Samson's Classroom

Samson's Classroom is an online resource for teaching sight words, spelling and reading comprehension to children in grades K-5. We've been using this for the last month and the kids are really enjoying it.

There are 3 sections to Samson's classroom:

The first area is SIGHT WORDS where children are taught 224 of the most commonly used English words.  The sight words are divided up into lists that are taught in 5 steps. 

First, the words are introduced by showing the word being spelled one letter at a time while the voice says the word and each letter as it is shown.  It will repeat the same word and spelling over and over until the child presses the arrow to go to the next word.  

Next, they are given a set of letters to choose from to spell the word.  

In Step 3, they have to click on the correct word when they hear it. 

In Step 4, the child must spell the word using the entire keyboard (rather than just a few letters like in Step 2)

Finally, in Step 5 players go on a treasure hunt for the correctly spelled word.

Students can easily see their progress and navigate through the lists:

SPELLING

In the spelling section students (or parents) have the choice of creating their own lists or using the many lists already included in the program.  We are using both.  Below is a screenshot clip of Emma's spelling lists.  The 4 icons at the top are the choices the player has. They click on a circle (green ones are already completed) to begin a task.

The first one is a learning activity.  The list pops up (and can be printed) and the child can click on the word to hear it read, hear it in a sentence and hear it being spelled.  The other 3 icons are all games. In the one pictured below, students must choose the missing part of the word. If they get it correct Samson karate chops the board.  In the second game, students make Samson run across the screen gathering letters.  There is a spider that chases Samson and ties him up in "silk" if the player is not fast enough.  I cannot for the life of me figure out how to play this game.  It took Emma a few weeks, but now she can play it.  I guess it's the way gamers move characters.  I wouldn't know.  LOL  Third, is the walrus game.  The player must spell the word correctly to get Samson to jump across blocks of ice.  If you wait too long or misspell a word a giant walrus jumps up and starts to bite the ice and eventually Samson falls in. (This one I like. :) )

The games are fun and they're a great way to reinforce spelling.

It is very easy to add spelling lists.  You can choose to activate lists so that your
 student can only see the ones you want them to see.  You can leave other lists deactivated until later.

Finally there is the READING section which gives students practice at reading comprehension.  This would be great for kids getting ready for standardized tests. 

Students read a passage and choose the correct answer.  If they choose incorrectly
the text will turn red so the student can find the proper answer.

In Reading, students earn Hammer points so they can try their hand
at swinging the hammer.  Emma loves this.

Samson's Classroom is not just an online game sight though.  They also have a large Resource section that includes worksheets, games to be printed, flashcards, lesson plans and award certificates.  I'm really impressed with the number of worksheets and activities that can be printed to go along with the spelling lists.

a few sample worksheets- we used these yesterday because I had to be out
for several hours today

a sample of an award certificate that can be printed

One last thing to mention is that parents can see their child's progress easily in their account.  You can view all of the children at once, by level.  Then, by clicking on their name you can see detailed charts of what they have completed, what they need to work on and what hasn't been attempted yet.

Emma (9) has been using this as her main spelling program.  I took the words from our current spelling program and entered them into the program and she is set for the year.  It didn't take long to enter the words at all.  More words can be added at any time.  Occasionally, a word is not in Samson's Classroom's database.  You can request a word be added by the click of a button.  We have found this too be too difficult for my very beginning readers. Connor, who is 11 and has Down syndrome likes to play on this, but hasn't really progressed with it.  He can't enter the letters fast enough so he is stuck at the same level.  (He doesn't seem to mind though.)  However, this has been really great for my first and 4th graders.  We are really enjoying this and plan to continue with it for the rest of the year.

Here is a video you can watch that will show you Samson in action.

Click to try a demo.

Purchase Samson's Classroom for 1 student for $30 a year or pay $50 for up to 4 students.  This is an amazing value for an internet subscription program.

Click here to visit Samson’s Classroom and become a better reader. Play fun games that will help you master sight words, spelling and reading comprehension!

See what others are saying about Samson's Classroom on The Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.




disclaimer: I received  4 one year subscriptions to Samson's Classroom  in exchange for an honest review

Reading Kingdom

Reading Kingdom is a new reading and writing system developed by Dr. Marion Blank, a world renowned expert on literacy and the Director of the Light on Learning Institute at Columbia University. It uses a 6 skill model of reading instruction and incorporates elements of phonics and whole language while teaching additional skills required for reading and writing success without requiring kids to learn any complicated rules.

This is not your typical reading "game". It is completely educational, but feels like a game. There is no "arcade" so I feel confident in allowing my child to "play" on Reading Kingdom without feeling like she is wasting time. My 6 (almost 7 year old) Jenna has been using Reading Kingdom each day.  The lessons are short enough that she doesn't feel overwhelmed, but long enough that she is really learning.   I like how Reading Kingdom teaching sequencing, motor skills, sounds (phonics), meaning, grammar and comprehension.

A comparison chart showing Reading Kingdom versus the Phonics
 and Whole Language approaches to reading.

Here are a few screenshots with descriptions of the activities.

Early on the child has to match the word by only clicking on the letters in the word.

The child must click on the word that they hear.
They must read the whole word and not just guess based on the first 2 letters.

The student clicks on the box that could have the word spoken. In this example she had to click on the word that could be "eat".

In this exercise, the student must click on the word (in the box on the bottom)
and then type in the missing letters to make that word.

In this exercise, she had to type in the words as she heard them.  The first word must be capitalized.
The green bars are for a space or punctuation. If the child takes too long finding a letter a keyboard will pop up on the screen and highlight the key that needs to be typed next.

This is the screen at the end of a lesson.  The student can click on the red door and be done for the day, click on the green arrow to do another lesson or click on the pink arrow to go to review activities for previous lessons.

This is the main screen for the review.  The student can pick up to 3 words to review.  

You can see many more sample lessons with details on each.

At any time, I can log into Jenna's account and see exactly where she is and how she is doing.

To get started all you need is a computer and an internet connection. Then just sign up for a free trial, add a reader account (or more than one) and the Reading Kingdom program will take care of the rest. The program will briefly evaluate your child's skills and start him or her off at exactly the right level.

The length of time a child will need to complete the program varies depending on his or her skills. To complete the entire set of components takes about 12-15 months, assuming a child starts at the first level and completes four to five sessions a week. Many children, who already have some reading skills, can often complete the program in as few as 3-6 months. Children can also move through the program more quickly by doing more than 4 sessions per week.

You also need computer with a mouse, an internet connection, a web browser and free Flash player.  An adult is needed to supervise a child logging on and getting started in the beginning.  After the initial proces,s children can work on their own (adults are not supposed to help in any way.)

Children should be at least 4 years old, be able to sit quietly and pay attention for 15 minutes, and they should be able to use a mouse.

Visit the website for more details.  If you have an iPad you can find instructions for using Reading Kingdom on it. It does require that you purchase an app from another company so be sure to check that out if it's something that interests you.

I really like Reading Kingdom.  I can see how Jenna is progressing with her reading.  I also like how the writing skills are also incorporated.  Although Jenna is in level one she is learning to put a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence and a period at the end.

Parents can change the amount of response time the child is allowed.  This is very helpful for children that aren't that fast on the keyboard or just need some extra time to respond. Included is a section for teaching the keyboard as well.  We did not use that.  One other thing to note is that the child (or parent) can opt to have a keyboard on the screen to click or use the physical keyboard.  I think this is a nice option.

The only thing that would prevent me from purchasing this in the future is the price.  It seems to be the going rate for online programs like this, but it's still a bit steep for me.


See what others are saying about Reading Kingdom on The Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.

When you sign up for the Reading Kingdom, you receive a free 30 day trial . After that, subscriptions to Reading Kingdom are $19.99/month (with no monthly minimum), or $199.99 per year (20% off). Additional children in your account get 50% off ($9.99/month or $99.99/year). Subscriptions maybe be canceled at any time.

Reading Kingdom also sells books that go along with the lessons and other companion products.  I am considering buying the first book to see what they are like.



disclaimer: I received a one year subscription for one child to Reading Kingdom in exchange for an honest review

Reading Eggs

 Looking for something really fun to help your child with their reading? Reading Eggs is a web-based reading program for children 3-13 and my kids love it!

From the website:

Reading Eggs now has 100 big lessons. These 100 lessons are perfect for 4 to 7 year olds who are learning to read.
We are still building more NEW lessons for our older Eggsplorers as part of Reading Eggs World. This world is perfect for 6-8 year olds who already know the basics of reading but who still have much to learn about reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension. This exciting new world has lots of new lessons, a creative story writing factory, new games and will soon have many wonderful new books to read in Storylands. The learning focuses on building reading fluency and comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, and a range of writing skills including grammar and punctuation.
In Reading Eggs World, children have their own house to decorate, a big new shop and an avatar that can walk and travel to many new destinations on Reggie’s bus. Children are able to choose their own adventure from a wide range of activities and places to go.

The entry screen where your child chooses between Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress

Your child will begin by taking a reading assessment to find out what level to start at.  They put them at a much lower level than they need to be but I think this might be to ensure that nothing is missed. You can change your child's level at any time or have them take the assessment test again.

From the parent dashboard you can adjust your child's level or
 have them redo the placement test.

As your child progresses through Reading Eggs they move along a map,
unlocking new maps as each section is completed.

At then end of each map, there is a quiz. Quiz results are emailed to you so you can see how your child is doing.

printable activity sheets are available for every lesson

a sample of a colorful activity sheet available for every lesson

a sample of one of the activities

Besides the fun reading instruction there are lots of fun activities for your child as well from the music cafe to puzzles (which reinforce the words they are learning to read) and just plain fun activities like decorating a house.

Children use the golden eggs they earn to purchase items for their playhouse.

The puzzle gallery offers many ways to practice skills while having fun.

puzzle games and the number of eggs that can be earned by completing each section

The only problem with Reading Eggs is getting them to stop using it.  Oh and Reggie's voice can get a little annoying, but the kids don't seem to mind.  I have also noticed that my younger children will tend toward just playing the games and not doing the lessons.  However, there is a place in the dashboard to turn the games off if you wish to. I highly recommend you give Reading Eggs a try.

Sign up here for a 2 week free trial. (no credit card required) Or click here to try a sample lesson. 

A 6 month subscription to Reading Eggs is $49.95 and a 12 month subscription is $75.  Receive a 50% discount on subscriptions for additional children (added at the same time). Companion books are also available for purchase.

If your children are older you may wish to try Reading Eggspress.  Reading Eggspress is for 7-13 year olds and encourages further development of reading skills.

Read what others are saying about Reading Eggs on the TOS crew blog.  Check out the Reading Eggs FAQ if you have questions.  OR feel free to ask me here and I'll do my best to answer.


disclaimer: I was given a free 3 month subscription to Reading Eggs in exchange for an honest review.