As a parent, I know finding the right reading program is crucial yet challenging. When my son entered kindergarten struggling with letter sounds, I knew I needed to take action. After extensive research, I chose Hooked on Phonics – and I‘m so glad I did!
Over the last year using Hooked on Phonics, I‘ve been blown away by my son‘s reading progress. He‘s sounding out words independently and reading early chapter books with excitement. The program worked its magic.
Today I‘m sharing my first-hand experience using multiple Hooked on Phonics levels along with tips to maximize effectiveness. Read on to learn if Hooked on Phonics‘ flagship reading curriculum has the mix of content, features, and results your young learner needs.
Our Background Before Hooked on Phonics
I‘ll start with where things stood before Hooked on Phonics entered the picture. As a long-time educator and reading specialist, I know that phonemic awareness and phonics skills provide the foundation for reading proficiency.
When my son Jackson started displaying signs of reading difficulty in kindergarten, I became concerned. At age 5, he didn‘t know the full alphabet or letter sounds. He‘d memorize favorite storybooks rather than read the words. I knew that deficit would snowball by 3rd grade when reading to learn ramps up.
After meeting with his teacher and reading specialist, we agreed additional phonics instruction at home would help reinforce his weak letter-sound skills. Hooked on Phonics came highly recommended from other teacher friends for its systematic phonics approach.
I decided to give it a shot – and it was the best decision I could‘ve made…
How We Used Hooked on Phonics – My Review Process
For this review, Jackson and I used the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read 4-level curriculum kit designed for Pre-K through 2nd Grade. It includes:
- 10 Original Storybooks (Levels 1–4)
- 1 Bonus Book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- 4 Workbooks (Levels 1–4)
- 9 Reading & Activity Books (Levels A–E)
- Letter Tiles
- Stickers
- Parent Guide
Over the course of a full school year, Jackson progressed through the levels. We followed the lesson schedule outlined in the parent guide, doing 20-30 minute sessions 4 times per week.
Each lesson would start by introducing new phonics concepts or sight words using letter tiles and the workbook. Then we‘d read a storybook and activity book together to reinforce skills. Games, iPad apps, and online songs from the Hooked on Phonics suite supplemented learning.
Evidence of Effectiveness: The Results
The proof is in the pudding, right? Well after a full year using Hooked on Phonics, Jackson is reading significantly above grade level now at the end of first grade. His MAP Reading Test scores jumped from the 20th percentile to the 91st!
Hooked on Phonics gave his reading skills the turbo boost he needed. After finishing the 4 levels over the school year, Jackson can now:
- Blend letter sounds and word chunks smoothly to decode new words
- Recognize 220+ sight words instantly
- Sound out multi-syllabic words like stupendous
- Read early chapter books with engaging stories confidently
Beyond the hard data, I see Jackson choosing to read for pleasure daily. He proudly captures new vocabulary words in his own homemade dictionary. Hooked on Phonics didn‘t just radically accelerate skills – it nurtured an authentic love of reading books.
The Laser Focus on Essential Reading Foundations
Behind these dramatic improvements are the laser-targeted foundations woven throughout Hooked on Phonics lesson plans.
Systematic Phonics: Every lesson introduces new letter blends and sounds in a carefully sequenced scope and sequence. We started with short vowel sounds, then alternate vowel teams like ai before tackling multi-syllable words.
Phonemic Awareness: The letter tile manipulatives, chants, and rhyming games build phonemic awareness skills in a multisensory way. Segmenting sentences into distinct sounds prepares kids‘ minds for decoding.
Sight Word Mastery: Hooked on Phonics digs deep on the 220 Dolche and Fry sight words. Weekly timed assessments track mastery. This, more than phonics actually, fueled Jackson‘s confidence.
Reading Fluency Focus: As texts increase in difficulty, guided oral reading, echo reading, and reader‘s theater exercises develop crucial accuracy, expression, pace, and prosody.
These interlocking components steeped in linguistic research work together to turn kindergarten emergent readers into confident chapter book readers by 2nd grade.
Inside the Hooked on Phonic Lessons & Materials
As we used Hooked on Phonics over the school year, a few components stood out as being particularly helpful for Jackson in building skills. Let me give you a peek inside the lessons and materials.
Stories That Delight and Teach
Who doesn‘t love storytime? Hooked on Phonics storybooks introduce letter sounds and sight words through tales and topics that appeal emotionally to kids age 4 to 8. Level 1 books start with simple stories featuring just a few short words per page before expanding vocabulary and complexity.
Jackson loved picking the Cars & Trucks themed take-home book Tag Goes Zip to read aloud each week. Seeing the pride on his face master new phonics patterns motivated him internalize skills quicker.
Hooked on Phonics stories feature predictable text with sight words kids need to memorize.
Multisensory Manipulatives
Tracing letter shapes in shaving cream or clay makes pathways to proficiency more tangible – and memorable when multiple senses get involved. Hooked on Phonics capitalizes on this, blending visual, auditory, and tactile learning opportunities.
Sorting the tiles with consonant and vowel letter combinations gave Jackson‘s hands something to do while his mind processed sounds. The physical memory of organizing ch, sh, th boosted phonemic awareness and pattern recognition too.
Motivating Milestones
Who doesn‘t love an old fashioned sticker chart? Hooked on Phonics sets realistic goals children feel pride accomplishing themselves. The letter sound and sight word assessments let kids showcase growth through fun stickers. Nothing beats that smile when they move up a reading level!
Finishing the 4 workbooks over the year gave Jackson a sense of completion few kindergarten reading programs can replicate. Having measurable metrics and milestones makes progress explicit too.
Earning stickers and progress charts connects effort with celebratory rewards
These purposefully designed lessons create a nurturing path to literacy combining science and joy.
Hooked on Phonics Product Options Comparison
Hooked on Phonics offers several curriculum packages and supplements so you can customize to your child‘s needs. Let‘s compare the key product differences.
| Product | Grade Range | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learn to Read Complete | Pre-K – 2nd Grade | Physical Workbooks + 10 Books | $199.99 |
| Learn to Read Digital | Pre-K – 2nd Grade | Online access only | $124.99 |
| Learn to Read Essentials | Pre-K – 2nd Grade | 5 Workbooks + 5 Books | $99.99 |
| Reading Comprehension | 1st – 2nd Grade | 5 Workbooks + 1 Book | $49.99 |
| Reading Essentials App | Pre-K – 1st Grade | iPad/Android App | $7.99 per month |
| Letter Sound Flashcards | Pre-K – Kindergarten | Paper Cards | $12.99 |
| Additional Book Packs | Pre-K – 2nd Grade | 5 Storybooks | $25/pack |
Mix and match components to meet your budget and learning needs! Go full comprehensive curriculum or start with a monthly app subscription to sample it out.
Simple Tips to Supplement Lessons
While Hooked on Phonics delivers exceptional reading instruction on its own, skill reinforcement never hurts. Jackson‘s 1st grade teacher Mrs. Murphy shared tips that worked wonderfully for us last year:
Read aloud daily to model expressive fluency and build listening vocabulary. Discuss meanings of interesting words he might not know yet.
Start a sight word BINGO game using index cards of his Hooked on Phonics sight words. Quick, no stakes practice.
Make letters using clay or pipe cleaners while saying the sound. Gets hands involved in cross-sensory learning.
Play word games in the car like how many words can he make up from a longer word you say out loud? Build phonemic manipulation.
Give a small reward (sticker, treat) each time he reads one Hooked on Phonics book out loud from start to finish without help. Motivation!
Have him dictate a story to you that you transcribe exactly as he says. Hearing whole sentences he constructed read back develops the mindset of an author.
Little ten minute activities like these amplify Hooked on Phonics‘s effectiveness when done regularly.
Bottom Line: It Works If You Work It
Over the past year, I‘ve experienced first-hand how Hooked on Phonics delivers measurable reading results for kids who apply themselves. Is it a magic bullet that requires no effort? Unfortunately not, but the payoff for reasonably consistent lessons is incredibly rewarding.
For any child struggling with key phonics and decoding ability, Hooked on Phonics checks all the boxes. Its systematic scope and sequence, progress tracking, engaging stories, and fun supplementary apps combine into the full reading toolkit.
I wholeheartedly recommend Hooked on Phonics to parents and teachers seeking a well-rounded program backed by decades of reading science. It meets kids at their level and accelerates literacy skills crucial for unlocking future academic success.
If your child is anything like Jackson, they‘ll surprise themselves just how quickly reading goes from frustrating to fun once Hooked on Phonics works its magic!
Now I‘d love to hear about YOUR favorite reading programs and activities too…let me know in the comments!
