Educational Software

This comprehensive package includes flash cards, a workbook, CD Roms, and printed storybooks to make up a unique, complete teaching system to help children learn to read. We found the step-by-step teaching approach and completeness of the package to be extremely valuable. The system emphasizes learning building blocks of reading to help children progress from letter recognition and letter sounds, to phonics and building words, to sentences, and finally to reading comprehension. The included storybooks reinforce the sounds and words introduced in earlier lessons. The system includes a Parent's Guide with instructions on using all the materials and options for customizing the system for child4en of different ages. The Learning Company will donate 10% of its online sales to the nonprofit organization First Book.

The Complete Learn to Read System can be played in two different ways -- in a mode called "Road to Reading" that uses step-by-step instruction, or in a mode called "Pick and Play" in which the child selects among activities, books, and songs. During the "Road to Reading," the child joins several colorful characters in their quest to bring words back to Wordville. Children are periodically rewarded with songs and certificates marking their progress as they gain more and more reading expertise. "Pick and Play" contains the same books, songs, and kinds of activities, but items can be chosen from a menu in any order. We found this package to be extremely well-thought-out and comprehensive. Children learn many skills including phonics, letter recognition, rhyming words, identification of sounds, vowels, simple punctuation, vocabulary building, spelling, reading comprehension, and much more. This is certainly a top reading package and well worth its price.