Looking for a good phonic reading program?

What should you look for in a phonic reading program? There are so many to choose from it can be a daunting decision to choose the right one.  Also most phonics web sites are keen to promote their own material and resources, so maybe they are just a little biased (!)...oh and of course theywill all tell you that theirs 'is the best reading program ever invented.'  

So how can we as parents and teachers really know if they are the best for your situation?  

To help you make an informed decision, here are some basic guidelines to help you choose which resource will help you teach your child to read:

6 Guidelines to help you choose a good Phonic Reading Program!

Make sure you can answer YES to the following questions:

Are the 5 short-vowel sounds taught before any whole words are introduced? Eg: a,e,i,o,u

Are consonant sounds taught before whole words using these sounds are introduced? Eg:  /d/ as in dog, /c/ as in cat

Are all the 44 phonics sounds and the 70 common ways of spelling these sounds (phonograms) taught?  Eg: sh, ch, ai, ee, th, oo,

Are at least one short-vowel sound and multiple consonant sounds taught before a whole word using these sounds are introduced?  Eg: short-vowel  /a/ and consonants /s/ /t/ /p/ /c/ are taught before a child is introduced to words like: sat, pat, tap, cat, cap

Are they taught how to blend letters in words?  Eg:  /bl/ as in black

Are phonics skills introduced in an incremental manner? Eg: a new phonics step/rule is taught and practice given in reading decodable text containing that rule, before a another new step is introduced.

Will these resources teach your child how to read?

We have reviewed the following phonic reading programs - more coming soon:

Frontline Phonics
Click 'N' Read Phonics

Reading Program Reviews Coming Soon: Rocket Reader, Jolly Phonics, Rocket Phonics, Letterland, One Step at a Time, Hooked on Phonics, Alphaphonics