Summer is upon us! This either instills so much excitement in a parent or utter fear. LOL
You’re probably trying to figure out where everyone is going to camp, or if not, how YOU will keep them entertained at home all day.
You probably also want to let them have all the fun during summertime, but also find ways to nurture their minds & keep them ready for school.
***Disclaimer: Hunter & Gage are very bright (they get that from their daddy) and TRULY have a love for learning. I want you to honor YOUR child and what THEY are good at and what they are PASSIONATE about. Hunter truly LOVES to read, y’all! He doesn’t seem to like any of the sports we’ve signed him up for which is totally okay. We’re also really working on his emotional and social skills. But I want you to meet YOUR kids where THEY are at & realize that learning to read at age 3 is NOT the norm (and that there’s no need to push them if they’re not interested). I’m not bragging about our kids – I’m simply sharing something that really worked for us & I believe can work for other families, too. As always, YOU DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!***
So back to sharing how we did it & what worked for us because I know it can help you too . . .
Around the time Hunter turned 3, I started writing simple words on the chalkboard in the playroom like ‘mat’ or ‘cat’ and I would just sound it out with him. No pressure. If he seemed interested, I’d write a new word; if not, we moved on to play with something else. Overall, he didn’t really seem super interested in this, so I didn’t push it.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we had to stay home with no child care – but we were still working full time (and I was pregnant with Beckett) – we were desperate to find things that could entertain our 3 year old and 16 month old. I happened to see an ad for a $1 Hooked on Phonics trial. I figured “what do we have to lose for a $1?” PS. I always set a Reminder in my phone to remind me when to cancel subscriptions 😉
One of the BEST things about the Hooked On Phonics app is that you can have more than one child using it – all for the same price! I didn’t have to buy it twice!! Hunter pressed his name on his tablet & Gage pressed his name on his tablet. They were each taken to their respective lessons for the day.
Learning through the Hooked on Phonics app was one of the main things the boys did during quarantine. Just getting their tablets in the first place was super special for them because they usually only get to use them when we’re traveling. But the Hooked on Phonics app kept them both entertained for hours and I could tell that they were truly enjoying it.
Hunter started in the ‘reader world’ and Gage started in the ‘pre-reader world.’ Gage was hearing a lot of songs, letter sounds etc. It kept him super engaged. Hunter is also starting to use the spelling portion of the app now which is a new addition.
It took Hunter about 3 days to catch on to how much he loved this app. Hunter loves animals, and the Hooked on Phonics app uses animals everywhere. He loved the dancing, the silly sounds they made, etc. Adding in here that we didn’t care for ABC Mouse, which we tried.
I really realized that Hunter was actually reading when he would choose all of the wrong answers and save the correct one for last – all because he wanted to hear the rhino make this burping sound that he laughed hysterically at.
Within about 3 months of using the app, he was reading. We did do the add-on mailing packages where it sends you the practice packs that go along with the app. They send you stickers that the kids can add to the workbooks as they complete them. We’ve saved these for Gage.
We pay $6.99 per month for the app and the boys share it. Hunter is reading and doesn’t use the ‘reader world’ They get on about once per week now. Hooked on Phonics even emails me a progress report to keep track of their progress.
So whether you’re really trying to help your child learn how to read, or maybe you’re just trying to keep them occupied for small bites of time this summer, I couldn’t recommend the Hooked on Phonics app more. And I’m not usually one to recommend technology stuff for learning – I’m more ‘old school.’ LOL
While we no longer use it daily, I do believe that the app (and mailed books) were instrumental in both boys learning to read. It’s a super great deal especially if you have more than one child. I also love that you can pause the mailed book packs (ours are off right now but they’re $8.99 per pack shipped) or adjust the frequency so that you only receive them every other month per se. We definitely plan to let Beckett start using the tablet and app soon. Honestly, it’ll probably be my saving grace with him after baby #4 arrives.
I would LOVE to say that I whole-heartedly taught Hunter to read, but I really do believe that the exponential growth and speed with which he caught on to reading is because of his time learning through Hooked on Phonics. I’m a huge advocate of their teaching methods and have recommended the app to countless friends.
I’ve never felt super locked in to this app or the subscription. I feel like not only do I have options to adjust our subscription, but I can turn it off completely at any time. The app is not super glitchy – which is normally a huge hang up with other apps we’ve tried. The boys are able to navigate it easily and enjoy their time on it. It’s a win-win!
So what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose? Try out the Hooked on Phonics app for your kids today 🙂
As always, feel free to shoot us a DM on Instagram @Messy_Wonderful if you have any more questions.
