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When I first started looking into home ed one of the big things that worried me was that I am NOT an expert... in anything... How was I going to be able to teach the children important things like reading and writing when I have zero experience in teaching these things?
And then it dawned on me, Who said home education had to be SOLEY down to those caring for the children involved? Just because we aren't choosing to send our children into the schooling system doesn't mean we can't outsource when we need to.
So I started looking into different curriculums, apps and outside sources for help in the subjects that I felt are REALLY key. For example I can teach the alphabet but phonics? it wasn't how I was taught and is something that I'm struggling to get across to Calliope. I've found a few and will be reviewing the ones we try as we go! Starting with one I see most often on social media, Reading Eggs.
When I found Reading Eggs (specifically the Fast Phonics course for Calliope) it looked ideal for what we both needed;
Bite sized lessons
Engaging activities and games
Easily able to go back as many times as needed to solidify the lesson
Able to use it with or without my support
30 day free trial
Sample lessons for parents
These were my pros before we even started (we've been going for 2 weeks now) and I have to say my pros list has only grown longer. I'm really impressed with the course and the results we've seen in Calliope in such a short time (after months of fighting through methods she despised!). I have possibly the shortest cons list in the world which I'll talk about.... now.
My one and only con for the course is this:
During the initial assessment it felt quite "shamey". Let me explain. The initial assessment involves saying words into a microphone, you're allowed to sound out each letter individually and then you're either correct and get a congratulatory noise and a happy face, or, in Calliopes case, a big "ERRR" noise and a sad face. This had Calliope on the verge of tears as she was sounding out the individual letters she knew one at a time, too slowly for the microphone to pick up. On the last word she actually said she didn't want to continue. Once the assessment was finished there was a big congratulatory noise, confetti on the screen and smiley faces on the character showing her that she was starting at lesson 1. She was confused at this and couldn't understand why they were smiling when she had gotten all of the answers wrong and and the ERRR noises before.
Looking back, I could have skipped the assessment and just started her at lesson 1 myself. This would have saved that upset and would have been the logical place to start anyway. I didn't do this though because she DOES know some phonics and most of her letters already, just not in the right order or make words and blending isn't a strong suit. Calliope is a real people pleaser and praise driven, she has been since birth and this could have really put her off continuing with this course (luckily I convinced her that there would be games, it would be fun and she wouldn't need to do that part again).
So if you're thinking of starting the Fast Phonics course this is something to keep in mind. if you know your child is easily upset by getting things wrong then just start straight from lesson 1, if it's too easy they will whizz through it in no time, if not then that's where they'll be placed any way so its a win win.
That is where my one and only complaint ends!
Fast Phonics uses a combination of videos and games to teach phonics in bite sized lessons. The setting for these are on a mountain peak with a friendly yeti! You can earn coins through the games to customise your yeti and as you progress their house gets more and more fun. The first peak counts for the first set of letter sounds A,S,T and P broken down into 20 lessons (20 being a quiz). You can take as much time and repeat each lesson or video as many times as your child needs. The fact that there are no time limits I loved as it took all the pressure away and meant we could really focus on each sound and make sure to get them right. Your child gradually builds up to learning new words and earns a gem for each new word in their library. By lesson 19 we read a whole book together!
We've been doing about 10 minutes a day for 2 weeks including lots of repeating (at Calliopes request) and I'm amazed how quickly she's gotten the hang of it. Just look at how proud she is in the photo below that she's completed her first peak and book! I can't wait to continue the course and highly recommend it if you have a child that is struggling with phonics at any stage.
Whilst we're focused on the Fast Phonics course with Calliope, Lauchlan (2 1/2) has enjoyed activities and videos on Reading Eggs Junior.
There's so much on offer in this section. A large selection of virtual books for different characters and topics, educational videos (what young children don't love a song with actions?) and activities including shapes, colours and matching games. Calliope has loved joining in with the singing and action videos too so the 2-4 age range should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Alongside all of this there are the OG courses as well including Reading Eggs (age 3-7), Reading Eggspress (age 7-13) and Mathseeds (age 3-9), plus free printable worksheets to go alongside the virtual activities. If you enjoy having physical copies of books, activity books, flashcards AND bath books are also available to order.
You can add up to 4 children with one subscription so it's a good money saver compared to other courses where you have to pay individually (we could all do with saving a little cash right?).
Onto price:
It's pretty reasonable for the amount of resources you get!
| Monthly | Yearly (billed yearly) |
Reading only | £6.99 | £54.99 (£4.58pm) |
Reading & Maths | £9.99 | £79.99 (£6.67pm) |
You also get 30 days free so you can try before you buy which I think is great as not every course will suit every child. I love that you can also subscribe on a monthly basis for those children who just need a *little* extra help in one area. These courses really can give a big boost in a short time!
If you think this might be a helpful course for you here's a link to sign up for the 30 day free trial:
I hope this was helpful! Leave me a comment to let me know if you sign up!
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