Freddy has Learned to Read with Everybody Learns

Our free trial of the Lexia Core 5 reading program from Everybody Learns has sadly come to an end. In the three months that Freddy has been using it, he has averaged about 100 minutes a week online. I have been kept regularly updated on his progress and he has been rewarded with certificates for completing the levels, that he has proudly taken in to show his class teacher.

When Freddy started the program he was not making good progress with his reading. A combination of being a summer born baby, having difficulty with his eyesight and generally being a reluctant learner meant that by the end of reception he had not reached the first level of attainment and had emerging skills only.

This was not a true representation of the smart, bright, eloquent, curious and thoughtful child that my son is. 

Having access to this program allowed me to support my son's learning, reinforcing the phonics sessions he was doing at school.  The progress made on his skills was really noticeable. Even his class teacher remarked on the fact that it seemed to be coming together for Freddy. Consequently, he has virtually caught up to his peers and is holding his own, rather than lagging behind. This is a huge relief to me.

By the end of his trial Freddy could read sentences, recognise sight words and use phonics to decode and write words independently. He also showed a good understanding of vocabulary and comprehension.

I was so impressed by his progress. The course helped build new skills and consolidated them with plenty of practice, moving on only when the skill had been mastered. This complemented what he was doing at school and helped build his confidence. The fun animations unlocked as a reward for completing the levels kept Freddy fully engaged and enjoying the learning process.

As Freddy approaches the Government's Year 1 phonics test, I hope the extra work he has done at home will help him get through it, so he can start Year 2 in a good position, and not from behind.

Here are my previous posts featuring the Everybody Learns Lexia workbooks and online reading course:

http://insidethewendyhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/everybody-learns-lexia-reading-and.html
http://insidethewendyhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/helping-freddy-to-catch-up-at-school.html
http://insidethewendyhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/everybody-learns-freddys-progress.html

Find out more about this reading course at: www.everybodylearns.co.uk. You can also let your child complete a free reading quiz and receive the test results via email with advice on improving your child's progress.

Let Your Children Create-A-World

Creative Play For Boys and Girls with Create-a-World

As a child, one of my favourite toys was Fuzzy Felt which consisted of a board onto which cut-out felt shapes could be stuck.  I used to get a new one every Christmas and excitedly waited for the newest themed set to add to my collection.  I have very fond memories of my Fuzzy Felt.  I was therefore very excited to see that the concept has been brought bang up to date in the exciting soft imagination game Create-a-World  from Simply Good.

Freddy was a very eager and willing volunteer to have a play with the Create-a-World set with an additional ABC kit  sent to us from White Step....and I was equally eager and willing to join him in a fun creative play session!

The large felt board can be wall mounted or used on the floor or on a table as a base for your child's creativity.  Colourful, hand-made felt pieces can be easily stuck, removed and moved around to create a unique scene.  Animals, fairy tale characters, bugs, vehicles, roads and people are among the 60+ playing pieces, which allow the child's imagination to run wild.  The additional ABC set includes 51 colourful handmade letters, each featuring an object or animal that begins with the letter it is printed on.  This creates an even richer creative experience, allowing young children to discover the alphabet and spell out simple words.

Create a World

Lovely Letters

Playing with the set encourages children to express themselves in many different ways with art, storytelling and imaginative role play.  Language, problem solving and number skills can be developed.  The letters allow  early phonics and letter recognition.  Concentration levels can be improved. And all this learning is cunningly disguised as play!!

The best way to demonstrate the Create-A-World playset with the additional ABC kit is in a video.   So here is Freddy playing with his new favourite toy!

Other noteable features are that the Create-a-World set comes in a handy bag making it easy to tidy away and perfect for taking on holiday.  It is a mess free creative activity...no scissors, glue or paint required.  Everything can be packed away quickly and cleanly.  So it can really be played with anywhere and anytime. It is all beautifully made and will grow with your child.  Older children can use the pieces to play out stories or could even use them in stop-animation.  They are a great educational resource.

The Create-a-World with the ABC set is available from whitestep.co.uk for £58.95.

Top That! for Phonics and Bumblebees!

Top That! Publishers have sent us a fabulous bundle of books to review.  We have a lovely, big glossy picture book and some Flip-over Phonic books to aid children with reading and spelling.

Po-Tolo is a picture book with a green message.  When spaceman Po-Tolo came to Earth on a quest, the brave, busy bumblebee Izzy helps him save his planet.  In Po-Tolo's world, the bees have all gone and all the plants are dying.  The environmental message is clear, making young children understand the importance of the humble bumblebee.  Po-Tolo's plan diagrams show how bees collecting pollen leads to more plants!

The CGI illustrations are bold and bright and the fun story is entertaining to little ones as well as having the important green eco message.  Freddy laughs out loud at this story, when Po-Tolo's spacesuit springs a leak thanks to a naughty wasp!  It also makes little ones realise that they don't have to be big to be a big help! It costs £6.29 and is suitable for ages 3 and up.

We also received three free-standing flip over Phonics books: Short Vowels, Three Letter Words and Word Families.  The books are quite sturdy with thin card pages.

Each page is split into three, allowing children to flip through to match up the correct letters, rhyming words or phonemes to make words or groups of words.

Freddy is a bit too young yet to really benefit from these as they are recommended for children aged 5 and over.  They will however be great aids in learning to read and spell.  The books come with notes for parents to help the understanding of phonics.  By using colour and picture matching, children can find the correct matching pages, even before they have learned the alphabet. This is a great resource for pre-schoolers!