My Son is reading better..... that's what I can say this program did for him. He is reading better. Reading is making more sense to him (and it's easier for me to explain) why vowels change how they sound (they were such a source of angst earlier). So this program gets two thumbs up in this review. :)
Vendor and Product Details
Vendor: Joyce Herzog
Product: Scaredy Cat Reading System Level 2
Pricing Information: Complete Package is $75.
Age Range: There is a pre-test on the site which helps you to learn which level is best for your child. You can find that on the Downloads Page.
Product: Scaredy Cat Reading System Level 2
Pricing Information: Complete Package is $75.
Age Range: There is a pre-test on the site which helps you to learn which level is best for your child. You can find that on the Downloads Page.
The Scaredy Cat Reading System is designed to help beginning reading well...read. :) The placement test helps you to pick out the level best suited.
It comes with a CD, a book with the CD, a teachers manual, games, die, flashcards (The flashcards came on thick cardstock reading for cutting) and a student manual. The level we chose was reading level two, it seemed to be the best fit.
It comes with a CD, a book with the CD, a teachers manual, games, die, flashcards (The flashcards came on thick cardstock reading for cutting) and a student manual. The level we chose was reading level two, it seemed to be the best fit.
How we Used it
When we got the materials I looked through it and thought, okay, this looks intimidating. I've never used a curriculum to teach reading so hadn't been too sure what to expect. Looking through it, my thoughts were ACK, I can't do this, but as I delved into the materials my thoughts changed to oh....this will be a highly adaptable system. I can do this. This will fit with how we learn. :)
So I read through the teachers manual and got the basic gist of the program. Found some typos which bothered me. I will need to make a list and point them out to the author.
Then we dove in.
The lad had FUN playing the games. Imagine that. My lad having fun playing a word game. The games have low pressure, he could use his angry birds as players and they could be teaching each other how to say words.. it was ALL good. He learned! :) No tears! :)
The lessons are LARGE I found. We've been using the first lesson now for quite some time and still aren't through it. Mind, I'm a one page a day gal as that works well for my lad when doing a formal type of curriculum....and we go back to pages and read them again, try it again, can you do it better? Do you understand the mirror concept...ooh...let's play an actual mirror game to reinforce this idea. We are taking our time as stressing over reading is not where it's at. But as we use it...he learns!
The word flash cards, these are working well for us. The lad scatters them, groups them by whatever method seems best to him (and it's not always the same way with the same group of words), picks a set or two to practice reading from. Sometimes we toss angry birds at them when they are scattered and the lad helps them learn to read the word (sometimes getting mom to step in when he has no clue).
This system works for us at a pace best suited to our household. I love the flexibility of it.
So I read through the teachers manual and got the basic gist of the program. Found some typos which bothered me. I will need to make a list and point them out to the author.
Then we dove in.
The lad had FUN playing the games. Imagine that. My lad having fun playing a word game. The games have low pressure, he could use his angry birds as players and they could be teaching each other how to say words.. it was ALL good. He learned! :) No tears! :)
The lessons are LARGE I found. We've been using the first lesson now for quite some time and still aren't through it. Mind, I'm a one page a day gal as that works well for my lad when doing a formal type of curriculum....and we go back to pages and read them again, try it again, can you do it better? Do you understand the mirror concept...ooh...let's play an actual mirror game to reinforce this idea. We are taking our time as stressing over reading is not where it's at. But as we use it...he learns!
The word flash cards, these are working well for us. The lad scatters them, groups them by whatever method seems best to him (and it's not always the same way with the same group of words), picks a set or two to practice reading from. Sometimes we toss angry birds at them when they are scattered and the lad helps them learn to read the word (sometimes getting mom to step in when he has no clue).
This system works for us at a pace best suited to our household. I love the flexibility of it.
My son's reaction
I find it interesting how much he enjoys reading a list of words and seeing if he can read them faster. He loves it. He's gotten down from reading with with help (3.20) to reading it by himself me assisting slightly (4:20) to reading it completely on his down (320) and now he can read this list of words in 2 minutes 20 seconds. He's impressing himself. "Mom! I'm getting it!" :)
He still is quite concerned that he's not reading as fluidly as mom or dad are, but he's starting to see how he is getting better at reading. This confidence I attribute to the practice that he is getting reading the same words over and over again and being able to see (as we write down the time) how he really is getting better and faster at it.
He still is quite concerned that he's not reading as fluidly as mom or dad are, but he's starting to see how he is getting better at reading. This confidence I attribute to the practice that he is getting reading the same words over and over again and being able to see (as we write down the time) how he really is getting better and faster at it.
Gramma's reaction
"He's reading with me... oh.. I'm just so delighted! He's willing to read with me". :)
Toad's Reaction
Have to admit, I don't think toad really had an impression, but he did seem quite content. :)
My reaction and recommendation
I like this program. I will continue to use it. My recommendation is, if you have the ability to make a program suit your needs, this reading program will work for you quite nicely. If you have a child who stresses over reading the ability to go slowly with this program will make it an excellent fit. My son enjoys it, though every new page is greeted with "mom... I can't do this"..... with encouragement and experience he is learning that he too, can do this and it's not something to worry on. :) See all those checks? Those are words that he knows and is for the most part very confident in reading. Though I have to admit... those D's sometimes like to fool him into thinking that they are B's.
He's reading better! That quite frankly says it all to me!
He's reading better! That quite frankly says it all to me!
Concerns
Typos, I dislike typos since to me it shows a lack of attention to detail. I have no issues forgiving one or two....but when it's a recurrent theme it's like hmmm... something is not quite right here, it just raises my level of concern.
Magnetic letters: I should have received these (according to the website they were part of the package) but I didn't. So I can't comment on them. Not sure what happened with that.
If getting this product shipped to Canada do specify HOW you want it shipped. UPS will charge a shipping/duty fee, USPS does not.
Magnetic letters: I should have received these (according to the website they were part of the package) but I didn't. So I can't comment on them. Not sure what happened with that.
If getting this product shipped to Canada do specify HOW you want it shipped. UPS will charge a shipping/duty fee, USPS does not.
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