our children due to their special needs, so a program that is encouraging and fun is extremely helpful! As a homeschooling mom, I’m always looking for great resources to add to our curricula!
Disclosure: We received a subscription to Read Apple Reading to facilitate our review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
Red Apple Reading is a fun online reading program for children ages 4-9. It teaches fundamental reading skills in a way children love – with fun graphics and animated videos and games! It has characters kids love and encourages them to learn by offering a map-based scenario. As they learn they get to advance on the map! Because our kids our so visual, they love this! They are encouraged to complete lessons so they can move to the next spot on the map!
We have been using Red Apple Reading with our 6 year old and 8 year old. When setting up the account I was able to select their grade level. What I appreciate, though, is they are not bound to this grade level. This is a major advantage in our case because our kids aren’t necessarily reading at their “grade level.”
Each child has their own log-in, and I have a separate log-in as well for the parent dashboard. I found so much helpful information in the dashboard including a description of each level. I wasn’t really sure where to have them start because there are three levels (well, currently two, but there will be three soon!), and I wasn’t sure what the breakdown was. It not only gave me a guide for the suggest grade range for each level in the User Guide, but I could also access full Lesson Details as well. This helped me determine exactly where they should be!
Our 6 year old started at Level B, which is ideal for Kindergarten to 1st grade, Ages 4-7. She is actually a little above this level, but after trying Level C she really felt more comfortable with Level B. Because I want to be sure she is not feeling overwhelmed, I agreed this was the best choice. If she is worrying, she’s not learning! Level B focuses on Phonics, sight words, short vowels, word families, and the ABC Tree.
The theme of Level B is Park Planet, and it is actually split into 2 parts. There are 50 Phonics and Sight Word Lessons and 26 ABC Lessons at the ABC Tree. The map looks like a park and has fun animal characters!
Although our 8 year old is around the same reading level as our daughter, he really wanted to challenge himself and start with Level C, which is ideal for 1st to 3rd grade, Ages 6-9. He particularly loves the theme of Level C, which is Island Adventure, which means pirates! Level C covers Advanced phonics, sight words, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
Level A will be coming soon and will be ideal for Pre-K to Kindergarten, Ages 3-5. I can’t wait for our 4 year old to be able to jump in on Red Apple Reading as well! He already loves watching his older siblings use it, and I can tell he is eager to begin as well!
I can’t say enough good things about the parent dashboard. There are so many helpful resources including quite a few downloadable resources!
Plus, in the dashboard I can check each child’s progress, update our information, and easily access the download links to the apps as well! Yes, there are apps! We can access Level B and Level C lessons on my iPhone! The Apps are free with your account and can be used on multiple devices. We haven’t used the apps much, though, because we recently got a 2nd computer, which has helped make computer time accessible for both kids at the same time!
Overall, our kids are loving Red Apple Reading. They are progressing well and are having fun! They get to learn at their own pace and are encouraged by fun characters, a map to track their progress, and they feel like they’re playing games! I have enjoyed watching them because I just love when they have so much fun when they’re learning!
For More Information:
Visit the Red Apple Reading Website
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*Giveaway!!!*
Would you like to win unlimited access to Red Apple Reading for up to 3 children? This is a $149 value! This giveaway runs through 11/13/14 at 10pm Central Time and is open to US and Canada ages 18+. Enter the giveaway now!!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I ;like that it uses animated videos and games to help children learn to read.
I like that kids are not stuck at a grade level. They can work at the level they are at.
I really enjoyed reading your Terrific Review on Kids Having fun while Learning to Read! I’m so glad that you got another computer so that both of your kids can work separately and at their own pace! This sounds like a terrific learning tool for your homeschooling! I also like the fact that they are not “stuck” into a certain age group for reading and that you can change them as you see fit! I love when kids are having fun and learning at the same time! It’s wonderful watching them and almost like you can see the wheels turning in their head! Thanks so much for the information and the terrific review! I truly do appreciate it! Thanks again, Michele 🙂