Homeschool Review - Spencer Learning Ultimate Phonics Reading Program

I learned, from watching my second child learn to read after temporary hearing loss, how important the rules of phonics is to reading and believe that it is the backbone to success in understanding the English language, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program from Spencer Learning.

WHAT IS ULTIMATE PHONICS READING PROGRAM?

First, let me tell you what it is not - This is not a silly little cartoon character and sounds style of learning. It is a software program that you install onto your computer, doesn't take up a lot of computer member to run, and is very easy for your child to follow and use. Don't let the lack of cartoon cutesy kid graphics fool you. The way the program is designed keeps it streamlined, clutter free of distractions, and focused on the task of learning phonics and reading.

There are 262 lessons. It teaches all of the phonics patterns and sounds of the English language in a no-frills, direct manner. It begins at a simple level and gradually progresses to a more advanced level. The lessons build on each other and the knowledge presented in the previous lesson.

Every sound is repeated by the audio on the program as the student clicks or passes the mouse over the sounds or words.

Look over the Scope and Sequence The lessons use thousands of words and sentences that the student is able to decode. Word List

What is the the Spencer Learning Ultimate Phonics Reading Program?

The program requires Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, or Macs OSX 10.5.8 or higher. I received a license to use the downloaded software that is good for as many computers as I have and can be used by anyone and everyone in my household. I was asked to use it with at least one child for an average of 3 days a week. The lessons are short, but may be repeated to reinforce specific skills, so 3 times a week only usually amounts to about three 10-minute sessions.

            The program has been successfully used for years to help students become better readers, overcome learning disabilities, improve self confidence, and perform better in school. It is designed for: Improving reading skills For new or struggling readers For older students who never had the phonics skills reinforced and are still struggling Students with dyslexia English as a Second Language ESL Adult literacy The software program is a complete systematic phonics program, which means each lesson builds upon each other, that includes tons of "de-codable" reading material.  Use it as a main curriculum or as a reading/phonics supplement, suitable for all ages. Lesson 1 is more of an overview of what to expect, so it is recommended that Lesson 1 and 2 be done together. After that, the program recommends doing at least one lesson at a time and setting aside the same time each day to complete the lessons. A lesson is successfully completed when the student is able to read all of the words and sentences with 100% accuracy. When the lessons are completed, the student will be able to read  7,000 pages divided into 262 lessons with 6 kinds of pages: Pattern Idea Word List Word Pages Sight Word Sentences

Ultimate Phonics Reading Program is a software app designed to teach users how to read using phonics.

The pages within the lessons are set up in 4 parts: A pattern or idea page A set of word list pages A set of word pages A set of sentence pages

The buttons are easy to understand and use. Go screen to screen within the lesson, skip ahead to the next or go back to the previous lesson, view lesson history that you have completed, and search.

How Did We Use It?

We started with the easy install. Just download, put in the license and it's ready to use.

The program allows you to search ideas and patterns concepts or words from the word lists.

The lessons build on themselves:

    
 

Each lesson has a word list

 

  

My daughter is 9 and has a fairly good foundation in phonics, so I reviewed the first part of the program and determined that it would be better if we id not start at the very beginning, but rather use it as a supplement to her current phonics program. We were currently covering the ai ay sounds, so the first thing I did was search for ai rules on the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program and took her to that lesson. She was able to easily figure out the controls.

 

What Did We Think?

After using several phonics programs that attempt to get silly to attract the attention of the student, I really appreciated how easy and straight forward the program is to use. It presents all of the phonics elements that are necessary to learn how to read. I love how it has an audio to hear the sounds and words.

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