Reading Eggs: A Review

         Reading Eggs- Learn to Read Online with Phonics in 5 Weeks from ages 3-13.

My children are enjoying the benefits of learning reading through an exciting new site called Reading Eggs. Reading Eggs is still in the beta phase and is growing and expanding all the time as they expose glitches and make the service better suited to their audience.

Frankly I am very impressed with the quality of the lessons and the format they utilize to really appeal to children ages 3-13.

In my home I have 4 kids ages 4-10 who each experienced Reading Eggs and formed their own unique opinions of it. Here's the scoop:

Each of my children began their experience with Reading Eggs by taking an assessment quiz. This quiz determined which map the child should be placed on.

Chloe (10) was not too excited about the maps or the lesson which she felt where "babyish" she preferred to visit Reading Eggspress and read through as many books in their library as she could find. Chloe really likes to read already and has some pretty decent skills in reading so she didn't feel very challenged by the program. The biggest benefit of reading eggs for her was the Skills Bank where children can go through a series of short animated lessons to help them learn spelling words, ultimately leading to a spelling quiz upon completion. She needs to improve in her spelling so this area challenged her the most and taught her the greatest.

Caibry (8) is my little techy in the making. He loves computers and anything electronic. He also has special needs. Reading and auditory skills are extremely hard for him, but he was doing them with the disguise of computer games. The lessons were fun for him, perfectly timed for his attention, and challenging enough to satisfy me. He did everything he could do in there from reading, completing map lessons, working through the skills bank, exploring story land, building a book, chillin' in the playroom, and the oodles of fun at Reading Eggspress (the library, stadium, gym and mall). One of the things I had to constantly monitor was the "mall" inside Reading Eggspress. He would do nothing but shop for pets if allowed. Fortunately, Reading Eggs considered this issue and made everything reward based. He had to work to earn enough to buy the pets he wanted. This kept him motivated.  The Comprehension gym was the most helpful. Caibry struggles with recall due to ADHD and other learning issues. He can remember up to two things before his mind goes fuzzy. Games within the Comprehension Gym really honed the memory skills.

Nevie (6) was happy with Reading Eggs. She enjoyed it, but prefers learning on my lap vs. on my laptop. She made a lot of progress with reading eggs though and although it wasn't the learning method she prefers, she did learn a lot from this program.

Sadie (4) is a huge fan of Reading Eggs and as a beginning reader she had the greatest benefit. The music and characters excited her the most and she took real pride in her progress traveling from map to map.

All in all I think Reading Eggs was a huge hit with my family. I've let friends know about it and I will be continuing Caibry and Sadie in the program as it suits their learning styles.

Now, as a homeschooler who primarily operates in a CM philosophy I have to share that some of the books in the Reading Eggspress library are absolutely stunning. The illustrations of Ritva Voutila are beautiful and complex feasts for young eyes. I thoroughly appreciate the quality and skill their books demonstrate.

I looked these books up separately and the books alone (which you have access to as a member) sell for $7.50 a piece. That makes Reading Eggs a truly great deal.

I highly recommend this site to other families.

Now, Reading Eggs can get a bit pricey when signing up multiple children. They don't currently have family pricing. I wish they would. In the meantime, you can go here to find a list of coupon codes you can use to defray some of the cost. By the way, this program is definitely worth it.

Head here to learn more about Reading Eggs.

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by The Homeschool Lounge Review Team. I received a 5 week membership to Reading Eggs to facilitate this review. All opinions stated are my own.