Need Opinions on Phonics Game

The game is a good reinforcer; however, if the basic skills are not at a semi-independent level, the game will not be of benefit. Many parents of children whom I see for private reading instruction have spent the money for this game and the child still doesn’t know how to decode words. After a few months of intensive instruction, some play it again with more success. (I don’t think they are demonstrating dyslexic readers in the advertising and I’m sure there is some fine print somewhere…)

My opinion: It does not replace good reading instruction—especially for highly at-risk and remedial readers. Is it worth $200? That depends on how much money one wishes to spend on games and entertainment.

I’d say your money is better spend elsewhere. It’s not designed for kids with sped issues — the price includes all that marketing.

Does your public library have a games section for lending and if so, maybe they would be interested in purchasing it. I borrowed Hooked on Phonics from our public library. It was useful as a reinforcement, but like other posters have said, it will not teach skills to a dyslexic child. The Lindamood Lips program was very successful in getting my dyslexic children to decode.

Penny:

Hooked on Phonics may be ok for kids who have not been taught using phonics in school (Whole Language refugees). But for dyslexic kids, it would probably be ineffective.Many dyslexic students have severe phonological processing deficits—an inability to count phonemes in words, inability to sequence them, and often the inability to discriminate between phonemes. Games such as Hooked on Phonics assume that a child has those abilities already. It’s called phonemic awareness. Dyslexic students need programs that include phonemic awareness in their curriculum. Multisensory language programs such as Orton-Gillingham or Orton-Gillingham-based programs (Wilson, Hermann Slingerland), Lindamood-Bell, and some swear by Phonographix, are better choices. Good luck.

Marilyn

General rule: the more high-powered the advertising, the more they promise fun-fun-fun, the more they promise that no work is involved, the less real nutrition is in the item.

Go to Scholar’s Choice on the Web and order Check and Double-Check Phonics Books 1 and 2 for under twenty dollars. Then spend thirty minutes a day working through them, page by page and step by step following the instructions. You’ll spend a tenth the money and get ten times the success.

Ask me for more suggestions for the rest of your reading and writing program — phonics skills are an absolutely vital basis, but are only a tool to unlock the rest; there are five or six other strands to address.