Reading Eggs Review

I try to help my kids keep their brains in tip-top shape during the summer months. So far I've been slacking a little, but they have started their summer workbooks, and Lucy has been working hard on an Online Learn to Read program called Reading Eggs.

If you've had a kindergartener in the past decade or so, you are well aware that kindergarten is a whole new ball game these days. By the end of the year, Lucy had some pretty good basic reading skills under her belt. The last thing I want is for her to lose that over the summer. What I want is for her reading ability to increase while she's on hiatus. For this reason, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the Reading Eggs program.

Reading Eggs is designed for children 3-7 years of age. A 12-month subscription costs $75, which works out to only $1.40 per week. There is also a 6-month subscription available. If you're unsure whether Reading Eggs is right for your child, you can sign up for a FREE 14-day trial, and no credit card is required. 

Here's a brief rundown of how Reading Eggs works once you've registered your child:

1. Sign in with your username and password.
2. On the next page you will see your child's name and current lesson. Click Start Reading, right under the lesson number.
3. Click Enter on the left side, under Reading Eggs.
4. Click My Lessons.
5. At this point, you will be taken to whichever map your child is currently on, where you can choose the next lesson for your child. It is set up like a colorful board game with 10 lessons on each map. When each lesson is complete a new egg hatches, revealing an animal or character. At the end of each map, there is a short quiz and your child earns a "diploma" before moving onto the next map.
6. Earn eggs along the way for use in other activities on the website!

Besides the maps with the reading lessons, Reading Eggs offers other fun activities too. On the left side of the page you will see a menu with other options, for example the Playroom,  Reggie's Shop (where your child can "spend" accumulated eggs), the Arcade (where your child can "spend" her eggs on playing games), and Driving Tests, where your child can take reading tests. Some options are locked until a certain number of lessons have been completed - another incentive for your child to keep working!

The best thing about Reading Eggs, hands down, is that Lucy loves it! It's fun. There are no arguments when I tell her it's time for her to do her lessons. In fact, I would like her to do one lesson a day - but she usually goes beyond that and does two or three. Furthermore, it is very user friendly. I don't have to sit with her and go through each question with her. With her limited computer knowledge, Lucy is able to get through her lessons with very little help from me. I sign her in and open the first lesson for her, and she takes off from there. This is nice because she wants to be independent, and Reading Eggs helps her feel that she is.

Lucy is currently on map 5, out of 12. So far she is really motivated and enjoying herself quite a bit! Making learning fun is so important, especially for kids just starting their academic careers. I am very happy with Reading Eggs, and I highly recommend it! I've noticed that Lucy seems much more confident in her reading since she started the program. If you're looking for something to help your child continue learning during the summer months, or complement school lessons during the academic year, check out Reading Eggs!

I received a trial membership to Reading Eggs. All opinions are my own.

Parlez-vous Francais?

In high school, my favorite class was French. I loved it. I loved my teacher, I loved conjugating verbs, I loved memorizing and reciting Noel, de Theophile Gautier. The language came pretty naturally to me, and not only did I loved the class, I pretty much considered it to be an easy A.

When I went away to college, I started out as a French major. I found my college courses to be much more challenging, but I still loved French. I had become accustomed to having the same teacher for all my years of high school French, and switching to a new professor was different. I adjusted and did fine, but I remember feeling a bit like I was out of my element. I don't exactly know what I planned on doing with a degree in French, but maybe I thought of working with a translation agency, or something similar.

But then...life happened. I came home after being away for a year and went to the local community college for a few semesters. I was already beyond the top level of French offered at the community college, so I was no longer able to take classes. By the time I transferred yet again, this time to the university from which I earned my degree, I felt like I had been out of French for too long to pick up where I had left off. So my dream of becoming fluent in French came to a halt. I wish I had done something to keep my French skills fresh until I could once again start classes. But I didn't.

So now, almost 20 years later, I remember a smattering of French, but I wish I knew more. It's not too late for me. My brain isn't a fresh absorbent sponge like it once was, but if and when I decide to put my mind to it, I can learn again. Becoming fluent in French is one of the goals on my Life List. Someday...

Are you fluent in a foreign language, or do you wish you were?