Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
We recently received a one-year online family membership to Blake eLearning Inc. This membership includes access for up to four students to such popular programs as Reading Eggs Junior (for ages 2-4), Reading Eggs (for ages 3-7), Reading Eggspress (for ages 7-13), Math Seeds (ages 5-10), and Fast Phonics (ages 5-10.)
These websites include colorful graphics, fun learning games, and books to read. Students are able to design their own personalized avatars to be used throughout the games. They can also earn eggs that can be spent on furnishings for their digital house, accessories for their avatars and pets, and even play video games in an arcade. In one of the newer features, there is even a monthly theme in which items specific to that month can be purchased with eggs.
In our family, The Little Guy has been mostly using Reading Eggs (which is more for beginning readers) and Fast Phonics (which is phonics and sight word practice), while The Boy and The Girlio have spent their time in Reading Eggspress (mostly reading comprehension.)
Once I decided which program was right for each of them, they were able to take placement tests to place them at the correct lesson starting points.
The Little Guy ended up starting at lesson 41 in Reading Eggs, I chose to start The Boy at the very beginning of Reading Eggspress, and The Girlio started at lesson 101 in Reading Eggspress.
With three students using the same website, I really appreciated how easy it was to set up accounts for each of them, and be able to view each from a central family dashboard.
From there, it was easy for each kiddo to just click the tab with their name on it, and the start button where they could pick up right were they left off.
I can also click their tab and view stats on their progress. In Reading Eggs, this includes the Little Guy’s current reading age, and the number of phonics skills and sight words he knows. It also shows me what he has recently completed, and even how many quizzes he has taken (including the percentage correct), and how many fiction and non-fiction books he has read. It’s a very detailed dashboard, and a great snapshot where I can easily see progress.
In Reading Eggspress, this is taken a step further. Not only can I see the quizzes taken and books read, but things are broken down even further into progress in Literal, Inferential, Vocabulary and Usage, and Text Analysis and Critical Literacy categories.
I also get emails when they complete levels. I like this, because even though I am not sitting at the computer with them, I can instantly give them praise for their accomplishments when I see the emails.
While these sites can definitely be used as a supplement to Language Arts and Math programs, there are also plenty of bonus materials available to extend learning opportunities.
You can find Homeschool Worksheets, Color Activity Pages, Spelling practice, and additional Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Usage Olympic-style games.
In the new Fast Phonics, students climb mountain peaks with their yeti friend and fur balls by watching fun videos, completing activities, and reading books while practicing their Phonics skills. In this adorable world, kids practice letter sounds, letter and word recognition, and reading.
And finally, there is Math Seeds, where students watch fun cartoon-style videos, and complete exercises going over basic math skills.
As you can see, there are tons of fun and educational activities within the Blake eLearning Inc. websites!
I really like how easy it is to track the kids’ progress. I also love that my kids are volunteering to do reading comprehension! If I handed them worksheets, you would hear the groans for miles, but package it in fun graphics and video-game styled activities, and it’s a whole new world!
Fast Phonics is fun as well. So far, it has been relatively easy for my six-year old (he finished Peak One in less than an hour), but he is enjoying it and the characters are so cute and silly.
It would probably be perfect for a kindergartner or first grader, but for him it’s still great review. I am sure it will get harder as he goes too. You know it’s enjoyable when I sat next to him for an hour straight, and I still thought it was entertaining.
The Little Guy’s favorite part was definitely Fast Phonics. He liked Reading Eggs too, but said sometimes it got a little boring because the activities repeated themselves.
The Boy liked that he got to do fun games and watch videos. He liked that they show you how to do everything. And, he really liked the trading cards because you can trade them for better stuff.
The Girlio liked that she got to review reading comprehension because it was hard for her in the past, and now she says it is easier. She liked the activities, but wished there was more variety in the levels. She liked the pets, and especially the trading cards.
Overall, these programs are a fun and easy way to practice reading and math skills. I would add one caveat-as this is a secular program, do please be aware that some of the reading comprehension books include secular references-i.e. dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, etc.
Would you like to learn more about Blake eLearning Inc.? Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews!
Slow Down, Enjoy, and Create 