Which Beginner Reading Program is Best?

With so many options for at-home reading programs, it can be difficult to determine which one is the best fit for your child. Hooked on Phonics, Freedom Homeschooling, ABC Mouse, Homer; these and similar programs offer a wide range of methods for reading instruction. While each of these options offers beginning reading programs or programs to help struggling readers, only Funnix offers authentic Direct Instruction.

Funnix is rooted in the highly effective Direct Instruction (DI) reading programs designed and written by Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann. Funnix is simple and fun to use for parents who are homeschooling, as well as for teachers in a small-group classroom setting. DI programs are unique in the way they are written and revised before publication. All DI programs are field-tested with real students and revised based on those tests before they are ever published. This means that the program your child receives has already been proven to work.

Some reading programs focus on beginning readers while others offer support for children struggling to read at their grade level. Funnix can be used to help any child reach a 3rd-grade reading level in just one thirty-minute lesson per day. The program can be tailored to your child’s current skill level to ensure they gain the foundational skills they need to achieve reading mastery.

While many at-home reading programs promote a parent-free reading instruction program, Funnix is designed to have parents lead their children through the lessons. This allows parents to gain a deeper understanding of their child’s reading progress as they monitor their child’s responses to the lesson questions. Parents follow the on-screen prompts to determine whether their child is ready to advance to the next exercise or should repeat the lesson to gain mastery before moving on. Having parents involved in the lessons also shows children that their parents care about their learning and want to take the time to encourage them in it.

While there are many options available for home-based reading programs, Funnix stands out as the choice that blends parental involvement, a solid foundation of phonics and basic reading skills, and Direct Instruction. And did we mention that it’s fully compliant with The Science of Reading?

Whether you’re looking for a supplemental program to support your struggling reader or for a homeschool reading curriculum to begin your child’s literacy journey, Funnix is the best option for building successful readers.