Reading Software - what to look for

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Are you searching for reading software to help you teach phonics? There are so many to choose from it can be a daunting decision to choose the right one.

Do you choose one that relies heavily on sight or whole words or one that only uses a few? (I say that because it is hard to find reading software that does not use sightwords.)

N.B I have just found Phonics International - It is the ONLY phonics programme I know of that does not use sight words! Check it out - the first unit is FREE. Even if you decide not to go with the programme - the first units printables are well worth downloading!

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

guidelines to help you choose the best reading software - make sure you can answer "YES" to the following questions:

• Are the 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 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.

How much do reading programs cost?

You can expect to pay anything up to $500 for a reading progam. But most would average around the $200 - $300 mark. You can pick up some good deals with 'pre-loved' software from auction sites or homeschool support groups.

Phonics International currently have an amazing deal. I have just downloaded the first unit (free) and will be purchasing this for my own lessons

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