Tag Archives: reading curriculum

Learn To Read With Reading Kingdom Review

Are you looking to improve your child’s ability to read and write? Then you might want to check out Reading Kingdom online interactive curriculum.

Reading Kingdom offers a better strategy than what has traditionally been offered to help kids improve their reading and writing skills, reduce academic failure, and reach reading proficiency.

Reading Kingdom

Reading Kingdom

Online Learning Program

Interactive Curriculum

Highly effective

Adapts To Each Child

Individualized Instruction

Research based

Ages 4-10

Retail $19.99 month ($9.99 additional child).

Reading Kingdom in an online learning program developed for students ages 4 to 10 to help them become proficient at reading and writing to a 3rd grade level.   It is fun to use and kids can use the program on their own.  Because it is filled with learning games and books, kids are motivated to use it each day.  Reading Kingdom works as a standalone curriculum or as a supplement to your curriculum.  Reading Kingdom works on any device with an internet connection (including Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, Chromebooks, etc.)

Reading Kingdom uses a patented strategy called the Phonics Plus decoding system created by Dr. Marion Blank, a developmental psychologist who is also one of the world experts on reading.  Learning with Reading Kingdom has been made available in a fun online interactive program by her son Jonathan Blank, an expert in computer software development.   Now families everywhere can have access to this award winning learning system to help kids learn to read and write.

The Phonics Plus decoding system is based on learning the meanings of words, the pattern sequencing of letters, and sounds that create meaning.

Sequencing:  recognizing patterns from left to right.
Writing: understanding letter placement on keyboard and writing through out the program.
Sounds (Phonics): sounding letter blends,
Meaning: understanding the meaning of words and their context.
Grammar: grammatical rules
Comprehension: remembering and understanding what has been read.

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The Department of Education reports that two out of three kids today are failing at reading and writing proficiency and Dr. Blank believes it is because they learned to read with phonics only.  There are many reasons why learning with phonics only fails to help so many kids.

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However, rather than just learning phonics only, Reading Kingdom teaches the Phonic’s Plus decoding system as foundational for mastering reading and writing proficiency.  This method brings reading, writing, and comprehension together. As students learn these skills, they will benefit both now and later in life as many of these skills overflow into other areas in a person’s life.

How It Works:

Reading Kingdom uses fun reading games, story books, and the Phonics Plus decoding strategy to boost each student’s skills and confidence in reading, writing, and comprehension.  When kids finish the program, they will have mastered above a third grade reading level.

Reading Kingdom contains 5 Levels.  Each level is adaptable for the skill level of the person using it, so it customizes itself per the child’s needs.  Each level builds upon the skills learned in the previous level.  Before moving forward it gets kids ready for the next level so both sets of skill levels flow smoothly together. A Progress Check (review quiz) is given after each level. More practice is given if needed, or if they have mastered everything, they are promoted to the next level.

Reading Kingdom is designed to be used 4 days per week. Each level is filled with several sessions and you complete one session each day.  Each session takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete.  A child learns 1 new word or reads 1 new book during each session.

Below are a few examples of different skill levels.  The first picture shows the level, the number of new words, new words plus word variants, total new words, and new books learned in that level.  The second picture in each category below is an example of a learning game in that level.

Level 1

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Level 2

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Level 3

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Level 4

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Level 5

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The entire Reading Kingdom online program starting at the lowest level and working your way through to completing the highest level, is designed to take about 12 to 15 months to complete all the levels and skills.   However, an older child child who already has acquired some reading skills, takes the placement test and scores above the beginning level, etc. maybe able to complete the program quicker, perhaps in as little as 6+/- months.   This program could also be used for review for older students and ESL and remedial learning.  A child who is a struggling reader may take longer than average to complete.  The program is flexible and adapts to the skills of each child.  However if your student is on the Autism Spectrum or has other learning challenges, then you might want to check into another program Reading Kingdom has developed called ADS Reading.

Who is Dr. Blank?

Dr. Marion Blank

Dr. Marion Blank is known around the world as a literacy expert. She developed and directed the Light on Literacy Program. She has served on the faculty of Columbia University. She lectures around the world, and has authored several peer-reviewed articles and books. Dr. Blank has developed award winning teaching programs.  She is the author of the Reading Remedy and creator of the Reading Kingdom.

Video
Here is a short video about Reading Kingdom:

How We Used Reading Kingdom In Our Home

I was thrilled for my kids to have the opportunity to use Reading Kingdom.  We were given a one year subscription in exchange for writing an honest review about our experience.

My kids have been using the Reading Kingdom program for about 6 weeks, and have practiced almost daily during our language arts study time since getting the program.  I am using this program with my three youngest kids, ages 6, 8, and 10.  The 8 year old is the most consistent user.  He has averaged 4.3 days per week.  The 10 year old has averaged 3 days per week.  The 6 year old has an average of 2.3 days per week.

Sometimes the 6 year old isn’t as motivated as the 8 year old and 10 year old are to sit at the computer.  I think he has stopped a few times before his lesson was completely finished for the day, and I am not sure if that reduces the average number of days counted.  I think he will become more motivated to finish each lesson as he gains more skills.

This is our second time to use this program and I can see similarities in the ages in regards to skills and motivation.  We had a subscription to Reading Kingdom three years ago and the kids learned a lot at that time and loved it.  We were excited to see how much they have improved since then.

Each child has two options when starting the program.  The first option is for those starting at the beginning level and are just learning to read.  They can start at the very beginning with the very first lesson session.  The second option is to take a placement test to find out what skills the child already knows and where they should be placed.  The placement test has two parts, a keyboard typing test and a sequencing test.

Typing & Keyboard Test

Typing & Keyboard Test

These placement tests help the parent, and the Reading Kingdom program understand what skills the student already knows, and what skills they have yet to learn.  Because Reading Kingdom is an adaptable reading program, it responds to the child’s skill level and their ongoing progress.  It also recognizes what they don’t know because of the mistakes they are making, and provides extra support and training in those areas.  This helps customize the program to their learning level.

Sequencing Test

Sequencing Test

Since he is a beginning reader, I had my 6 year old start at the beginning level without taking the placement tests.  My 8 year old son and 10 year old daughter both took the placement test.  They took the letter sequencing test and a keyboard typing test.

The placement test put the 8 year old a little above where I thought it would.  He is a strong reader and quick learner and did well on the placement test.  It placed him on Level 3.  However the 10 year old struggled more while taking the test, as it is timed and she is slower to answer even if she knows the answer, and it started her in the middle of Level 1.  Both she and I thought she would place on a higher level.  It seem to us that because she struggled with speed on the placement test is the reason why she started at a lower level, and not because she didn’t know the answer.  Though she was a bit disappointed at first, it has turned out to be good review for her to go back over many of the words and practice them, and the parent report is showing she is getting an “excellent” score on her lesson sessions.

After the tests, and placement, then each kid can begin their sessions.  The program is set up to do 1 session a day, though you can do more.  After they log in, each of my kids have a dash board that shows their progress.

On the parent dashboard, I can go in to a tab and choose to review reports, change the level or speed for responses, or even set it to retake the test if needed.  For now, I have left everything at the default speed and mainly use my dashboard to review the reports.  Reports can also be downloaded and sent by email too.  I like the parent dashboard because it gives me a basic summary of how each child is progressing, what words they are learning and what words they are struggling with.

As a parent, I know each of my kids learn differently, some are fast and some are slow at picking up certain skills.  It is nice to have a curriculum that can adapt to their learning styles.

When my kids complete a level (or test out of a level) they have the option to print a diploma certificate for that level.

I would encourage other homeschool families to check out Reading Kingdom. You can help your child achieve reading proficiency when you team up with Reading Kingdom for the Phonics Plus solution to help your child succeed.

FREE

Try before you buy with FREE Sample Lessons. Reading Kingdom also offers a FREE Trial Offer, free worksheets, and many other free resources too.  They also have special discount offers to choose from when you subscribe.

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Readers in Residence Volume 1 Review

A fun way for kids to learn to become excellent readers is for them to become an expert reading detective and see the material presented with a biblical worldview. The Readers in Residence Series has 4 great courses to get kids excited learning how to be a reading detective.  We were recently sent the first volume in the series Readers in Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth) by Apologia Educational Ministries .

Readers In Residence Volume 1 (Slueth)

2 Book Set

Student Worktext

Answer Key

4th Grade and UP

Retail $89

This is Volume 1 in a 4 volume series of Readers in Residence courses by Debra Bell and Published by Apologia.  Be sure to check the website for the latest updates in this series.  The four volumes in this series include: Vol 1~ Slueth, Vol 2~ Detective, Vol 3~ Investigator, and Vol 4~ Analyst.  Readers in Residence assumes every reader is a detective.  It focuses on reading comprehension and vocabulary using various literature genres to help students become excellent readers who understand the big picture about the story, the intentions of the author, and real life applications of the story’s message.  Each volume can be used as a stand alone course.

This course is intended to be done by one student, or used in a group setting (such as a book club) with each student having their own worktext. In this course, kids read 6 chapter reader books while using their worktext to answer specific questions to reach their goal of becoming a reading detective.

The course is divided into 6 Units and contains 14 Modules.  It is intended to be worked on 4 days a week and completed in 32 weeks.  However, the course is flexible and you can go as fast or as slow as you want.

Goals of this course include:

  1. AUTHOR’S DESIGN: understand the author’s craft, choices, and intentions
  2. ELEMENTS: recognize the literary elements authors use to create fiction and nonfiction
  3. INFERENCES: make inferences from the details in the text plus their own prior knowledge and experience
  4. NEW WORDS: decode the meaning of unfamiliar words from context clues build a rich and varied vocabulary
  5. FIGURES OF SPEECH: identify and understand figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, and hyperbole
  6. OBSERVATIONS: notice how expert writers employ the conventions of the English language (punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and usage) to achieve clarity

Kids learn about several kinds of literary genres and then settle in to research three specific fiction genres using six chapter books.  They will specifically research three kinds of fiction: Historical Fiction, Animal Fantasy, and Realistic Fiction.  Through out this process, kids will learn about characters, themes, comparison and contrast, plot development, figures of speech, story turning point, settings and set design, and more.

Chapter Book Readers

The suggested chapter books are available at your local library or can be purchased online.  You may already have these books on your book shelves. Three of the books are suggested for you, and three books are of your own choice.

  1. Sarah Plain and Tall (historical fiction)
  2. Your choice (historical fiction)
  3. Charlottes Webb (animal fantacy)
  4. Your choice (animal fantasy)
  5. Because of Windixie (realistic fiction)
  6.  Your choice (fiction of choice)

Student Worktext

This worktext is huge!  My son was excited to get such a big colorful workbook.  It has 562 pages and from cover to cover it is very well done.  It is a text and a workbook “all in one”.

It has large easy to read print on colorfully illustrated pages.  These bright colors and easy text kept my son interested in the material.  There are a lot of comparison type charts and other visual aids built into the lessons and it really makes learning the material easy to understand.

The worktext is spiral bound and the pages are thick and sturdy so it was easy for him to flip the pages and not worry about tearing them.  The book is soft cover so it isn’t has heavy as you might think a large book of this size would be.  It has a nice feel in your hands.  It is very well made.

He likes to take his schoolwork outside on the porch.  It was nice to know this sturdy book would hold up to him using it outside or inside where ever it best fit his needs.  Our other books are not near as sturdy.

I really like how the questions are layed out.  They have explanations and room to fill in the blank after you “hunt” as a detective for the answers.   He found the worktext very easy to follow and the questions were worded in a way he could find the answers in his chapter books quickly.

Answer Key

The Answer Key is a soft cover book of 232 pages.  This is a very easy to use resource for parents to check the progress students are making in their worktext.

The Answer Key contains the lessons questions written in black, and the answers to the questions written in green colored ink.  

In the back of the Answer Key book is a suggested daily schedule that matches the one in the student worktext.  There is also a Grading Rubix called a “Checklist Point System” for each Module.  Points for grades are earned based on the percentage of tasks completed in a Module instead of right and wrong answers.  A student can earn a top score of “6” for “exemplary in quality and effort” down to a “1” for “incomplete” for each task.

A Few Of My Favorite Things:

Some of my favorite things about this course are:

  1. Sowing Seeds: There are scriptures to study in the Sowing Seeds section at the end of each Module to help kids understand the material from a biblical world view.
  2. Independence: It is easy for the student to follow independently and easy for the parent to check on their progress.
  3. Graphs and Illustrations: The comparison graphs and visual aids and colorful pages that engage the student.
  4. Hands On Projects: There are also projects suggested throughout the course that give it almost a hands on Unit Study feel at times.
  5. Study Skills: The reading and comprehension skills learned in this course will be useful for all courses taken throughout all grades especially in highschool and college and it teach good study habits.

I would recommend this course to all homeschool families and homeschool book clubs and coops.  I found this course to be a very useful method of helping kids learn good study skills they will need throughout life.  Debra Bell has put together a great method and beneficial worktext for teaching kids to understand what they are reading.

Social Media

Be sure to check out Apologia’s social media links for all of the latest updates and news.

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/apologiaworld
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/apologiaworld
Twitter: www.twitter.com/apologiaworld
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/

Homeschool Review Crew

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A Better Strategy With Reading Kingdom Review

Our school year is going strong, and my kids have been using Reading Kingdom Online curriculum from Reading Kingdom and it is a fantastic learning program.

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Are you looking for a Reading curriculum for you kids?  You might say “yes,  we need to work on reading skills”  but you might also say “no, my kids can read fine”.  But when you stop and think about it, are your kids strong readers?  Could they improve?   The Department of Education reports that only 1 out of 3 kids today achieve reading proficiency.  What is a parent to do?

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Reading Kingdom has a better strategy than what has traditionally been offered to help kids rise above and reach reading proficiency. Reading Kingdom Online uses fun reading games, story books, and an award winning patented reading strategy to boost each child’s skills and confidence in reading, writing, and comprehension.  When kids finish the program, they will have mastered above a third grade reading level.

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Reading Kingdom Online

Ages 4-10

Cost $19.99 month, and $9.99 for each additional child.

Can also be used for :

ESL and Remedial Learning and Review for older students.

Reading Kingdom Online uses Dr. Marion Blank’s patented 6-SIM strategy called the  “Six Skill Integrated Method”.   You can read more about this strategy in her book titled the Reading Remedy.   This method is foundational for learning  and mastering reading proficiency.  The skills learned will overflow into every other academic area too.   This method brings reading, writing, and comprehension together in an integrated and fun way for kids.

The full program is divided into these key areas:

Keyboard and Mouse Training
Sequencing Survey 1
Sequencing 2
5 Levels with 4 to 6 sessions each.

Why does it work?  Because this method is based on learning the meanings of words and and the pattern sequencing of letters and sounds that create meaning.  This is superior to other methods of learning to read.  Most programs only use a phonics program.  But phonics are a deceptive way to learn English because there are 100’s of combinations to remember.

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The 6 Skill Integrated Method (6 SIM) covers six areas of learning: Sequencing, Writing, Sounds (Phonics), Meaning, Grammar, and Comprehension.   This online program cooresponds to a printed program with teachers manuals, workbooks, and level reader books.  You do not have to buy the printed program, but if you want to, it is available.  I hope to purchase some of the workbooks and readers in the future.  I would like for the kids to have practice writing what they are learning, and not just typing only.  I can see the value in having both.  But for now, the kids can do the reading online and that is perfectly fine too.

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Sequencing:  recognizing patterns from left to right.
Writing: understanding letter placement on keyboard and writing through out the program.
Sounds (Phonics): sounding letter blends,
Meaning: understanding the meaning of words and their context.
Grammar: grammatical rules
Comprehension: remembering and understanding what has been read.

What skills will your kids master on the road to becoming proficient readers?

Here is a partial list of skills mastered that correspond with Elementary grades:

Preschool (skills: left and right, sequencing, letters, upper and lower case, keyboarding skills for writing, etc.)

Kindergarten (skills: common words and meanings, punctuation, upper and lower case, auditory processing, sound descrimination: speaking and listening skills, keyboard skills, etc)

First Grade (skills: sequencing, motor skills, phonics, grammar, reading comprehension, blending, decoding, sentences, punctuation, and more)

Second Grade (skills: vocabulary, sight words, reading, spelling, decoding, writing complex sentences, summarizing, and more)

Third Grade (skills: reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, language expansion, increase their abilities to read and understand more complicated texts, academics, and literature, etc. )

Struggling Readers (useful in helping build skills for: struggling readers, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and English As A Second Language (ESL) more).

The entire program starting at the lowest level and working your way through to completing the highest level takes about 12 to 18 months to complete.    A child who already has acquired some reading skills maybe able to complete the program in 6 months.  A child who is a struggling reader due to learning disabilities may take longer than average to complete.  The program is flexible and adapts to the skills of each child.

Skill Levels

Reading Kingdom offers 5 different learning levels.   Each level is adaptable for the skill levels of your kids, so it customizes itself per the child’s needs.  Each level builds upon the skills learned in the previous level and gets your kids ready for the next level so it all flows smoothly together. A Progress Check (review quiz) is given after each level.  More practice is given if needed, or if they have mastered everything, they are promoted to the next level.

Each level is filled with several sessions.  It is expected that kids will work on the program for at least 4 sessions per week.  In each session takes about 20 minutes.  A child learns 1 new word or reads 1 new book during each session.

Each level takes between 10 weeks to 15 weeks (10-15 weeks according the the FAQ Pdf, but the website also lists it can be done in 6-10 weeks) to complete if your child completes 4 or 5 sessions a week and depending on how quickly they progress.

A Quick Glimpse Of The Desktop For Different Levels:

Here are some desktop views from the different levels.  The first picture under each level shows the number of words and books learned in that level.   The second set of pictures in each level shows screen shots of various learning games with blending, sequencing,  and online story books.

Level 1

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Level 2

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Level 3

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Level 4

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Level 5

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How We Used Reading Kingdom In Our Home

I am a mom of 6 kids,  and they all have different learning styles and different skill levels. Each child learns a little differently from their siblings and I am so grateful for homeschooling because it gives us the freedom to pursue what works best for each child.

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We are using Reading Kingdom Online with our 6 year old son and 8 year old daughter.  We began by taking a skills test to learn the exact skills they already knew, and what skills they have yet to learn.  They took a letter sequencing test and a keyboard typing test.  This helped customize the program to their exact level.

Sequencing Test

Sequencing Test

Typing & Keyboard Test

Typing & Keyboard Test

Reading Kingdom Online is an adaptable reading program.  It responds to the child’s skill level and their ongoing progress.  It allows kids to skip over practicing words they already know.   It also recognizes what they don’t know and provides extra support and training in those areas.

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The dash board shows their progress.  This is a very nice feature.   Also I can go in to an advanced step on the dashboard and  set it to redo the test or a level if needed,  and change the speed for responses or leave it at the default speed.   So far they are doing great and I don’t see a need to make any changes.

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Since some of my kids find it easy to learn to read, and some find reading more challenging, it is a blessing to have a curriculum that can adapt to both of their learning styles.

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I like the parent dashboard because it gives me a basic summary of how each child is progressing.  I also get a weekly summary emailed to me alerting me of progress and any concerns.

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Dr. Blank

Dr. Marion Blank

Dr. Marion Blank is known around the world for her literacy expertise.  She developed and directed the Light on Literacy Program and is on the faculty of Columbia University.  She lectures around the world, and she has authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and books. Dr. Blank has developed several award winning teaching programs.  She is the author of the Reading Remedy and creator of the Reading Kingdom.

The online modality of delivery of the Learning Kingdom system software was put together by Dr. Marion Blank’s son, Jonathan Blank.   He is a top software designer in his field and has many other digital software accomplishments. He has designed programs for top name brands like Google, Adobe, Sony and more.

Dr. Blank and her son and have made this an exceptional educational software program.  They made a great team and produced an amazing product for kids, parents, and teachers.  This online learning program has come together in a beautiful way.  Their collaboration together on this project using her strategy and expertise in teaching, and his expertise in digital software is combined and packaged into a fun online delivery system (computerized learning) for kids.  I would encourage every family to give this system a try with their kids and beat those national average statistics and come out a winner who has mastered reading proficiency.

Social Media

Be sure to follow Reading Kingdom of their social media sites for all the latest news and updates.

Blog  http://www.readingkingdom.com/blog/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/readingkingdom

Twitter   https://twitter.com/readingkingdom

Pinterest   https://www.pinterest.com/readingkingdom/

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