7 Strategies for Choosing the Best Phonics Online Program
by Mary Follin
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If you’re exploring options for teaching phonics online, there are a few key things you’ll want to consider as you shop. Phonics is actually fairly easy to teach, but let’s pretend for a moment you don’t know anything about how to do it. Most people don’t, so you wouldn’t be alone in this!
Any phonics online program should make the assumption that you’re a newbie, which means you'll want to make sure your phonics online program is easy to use. Of course, that one’s pretty obvious, so let’s go ahead and get more specific about what you need to look for when shopping for the best phonics online program for your child. |
Make sure your phonics online program is easy to use!
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7 key things to consider when choosing the best phonics online program for you:
1) For starters, you’ll want to consider your child’s age. Is your child still in preschool? A second grader who’s struggling with reading concepts? A lot of the programs that teach phonics online are designed for children as young as three, all the way up to age twelve. Many programs have ‘levels’ to work with, so what’s going to be important is that the product information is very specific about where you need to begin with your child.
2) Is the program easy to use? Although it’s difficult to tell from a website exactly how a phonics online program works, if the website is confusing, you can probably guess what your experience will be like with the program!
3) Is there an audio component? Phonics is a ‘sound-based’ method of teaching reading, so it’s critical you pronounce the sounds correctly. Most phonics online programs will help you with pronunciation, but you’ll want to make sure they do.
4) The best way to teach phonics is in a linear fashion. You start with the sound of each letter, then build from there. Not all phonics online programs do this; some of them jump around, making it difficult to determine what’s been learned and what hasn’t. If you find a program that introduces words containing letters, blends, and rules before your child has learned those letters, blends, and rules, you’ll run into trouble. Your child will get stuck on a word without knowing how to sound it out.
2) Is the program easy to use? Although it’s difficult to tell from a website exactly how a phonics online program works, if the website is confusing, you can probably guess what your experience will be like with the program!
3) Is there an audio component? Phonics is a ‘sound-based’ method of teaching reading, so it’s critical you pronounce the sounds correctly. Most phonics online programs will help you with pronunciation, but you’ll want to make sure they do.
4) The best way to teach phonics is in a linear fashion. You start with the sound of each letter, then build from there. Not all phonics online programs do this; some of them jump around, making it difficult to determine what’s been learned and what hasn’t. If you find a program that introduces words containing letters, blends, and rules before your child has learned those letters, blends, and rules, you’ll run into trouble. Your child will get stuck on a word without knowing how to sound it out.
Choosing a Phonics Online Reading Program
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You will want a phonics online reading program that matches your child's learning style. Be sure to evaluate each program for the following:
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"I looked at a number of different early learning/phonics programs for my son, now three and a half years old, and was very excited to find 'Teach Your Child To Read.' The program is well designed and tastefully implemented. I'm looking forward to adding a few minutes a day with it to our favorite activities together and watching my kid become a competent and enthusiastic reader!" --Andrew P., Ed-tech startup founder, Sunlark |
5) Is the the phonics online program you’re considering designed for children to work independently, or is it set up so that you are part of the process? One of the challenges of phonics online programs is that they are often designed for children to use by themselves. This poses several problems: your child will need to be self-motivated; parents have to figure out how to insert themselves into the process; and it’s difficult for you to assess what’s been learned and what hasn’t. If you’re working interactively with your child, you’ll always know which skills have been mastered and which ones you need to spend more time on.
6) Please be sure to check the amount of screen time required to do lessons! Many phonics online programs have 20-minute lessons, which is way too long for most small children to sit still and stay focused. Again, this goes back to whether or not the program is age-appropriate for your child, but also how well the phonics online program suits your child’s learning style.
7) Before investing in any phonics online program, be sure they have an option for you to try it out for free. If they don’t, move on to the next one.
If you’re willing to spend time up front to make sure you get the right program for your child, you’ll find that teaching phonics is the easy part. Fortunately, there are a lot of phonics online programs for you to choose from, and once you figure out which one is the best phonics online program for you, you’ll be on your way to teaching your child to read.
As the developer of Teach Your Child to Read™, a phonics online program, I feel all 7 of these attributes are important to consider. I certainly kept them in mind as I developed the program! I believe teaching your child to read can be one of the most powerful parenting experiences you will ever have. From the time your child is very young, you will feel confident you can take charge of your child's education, which is what many parents value most.
6) Please be sure to check the amount of screen time required to do lessons! Many phonics online programs have 20-minute lessons, which is way too long for most small children to sit still and stay focused. Again, this goes back to whether or not the program is age-appropriate for your child, but also how well the phonics online program suits your child’s learning style.
7) Before investing in any phonics online program, be sure they have an option for you to try it out for free. If they don’t, move on to the next one.
If you’re willing to spend time up front to make sure you get the right program for your child, you’ll find that teaching phonics is the easy part. Fortunately, there are a lot of phonics online programs for you to choose from, and once you figure out which one is the best phonics online program for you, you’ll be on your way to teaching your child to read.
As the developer of Teach Your Child to Read™, a phonics online program, I feel all 7 of these attributes are important to consider. I certainly kept them in mind as I developed the program! I believe teaching your child to read can be one of the most powerful parenting experiences you will ever have. From the time your child is very young, you will feel confident you can take charge of your child's education, which is what many parents value most.
Looking for an Easy Phonics Online Program? Give Us a Try!
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Founder and creator of Teach Your Child to Read™, Mary Follin began her career as a systems engineer. In that capacity, she became adept at writing manuals that helped make it easy to navigate complex systems. Since then, she has worked in a variety of industries: product development, market research, and provides marketing services to service firms and The George Washington University medical school. She is also the author of Ethyr, winner of the the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the Gertrude Warner Book Award. Mary also writes, along with Erika Guerrero, a column titled ASK MOM, an advice column featured in Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine and winner of a 2021 Parenting Media Association award.
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