Hello! I imagine that if you got this page, then you’re curious to know how you can be sure that the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read actually works. It’s a perfectly reasonable thing to ask, especially considering that you only have one chance to get it right.

Luckily, the folk behind Hooked on Phonics don’t expect you to trust them blindly… and so they’ve released verifiable official statements about their program.

How the Hooked on Phonics Approach was Developed

First of all, they declared that the techniques and approach to learning are all based on current findings from studies about how children learn to read. Instead of simply going for old, time-tested methods they prefer to turn their attention to the latest scientific findings on phonics, phonemic awareness, oral language, alphabetic knowledge and print awareness.

To be a bit more precise, their program works progressively from letters to sounds, to words, to sentences, and finally reading fluency. It’s a very gradual method that is designed to keep challenging your child just enough to allow them to consistently progress and build their confidence.

Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read use an approach they refer to as learn-practice-play, and it basically works in three steps: first they learn new concepts, they practice them until they are mastered, and finally they play phonics games or read books that reinforce that knowledge.

What did they base the development of their program on? Well, apart from basing themselves on the latest scientific findings as I mentioned it earlier, they also claim to have been working closely with many parents, teachers and even children’s authors… that’s what I call going the extra mile.

Also, the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read has allegedly been tested not only by parents and teachers, but also by kids themselves in order to make sure it lives up to its own hype.

The Main Goal of the Hooked on Phonics Method

The method was developed to provide children with an individualized approach to learning, an approach that will adapt itself to the aptitude of the child. With the concepts and exercises being neatly categorized into various levels based on difficulty, you can easily choose to work on the activities in which your child is lacking.

The people behind the program understand that children of different ages all have different needs, which is a consideration that can make a big difference in how well the child learns.

According to the founders of the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program, their approach which consists of exposing children to varied reading materials is a necessary step to slowly and carefully unwind the child’s abilities and have him or her blossom.

According to the researches they based themselves on, a child who understand show sounds make up words is better and interpreting the words, not to mention reading them.

What Other People Say About the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program

I won’t spend too much time with this, but I believe it doesn’t hurt to know what results people obtained from this program. For example, Sarah from Sarah Reviews says that her kids “wanted to do “lessons” twice a day. My kids can read now. I’m not kidding[…]They can sound words out. Neither of them could do that three weeks ago ”.

To reiterate the point, in only three weeks the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program allegedly allowed her to teach her children how to pronounce words, and even read an eight-page book called “Cat”.

Do I Believe the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program Works?

Well, to make a long story short, yes I believe that the Hooked on Phonics system does indeed work. Why do I believe that? Well, first of all I actually tried it for myself and obtained some very impressive results,

I can’t really expect you take my word for it just like that. However, I should remind you that the method used in this system was developed through meticulous scientific research and opinions given by parents, educators, and children’s author books.

In order for us to be able to truly progress, we need to be willing to set the old methods aside and try some newer and more promising ones that were developed with modern knowledge. The education sector is one of those which has remained old-school longer than pretty much anything else, and is in need of change, of a true overhaul.

As of now, it seems that the only people interested in making this kind of thing happen are the people behind Hooked on Phonics; they are doing their best year after year to develop ways for children to learn faster.

If you are interested in learning about my experience with the system, then simply check out my Hooked on Phonics review.

If on the other hand you would like to try the Hooked on Phonics program for yourself, simply follow this link.
 

General Overview of the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program

While we did look around to see what early learning programs were available out there, Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read was the first program in which we decided to invest money in. At the time of purchase our son was just about to turn three years old, which is the recommended age according to the people behind Hooked on Phonics. According to them, their product is designed for children aged 3 to 8.

To make this long story short, the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program comes divided into 5 levels which aim to teach your infant letter sounds, short vowels, beginning and ending blends, long vowels and combinations. All in all, you will receive 8 DVDs that concentrate on learning through visual stimulation, 36 original storybooks, not to mention that you will receive 8 workbooks designed to reinforce what your kids just learned.

On a side note, be careful and make sure that you are indeed looking at the newest available version of the product. Seeing as how Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read has been around for a while there are still older versions out there with outdated materials.

The Benefits of Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Program We Found Useful

The first thing which we noticed with the Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read is that everything is completely and meticulously planned out, from A to Z. The difficulty and complexity of the program increase in very small increments and every single resource which comes as a part of the product, such as the DVD and workbooks, has its use.

The second aspect we found quite welcoming is the fact that you do not have to be a teacher in order to successfully guide your child through the system. The parent’s guide we spoke of earlier is actually quite practical and not only informs you of what to do as a parent but also walks you through the necessary steps to take as the teacher of your child.

Most of all the aspect which appealed to me the most is the amount of materials, techniques and resources which are offered with the package. With the intention of improving your child’s reading capabilities there is a plethora of workbooks, reading materials, flash cards, music, songs, games and helper cards for them to take advantage of.

Most of the techniques presented are innovative in the sense that they encourage a much more interactive teaching method, rather than having your child simply absorb information and repeat. Various tools are at your disposal to make the early learning process into a game as much as possible.

Finally, we believe that children have more incentive to learn if there is some type of reward waiting for them at the end. As you can probably guess already, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Hooked on Phonics had that area covered as rewards such as stickers are actually part of the program.

The Hooked on Phonics Cons

Even though most Hooked on Phonics reviews out there are showering the product with pros, there is one con which in our opinion cannot be ignored. What a lot of people omit from telling you is that the product will only be beneficent if your child already knows how to read or is close to it. This is because about 90 to 95% of the course is focused on improving reading skills, rather than teaching them.

Hooked on Phonics Review – Our Conclusion

It has actually been well documented that children learn to recognize words much better when taught to them separately in context and in isolation through interactive activities, such as workbooks, games and visual aides. As far as I know, these are all an essential part of the Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read.

I would like to say that if your child has already learned their alphabet then you can use Hooked on Phonics Learn To Read to improve their reading skills, at least until they are 8 years old. You should not integrate this program any earlier as it will prove to be too much of a challenge. If you want to gather some more information you can always read a few more Hooked on Phonics reviews; the product has been out since 2006, meaning many people have had the time to use it. Also, it may be useful to know that it was actually approved by the Children’s Reading Association.

As a matter of fact, it seems the makers of Hooked on Phonics are quite confident in their abilities since they claim to have a customer satisfaction rate of over 98%. In any case the product comes with a 30-day risk-free trial meaning that you can actually test the product for yourself without risking anything, other than losing a bit of time.