5 THINGS TO BEWARE OF WHEN CHOOSING A PHONICS READING PROGRAM

by Mary Follin

5 Smart Ways to Choose a Phonics Reading Program

Looking for a phonics reading program? Many parents are wondering how to teach their children to read using phonics, but don't know where to begin. If your child's school is not using a direct instruction phonics-based approach to teaching reading, you may even feel a sense of urgency about choosing the right program.

Maybe you've researched the leading phonics reading programs, only to find you don't quite know what they do. You see lots of entertainment, screen watching, and multiple skill levels to choose from, but it all feels so confusing. (One program even advertises 10,000 activities. Whew! That's a lot!)

The bottom line is, every child is different. Every program is different, too, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. (Check out my reviews of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Reading Eggs, Teach Your Monster to Read, and Hooked on Phonics.)

The good news is, phonics is MUCH easier to teach than you might think. Check out below the 5 key things to watch out for when choosing a phonics reading program for your child.

5 Things to Watch Out For When Choosing a Phonics Reading Program

1) Phonics Reading Program: Step-by-Step Learning
Phonics is a sequential, methodical way of teaching a child to read. There is no need to create all sorts of activities, games, and distractions. Simply put, phonics is all about learning the sounds and letter patterns, then adding them together to make words—and that's pretty much it! Once your child has completed a phonics reading program, the real fun is reading whatever they want.

2) Phonics Reading Program: Short Lessons
Teaching phonics is like teaching a key code. Once your child knows the code, reading comes naturally. Learning the code is easy, which is why you only need to spend about 5 minutes-a-day teaching it. When you stick to this time limit, you leave your child wanting more, which makes it easy to pick up the next day. No fuss, no tears.

3) Phonics Reading Program: Minimize Screen Time
Many parents are struggling with guilt over the amount of time their children are spending in front of screens. Is it really necessary to plant children in front of screens to teach them to read? (We don't think so. Teach Your Child to Read™ is a 100% interactive program that takes only 5 minutes a day.)

4) Phonics Reading Program: No Passive Learning
When children are engaged in learning, not only do they learn to read, they learn how to learn. Using passive entertainment to teach a child can backfire, as they get used to knowledge being fed to them. By actively engaging your child in the learning process, he or she will experience the building blocks that create a foundation for learning new things. Using a phonics reading program designed to include you (the teacher!) has benefits far beyond teaching your child to read.

Choosing the phonics reading program for your child.

5) Phonics Reading Program: Spend Time with Mom or Dad
As alluded to above, many of the leading online programs are designed for children to use on their own. Many busy parents feel challenged to spend quality time with their children. Here is where we feel our program is very, very different. Because the lessons are only 5 minutes a day, parents can easily schedule one-on-one time with each child in the family who is learning how to read. Your child will never forget these special micro-moments the two of you spend together, learning a skill that becomes a lifelong treasure.

Whichever phonics reading program you choose, science says phonics is the best way to teach most children to read. If you remain consistent and have fun with it, your child will be sounding out words in no time at all.

WATCH: 6 STEPS TO READING WITH PHONICS!

Phonics Reading Program—Teach Your Child to Read™

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Mary Follin, founder and creator, was formerly a systems engineer with IBM. She's also provided marketing services to companies a variety of industries including market research, product development, and product innovation. She is the author of Ethyr, a 2018 Moonbeam Children's Book Award winner.

Mary is also a columnist for Fredericksburg Parent & Family—together with Erika Guerrero—writing about parenting advice in ASK MOM. Her column was awarded a 2021 Parenting Media Association Award.