Has anyone used hooked on phonics?

[luvmk]

Our dd6 is in first grade and is having trouble with reading. We have been working with her, but I thought about getting Hooked on Phonics. Has anyone used this program? If so, did it help your children and do you think it was money well spent? I'm trying to think of ways to help her. Our ds8 is a very good reader, so it becomes frustrating for dd. Any advice on a good approach is welcome.


Rachel

 

[The Duchess]

We have it and I think it's great. DS just finished up Box 4.
It's very well organized and user friendly.
He's almost six and reads really well. We just started the Magic Treehouse series of books and he's reading them quite well!

 

[sjh801]

As the old saying says, "Don't put all of your eggs in the same basket."
From the point of view of a first grade teacher, no, it is not worth the money. Students who had used HOP were never my better readers in the long run. One was actually frustrated because she did not transfer the HOP rote learning to real reading.

My first reaction was why do you feel that she is having trouble this early in the year? Had you talked with the kindergarten teacher last year? I always inform my parents to give first graders at least two full months to adjust to "school". School, when you reach first grade is very different. I have often spent 45 minutes having students number papers before the first spelling test. They don't know how because it's a skill learned in school. I remind parents that so many things that are automatic for adults and even older elementary children, has to be taught first. I love first grade because all children go so far in first grade.

Don't get me wrong. Phonics is an integral and important part of learning to read. But there is so much more to learning to read than phonics. The best advice I can give is to save your money and spend it wisely. Read! Read! Read! And, talk to her teacher and the reading specialists at your school. They should have some good ideas.

Sandy

 

[luvmk]

I spoke with her teacher. She said dd was behind some of the other children in reading. She was concerned with how quickly dd is picking up the concept. She knows her letters and what sounds they make, but she has difficulty putting it all together. Her school strongly emphasizes reading. It is started in kindergarten. I just don't want her to fall too far behind. They have already started to separate the "good" readers from the ones who are having trouble. I don't want her to get down on herself or feel bad. I know she can pick it up, she just seems to take a little longer.


Rachel

 

[BrerMom]

Check your library. I was suprised to see ours has a set you can check out!

I've read several threads lately about kids not reading in first grade and "why are you so concerned." It really depends on the district. In our district, if a kid isn't reading fairly well by the end of kindergarten, they are recommended to repeat. Talk about stress....

 

[Disneymomma]

You could look into Leap Pad Products- They are much cheaper than HOP. I have seen many kids catch on quickly using the interactive books. You can often get the books on sale buy one get one free.

 

[gr8tpanther]

My DD10 was a very fast learner from the time she was born, I had MANY grand expectations for her in school. Low and behold, I got a note from the teacher about her reading... boy was I floored. I also noticed that she was writing things backwards and such, but she is left handed, I fought the system for TWO years to do a dislexia test, but because she is a "lefty" they said that is NORMAL for lefties!!??? So, they finally put her in a special reading group to work with her. She also has a comprehension problem. The school STILL hasn't done the dislexia test yet (and she is in 5th grade now) but she graduated from the program last year and is doing much better. I had thought of the hooked on phonics program, but I didn't really have the money for it, so I just worked with her and got her in the reading program at school and that helped.

I would check to see if maybe you can get her a tutor? Maybe see if they too have a reading program that she can enter to help her.

 

[luvdzny]

We used HOP for DD when she was in 1st grade, it was great!!! She was placed in one of the lower reading groups; we started her on HOP and saw improvement almost right away. She is now a 10th grader and is in Honors American Lit. (an 11th grade class.)
What "sold" me on it was when I found out they were using a very similar program for the 1st graders in the lowest reading group, gradually these kids moved ahead of the other kids who were not using phonics. It was expensive - but well worth it IMHO.