Effective Literacy Website: Reading Kingdom

Gerilyn Ilao

ED638 Fall 2018

Dr. M. Rivera

IRA Newsletter Project: Effective Literacy Website #1

Reading Kingdom (https://www.readingkingdom.com/) is an online K-3 reading program where they give you the tools to turn children into successful readers. It claims to be the first program to use the Phonics-PLUS system, which is a system that uses a patented “Integrated Six Skill Method” of reading instruction that incorporates elements of phonics and whole language while teaching additional skills required for reading and writing success without having to learn any complicated rules. Many parents and teachers have praised how much it has helped their children progress in their reading ability, even Cindy Crawford praised it!

The program was developed by Dr. Marion Blank, who has been a pioneer for effective reading programs. She was trained in neuropsychology and has spent over forty years studying and understanding the development of language and reading abilities in children. She currently works at Columbia University where she has developed and directed another learning program.

Some benefits that the Reading Kingdom claims to have are that: it is research based and incredibly effective; it adapts to every child and provides individualized instruction; children can use the program on their own; it is fun for the children because they think of it more like playing a game and therefore, wanting to use it more; it was created by one of the world’s top experts in reading; it works as a standalone curriculum or supplement; and it works on any device with an internet connection.

Here are some things I found after conducting more research on Reading Kingdom: 1) it is affordable. The program offers you a 30-day free trial subscription, but if you want to continue the program after those 30 days, it will cost you $19 a month or $199 a year. 2) it is very organized. The program is so organized that you can clearly see what skill your child or children has completed and what level they are at for the different skills. 3) it does not work on EVERY device. One user’s review that I watched on YouTube mentioned that it only works on Google chrome and that it does not work well on tablets. It appears to only work on any Windows operating system. 4) Customer service is excellent. When the user I watched on YouTube had an issue with the page loading, she contacted customer service and has described them as nice, friendly, and quick to getting the problem solved. 5) It is not just focused on reading. It also focuses on skills such as sequencing, writing, meaning, grammar, and comprehension. It also teaches children how to use the keyboard.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Reading Kingdom for beginning or struggling readers. Not only is does it focus on more than one reading ability for the children, it is fun for them as well. I would definitely use this program for my students and for my future children.