Mathseeds - Get a Free Four Week Trial Today!

We are fans of Reading Eggs, an online programme which features motivational reading games and phonics lessons for children aged three and up.  My little boy Freddy  is quite a reluctant learner, but as he is still only four I am not concerned!  However, he really enjoys the games with the fun characters that keep learning interesting, engaging and kid friendly. I have an annual subscription to Reading Eggs and the apps downloaded onto my phone so I can entice Freddy with some phonics fun at home.  So when we were asked to review Mathseeds on a free trial, which is an online programme designed to make mathematics fun for little ones, I was very interested in seeing how Freddy got on.  He has always been good at counting and numbers so he was very interested in getting stuck in and playing the games.

Mathseeds teaches kids aged 3-6 core maths and problem solving skills, starting with simple number and shape recognition and moving on as the child progresses.  The games are very engaging and Freddy is enjoying consolidating his knowledge and learning new skills.  The games are very user friendly and children can play independently. Children personalise an acorn avatar that moves around a map as the child completes the lessons.  You can earn acorn points which can be exchanged for accessories to further personalise the avatar and his treehouse home which gives children an incentive to complete tasks.  Freddy really enjoyed this element of the game. Cute cartoon pets are hatched at the end of each lesson, which adds an element of fun and rewards children on their progress.  Lessons can be repeated as often as necessary and children can progress at their own speed.

I am really impressed to have such an engaging and comprehensive maths programme online to support my son's learning.  He loves computer games and is happy playing on Mathseeds.  He thinks he is just having fun, which to me is the best sort of learning a child can do!

An annual subscription costs £29.95.  Mathseeds can be played on a PC or Tablet and is iPad and Android compatible.

Find out more at mathseeds.co.uk

Readers of my blog can enjoy an extended free trial using the promotional code UKB26MST. This will give you a 4 week free trial instead of the usual 2 weeks all new registrations receive.  So you can try before you buy!

Things We're Loving - Kids' Edition

Another month has passed us by and I am looking at the things that I have loved from the last few weeks.  This month I am concentrating on the best kids' stuff, sharing my picks of the clothes, books, films, music and games that I think are worthy of a mention!

First up, if you haven't seen it yet, take the kids to see Wreck It Ralph.  It is one of my favourite Disney offerings for years.  The story of video game characters living and working together in the arcade is absolute genius.  The message of acceptance and being the best that you can be, whoever you are, is heartwarming.  Freddy aged 3 loved it and continues to quote from the film, re-enacting his favourite scenes!  10 year old Kizzy and 16 year old Ella were equally enthralled by the story of Ralph as he tries to become more than just the bad guy.

My girls love to read and enjoy discovering books to escape into.  My two eldest girls were fans of Jacqueline Wilson, so it was inevitable that Kizzy would follow suit.  She is currently reading The Dustbin Baby which is the story of 14 year old April who was abandoned in a bin by her mother following her birth. It is a powerful and emotional story which engages readers as they follow April's quest to discover the mysteries of her past. I love how Jacqueline Wilson portrays her feisty  female characters, as being strong enough to survive against a backdrop of sadness. Empowering stuff.  This book makes excellent reading for ages 9+.

With Comic Relief coming up, we have visited Sainsbury's to stock up on our Di-NOSE-Saurs and also to buy the new One Direction single One Way Or Another.  It was just £1.99 and proceeds go to Comic Relief.  I love the video which they filmed themselves, donating the money they saved to the charity.  What lovely lads! (Especially that cute little Harry Styles!!)

After Kizzy visited the fashion cupboard at Girl Talk magazine's offices in London she has been exercising her mini-fashionista muscles to come up with trendy ensembles.  One of her favourite items at the moment is the 2 in 1 Shirt Jumper from New Look's 915 range which is £14.99.  With its attached collar it looks fashionably smart and perfect for the Spring season.  Kizzy assures me that collars are 'in' at the moment but the real beauty of this top is you don't have to iron a whole denim shirt!

When it comes to boys clothing, graphic T-shirts never go out of fashion and I love these two from Lands’ End.  I love the glow in the dark angler fish tee (as does my little Octonaut fan) and the simple 'Hey' design which really stands out in its simplicity. They are £9.95 each which is a good price for a quality t-shirt that will withstand the testing of an active boy like my son. Freddy has a big collection of t-shirts with slogans on.  They are just so easy and practical to wear with jeans and a zip-up hoodie or a jumper.

Land's End have gifted me with a voucher to try out these T-Shirts.

Our latest favourite game is the horrifically addictive Candy Crush Saga which I have on my phone.  You have to link up rows of three or more of the same sweet to remove them from the grid in an attempt to remove all the jelly or to release ingredients.  It's an old formula, but because it is all about sweeties, it seems so much more exciting!  I am not very good at it, but I am a trier, albeit a trier with no strategy, no vision and no foresight.  When I get through a level I'm pretty certain it's more luck than judgment, but the feeling of achievement is not diminished. As always, the kids are better than me!  They instinctively see the patterns and use strategies to clear the sweets. Kids and technology just work so well together. Candy Crush Saga is free on Android, iOS and Facebook.  So at least I'm not wasting cash on my new addiction.

Freddy has been playing Reading Eggs which I think is a brilliant program for introducing little ones to early reading skills.  I am so impressed with how well he can progress independently through the levels and how his letter and sound recognition is improving.  I'm hoping that through playing on the games he will soon be on the way to being a confident reader. Especially as Infant School beckons.

So that's the things we have enjoyed over the past few weeks here Inside the Wendy House.  I look forward to seeing what things we will be discovering next month!

Learning to Read with Reading Eggs

Freddy is 3 and a half years old and eager to learn.  He isn't very keen on writing or drawing, but he loves playing educational games on tablets, phones and laptops.  So when I heard about Reading Eggs, an online program that teaches children to read, I was very interested in giving it a try.

Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for children, with great online reading games and activities which are fun to play.  It is suitable for children aged 3-7.  (Older children aged between 7 and 13 have Reading Eggspress which takes reading to a new level.)  There also apps available for little ones to play and learn on the go.

I was given a free trial to Reading Eggs (anyone can sign up for a two week trial to give the site a go with their child) after that it costs £39.95 for annual subscription which gives you access to games, activities and printable activity sheets, plus it monitors the child's progress and calculates their reading age.

Reading Eggs has a host of fun characters that lead the child through the lessons with songs, sound effects, praise and amusing graphics.  Children also have access to a great Playroom where they can enjoy some games to improve their skills.  The accent used in the speech throughout the game is British which is something that I was very pleased about.  A lot of phonics based games and apps are American and I find that it can confuse children to hear the letters and words pronounced with an American accent.

Both lower and upper case letters are included as children explore the sounds, picking out the letter from words and finding it on a wordsearch grid.  They can even make their own virtual letter book featuring words beginning with each letter.  As they progress, children begin to explore first words, building the foundations for reading.  There is loads of unlockable content to work towards which keeps the game fresh and challenging.

Freddy has taken to Reading Eggs with enthusiasm   He is very good at using the touch pad to drag and drop, click on and draw letters.  He loves the Playroom games and can explore the site map independently.  It is very user friendly, intuitive and safe.  Parents have their own area where the child's progress can be monitored.  Freddy loves the characters and really enjoys working through the lessons.  It is definitely helping with his letter recognition and it is lovely seeing him take these first steps towards being a confident reader.

Reading Eggs are offering readers of Inside the Wendy House the opportunity to extend their free trial from 2 weeks to 5 weeks if they sign up now using the code UKB24MBT.  I would definitely recommend it.

Find out more and sign up for a free trial at Reading Eggs.