Teach your monster to read, what next?

[Lindy2]

DD1 has just completed this game and really enjoyed it. It only seems to go up to stage 4 phonics though and her level is actually a bit higher than that. The monster game has been really good for going over some of the stuff she already knows though.
Can anyone recommend a similar game that is a bit more challenging but likely to still be fun and keep the interest of a somewhat attention challenged girl.
We do Reading Eggs for a while which she enjoyed to begin with but then lost interest in because it is very repetitive.
Thank you!

[Mashabell]

Read some books?

[Lindy2]

We read every day Marshabell. She hasn't found learning to read easy but it is finally starting to click. As she enjoys playing on the lap top too I am trying to find some games that will be fun but whilst also help her reading too. Playing reading games is in addition to real reading, not instead of.

[Ferguson]

I didn't know Teach your Monster. But I've just had a look, and I can't say I am particularly impressed with these 'gimmicky' methods.

Having worked in primary schools for twenty-five years, as TA and voluntary helper, teaching of reading has changed during that time. But I feel that a responsible, serious approach to learning phonics and applying it in the way that SHOULD be taught in a good school, with good professional teachers, will produce more secure results than these flashy, novelty gimmicks can.

If you regularly listen to her reading her school books, supporting and explaining where necessary, and also if YOU read longer, harder books TO her, so she can start to acquire enjoyment of books (non-fiction as well as fiction) then, before too long, she might start to gain satisfaction herself, from her developing skills.

Should you not be very experienced in Phonics yourself, come back to me and I will try to clarify things.

[catkind]

Reading eggs iirc has some spelling type games in it that are a bit different and more tricky. If she's finding it dull and you're still subscribed then it's worth re-testing into a later level as it does move very slowly, but if you hop towards the end there are some more challenging and different games.

The other one DS liked was alphablocks (free on BBC website). Goes up to about phase 5 phonics I think - some alternative vowel sounds and stuff. Some of them are just videos, some are games. The songs are cool - we love Qu!

I don't think there's anything wrong with a bit of extra practice Ferguson. It was instead of TV time in our house not instead of reading time or being taught phonics at school. Though actually DS school do use TYMTR a bit this year ! in year 1? - DS improved his mouse use but learned nothing about phonics from it.

[Lindy2]

Thanks everyone for your replies. There's no problem with her love of books, the amount of reading we do at home or her being read to. Ferguson she loves more advanced stories than she can actually read. DH is currently reading her the forth Harry Potter book at bedtime having already read the first 3 over the course of the year. They do streamed phonics every day at school although I don't think they do 1 to 1 reading at school nearly often enough. Despite all that though she still struggles and is 2 reading bands below where she should be in year 2. Using reading games is really just something extra to compliment the rest not replace it. She likes to play on the lap top so if she has as much fun playing a game with letters and sounds as she does having a Harry Potter character run around casting spells on people, (her other favourite game) I'd prefer to steer her towards the game with words.
She has played the Monster game over the last few days and her reading last night was noticeably more fluent.
I will look at Alphablocks but our Reading Eggs subscriptions has run out. I may see if I can log on for another free trial period for the Christmas holidays.
Whilst she is off school we have more time to play these together.
Thanks again everyone for your replies.

[Ferguson]

A technique I used with reluctant or less able readers, was to let them point to words as they read, then when they came to a word they couldn't manage, to hover their finger over it, when I would say the word for them.

That way, they can tackle books that would otherwise be beyond them, and they have the satisfaction of reading a 'hard' book, and may also remember some of the more difficult words.

Also, an inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’.