REading Egg online package. Is it any good? Anything bette

[OrganicGreen]

http://readingeggs.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am thinking of using my son's (age 4 in reception) computer time to help him learn his phonics and to read using Reading Egg. I have just registered for the free trial. I would like to know what you think about this Reading Egg and if you know of anything online that is better.

Thanks

[999 mum]

I haven't used or heard anything about the website you mention, but have you looked at http://www.starfall.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;? (It was totally free a few years ago.)

[um]

I haven't used either of the above websites but have found http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://mrthornedoesphonics.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; very useful for this age group. They are both free.

[mystery]

Yep I don't know it either, but I'd be wary of subscribing to one reading website when there is so much free material around. If it's not well put together, or he tires of the particular characters, illustrations etc, you've wasted your money and maybe put him off reading.

I do think it's important with reading not to get too hooked on the PC / internet from the start too, but by all means do use it, but make sure that reading books is the goal.

Yes Mr Thorne does phonics is good, as is starfall. You could also try buying a parent set of Re*d Wr*te Inc sound cards (speed sounds sets 1 2 and 3) and the black and white decodable story books if you want to make headstart at home.

I'm assuming the school he goes to uses synthetic phonics - what scheme do they use? If you can build on his phonics at home using the same thing scheme they do you are less likely to confuse him with different ways of remembering the same thing.

How much do you know yourself about synthetic phonics? If you mispronounce the phonic sounds you are going to make it harder for him to work out new words for himself, so probably one of the biggest differences you can make is to watch a parents' video on synthetic phonics on the web and how to sound out and blend words correctly yourself.

[yoyo123]

Google Letters and Sounds,it is a really good scheme and used in a majority of schools.
As Mystery says, find out which scheme teh school uses and try to work with that.

[OrganicGreen]

Thanks everyone for your replies. My son's school uses Jolly Phonics and I have many of their material at home. I wanted my son's computer time to be spend having fun practicing his phonics. I will check out the free sights mentioned... :0)