I asked each child of mine what are their goals for 2020. Anissa stood proudly before us and stated she wanted to become a better reader. Now she can read, not with great fluency, she’s good for someone in the first grade. “Mommy I want to read just like you, you know with the voices, and fast.” Well little Miss Anissa your wish is Mommy’s command. Of course I’m going to help her achieve this goal.
In the past with my two older children I used Hooked On Phonics (HOP) to teach them to read. Both of my older children were reading by the time they were 3 years old. Anissa, the final piece to my trilogy has a very extensive vocabulary. I attribute this to her having older siblings and the fact that we never baby talked to her, we always used complete sentences. Anissa’s school is equipped with resources similar to HOP so I never thought to use the system at home with her. Apparently I need to break it out and help this little lady with her reading.
The HOP system uses phonics to help children learn the sounds of letters, after learning the individual sounds of each letter, the children then learn to blend sounds to help them form words. As they begin to blend the sounds they start to pronounce words. The system has levels for each learning experience, as their reading experience enhances they receive an award and can then tackle the next level. Back when I used the system with my older two, you could rent the levels from your local library for free. HOP can appear to be expensive and having access to it at the library was cost saving. The only issue with renting the system from the library was the availability to check out the system. Recently I decided to invest and purchase the level of the system Anissa needed to achieve her goal. The cost for the system ranges from $13/month for online access or $60-$300 for the complete system or portions of the system. My suggestion, if you are considering using HOP to help your little one read go to the library and see if you can rent it there first, find out if it’s a fit for your child’s education goals. I’m making the investment because I know the system works and I have a niece and nephew who will be able to utilize this as well.
Reading is truly fundamental! Reading has allowed us as a family to explore worlds beyond our own, to use our imaginations, and to gain knowledge of the things we want to know. Give your child the gift of exploration by investing in their reading potential today.
What do you use to help your child reach their goals? How do you set educational goals for your children?
This has been around for years. I think my mom had me on this also and it helped. So many things out here these days it’s hard to choose but the old things still do the job the best
Great job on helping your kid with her reading goals. My daughter is in 3rd grade but scores beyond her grade in reading. I was able to be a SAHM with her and read to her often. Along with other things like flashcards etc. ABCmouse website was also a great ok online tool. Now we give her activity books to practice her educational skills and come up with creative ways for her to crush her goals.
I love ABCmouse! I love old school phonics and that why teaching with HOP works for me.
I wish Anissa the best of luck with reaching her goal of becoming a better read. Reading Eggs, practicing sight words, and reviewing phonics helps us. My son was a delayed talker and I was always worried about what effects that would have on his reading ability but he’s been determined to not let that limit him.