We homeschool at our house, so I'm always looking for products and materials that we can use with our children, especially those that promote phonetic reading principles. We usually don't care if they are designed to be used exclusively in a homeschool setting or not; as long as they work and get my kids excited about learning, I will use them!
We recently tried the Pre K Scholars Kindergarten Readiness Kit DVD. It is part of a larger suite of products from the Pre K Scholars line to help you coach your child along in their reading fundamentals, and it can be used alone, or as a compliment to your child's existing preschool curriculum. When I first heard that it was a DVD, I mistakenly thought it was a video to be used in a DVD player. It turns out this it is a DVD-Rom to be used in a computer,and that actual video makes up little of the program.
We easily installed the DVD, and I was able to go through a quick walkthrough of the basics of the program. There is essentially 3 main parts: a brief video demonstration, a game, and a printable lesson plan -- all available for each letter/phonetic sound. There are additional items that can be purchased to go along with this basic plan, including a set of cards, but we found enough to do with just the items on the DVD to be able to have a full reading curriculum plan in our own home.
What surprised me is that the program didn't start with letter "A"; it actually started with letter "P". This was a naturally easy letter for my kids to start with, and they really got into the printable lesson plan that came on the disc. (Activities that were provided in the first week alone included some cut and paste projects, a recipe and activities for homemade play dough, and sheets to make a scrapbook of each letter.) We found that between the game, videos, and printouts, it would take about a week (doing 2-4 days of classtime per week) to do each letter. This was perfect for our needs! The program itself runs 22 weeks.
Here is a quick demo of a game on the DVD:
In addition to the DVD, we also tried an iPhone app that is compatible with the program. (It reinforces the exact same principles, and it is basically a portable version of the games and videos for my kids to practice with.)
I would recommend this program to parents and homeschool teachers who want a comprehensive reading/phonics program that combines computer-based and traditional writing components, as well as anyone who struggles to find activities that emphasize their phones goals. There is really nothing you need to come up with on your own in regards to lesson plans, and this program would be a great stand-alone program for any child age 3-5. (Although my 6-year-old LOVES to practice with it, too!)
Learn more about the DVD (ARV $39.95) and the app to decide for yourself! (And check out their helpful hints for parents and educators on their Facebook page!
Wanna Win? We have an extra copy of the DVD to give away to a lucky reader! To be entered to win, just tell us how you could use this program in your home! You have until December 15th at 11:59pm CST to get your entries in, and the winner will be randomly selected from all complete entries. One entry per peron, please. Open to U.S. residents 18+.
Don't forget to enter our other blog giveaways while you're here!
*We received both the DVD and app for this review of the Pre K Scholars Kindergarten Readiness Kit DVD. Opinions are my own.
We recently tried the Pre K Scholars Kindergarten Readiness Kit DVD. It is part of a larger suite of products from the Pre K Scholars line to help you coach your child along in their reading fundamentals, and it can be used alone, or as a compliment to your child's existing preschool curriculum. When I first heard that it was a DVD, I mistakenly thought it was a video to be used in a DVD player. It turns out this it is a DVD-Rom to be used in a computer,and that actual video makes up little of the program.
We easily installed the DVD, and I was able to go through a quick walkthrough of the basics of the program. There is essentially 3 main parts: a brief video demonstration, a game, and a printable lesson plan -- all available for each letter/phonetic sound. There are additional items that can be purchased to go along with this basic plan, including a set of cards, but we found enough to do with just the items on the DVD to be able to have a full reading curriculum plan in our own home.
What surprised me is that the program didn't start with letter "A"; it actually started with letter "P". This was a naturally easy letter for my kids to start with, and they really got into the printable lesson plan that came on the disc. (Activities that were provided in the first week alone included some cut and paste projects, a recipe and activities for homemade play dough, and sheets to make a scrapbook of each letter.) We found that between the game, videos, and printouts, it would take about a week (doing 2-4 days of classtime per week) to do each letter. This was perfect for our needs! The program itself runs 22 weeks.
Here is a quick demo of a game on the DVD:
In addition to the DVD, we also tried an iPhone app that is compatible with the program. (It reinforces the exact same principles, and it is basically a portable version of the games and videos for my kids to practice with.)
I would recommend this program to parents and homeschool teachers who want a comprehensive reading/phonics program that combines computer-based and traditional writing components, as well as anyone who struggles to find activities that emphasize their phones goals. There is really nothing you need to come up with on your own in regards to lesson plans, and this program would be a great stand-alone program for any child age 3-5. (Although my 6-year-old LOVES to practice with it, too!)
Learn more about the DVD (ARV $39.95) and the app to decide for yourself! (And check out their helpful hints for parents and educators on their Facebook page!
Wanna Win? We have an extra copy of the DVD to give away to a lucky reader! To be entered to win, just tell us how you could use this program in your home! You have until December 15th at 11:59pm CST to get your entries in, and the winner will be randomly selected from all complete entries. One entry per peron, please. Open to U.S. residents 18+.
Don't forget to enter our other blog giveaways while you're here!
*We received both the DVD and app for this review of the Pre K Scholars Kindergarten Readiness Kit DVD. Opinions are my own.
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