Children learning program
Top 15 Learning Programs for Kids 2023: Free Education
Those in education will tell you that sooner is always better than later when it comes to education. If your children or students struggle with learning due to the COVID pandemic or if they need extra stimulation after school, there’s never been a better time to add some online learning programs to their curriculum. This list of online learning programs for kids will look at examples for very young children to high school students, so wherever your kids are, they can benefit from some of these expert-recommended online resources.
Discover some of the best learning programs for kids
Most of these are either free or they have free options. Most have paid options that open up new resources or even live instruction by a teacher. Try not to get overwhelmed by these learning platforms, and be sure to try out any program before committing to it. Follow your kids’ interests and any of these choices will work well for them.
Elementary school learning programs
Younger kids thrive with encouragement and fun. Play should be a major part of any young child’s education, as what they perceive as “fun” early in life will be easier to reinforce later. Programs should be colorful, enticing, and immersive so kids aren’t even focused on the idea of being in school, but rather that learning is a part of having a good time.
1. Beginner Coding Program
Scratch is an excellent place for kids who love coding to begin because it uses a LEGO-like drag-and-drop interface to help kids learn coding logic. Using Scratch, one of the best platforms for kids to learn computer science, Create & Learn's award-winning live online classes offer students a chance to build their own games, animations, and other programs with the help of a professional coding teacher. The courses are suitable for different ages, but this is a great one for younger kids. There's even a free intro lesson, to this course, designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT.
Grades: 2-5
2. Scholastic Learn at Home
If your child is 10 years old or younger and loves reading, the Scholastic Learn at Home program offers a lot of awesome fun activities for kids to learn. They have activity books and workbooks, reading guides for parents and students, and educational articles geared towards kids about engineering, genetics, animals, and so much more.
Grades: K - 5
3. National Geographic Kids
As a leader of wildlife, anthropological, and environmental photography and journalism, National Geographic offers tons of great resources for kids. There are great lesson plans, interactive websites, and tons of maps available to kids. They have a focus on the United States, but they feature great articles that reflect current events in science, history, and space travel. They also offer a monthly subscription to their magazine for a yearly fee.
Grades: K - 8
4. PBS Kids
Sesame Street. Arthur. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. These names are some of the most respected in early childhood edu-tainment that have grown and evolved over the past half century through PBS media. The great resources on their website are perfect for kids who study at home or those looking for fun, educational boosts for their interests and hobbies.
Grades: K - 2
5. Sesame Street and Sesamo
For very young children aged 2 - 5, there’s few resources as great as Sesame Street or Sesamo (for Spanish and Portuguese speaking students). Learning about counting, shapes, and basic phonics with Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch is even more easy and fun with their online programming and educational resources.
Grades: K - 2
Middle school learning programs for kids
Middle school kids need greater challenges, but also fun and encouragement. They are ready for complex topics, but shouldn’t be pushed too far too fast. These websites and apps are all great for middle school students.
6. PBS Learning Media
PBS is not just for younger kids. They have tons of great resources for middle school kids as well. Learn about the history of science, world geography, and many other cool topics for kids. The videos have a great production value and they are all free.
Grades: 6 - 8
7. FunBrain
Funbrain is a great learning platform for kids, which allows them to explore math and science through reading and interactive content. As PCMag said in a review, “This site is better for engaging educational curiosity than it is for getting help with specific subject matter.” Some of the games are better than others, but it has content for kids from pre-K to middle school.
Grades: K - 8
8. DOGO News
A great place to start for kids interested in news and current events. These resources are focused on English language arts (ELA), but they also foster curiosity, critical thinking, and reflection about world events, presented in a kid-friendly way. The site is updated frequently, ensuring a steady stream of fresh videos for kids.
Grades: 6 - 12
9. Coding for Middle Schoolers
Designed to teach older kids how to code, this is an accelerated Scratch coding class that's beginner friendly and uses MIT’s Scratch programming language, in which kids code using colorful and easy to use blocks that take the guesswork out of coding. These live online classes taught by teachers in small groups can help kids design cool games and much more.
Grades: 5 - 9
10. Brainscape
Brainscape is a flashcard app that helps kids to study virtually any subject from Middle School and High School. Kids can get flashcards for Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, and Driver’s Ed. They have special flashcard decks for specific AP subjects as well as for standardized tests. It’s got some content for younger kids, but most of its flashcards are aimed at middle to high school students.
Grades: 6 - 12
Learning programs for high school kids
High school is a challenging time, especially for kids who are struggling and for those who dream big about colleges and careers. These websites offer both videos, quizzes, and live classes to help high school students learn better.
11. Python Programming
Have fun mastering this essential computer programming language. PPython is a high-level coding language used by companies such as Netflix and Google, and it is also used for web development, game development, building apps, machine learning, and so much more. This live online class covers not only the basics of Python coding for kids and teens, but also puts a strong focus on the elements of Python that are most relevant to Artificial Intelligence, including data structures and libraries.
Grades: 5-12
12. Game Programming with Unity
High schoolers love gaming. It’s one of the most popular things for older kids, and what better way to encourage an interest in coding and computer science than to help kids design their own games? This Unity Game design course features training in Unity, the development framework for popular games like Flappy Bird, Candy Crush, and Hollow Knight.
Grades: 6 - 12
13. Monterey Bay Aquarium Learn from Home
For high school students with an interest in biology, oceanography, and other Earth sciences, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great feature on their website called, Learn from Home, focused on bringing STEM education out of the museum and into the home. Recognizing that many kids moved to home schooling after the pandemic, this resource seeks to bring kids up to speed on the latest climate science.
Grades: 6 - 12
14. Khan Academy
Khan Academy has become famous over the past decade, for good reason: it’s one of the best platforms for kids to learn math, science, and other subjects. There are tons of free classes aimed at bringing kids up to speed with their grade in a comfortable tutoring environment that uses videos. But everything they produce is high quality, and they encourage kids to have a growth mindset, meaning that they can get better at anything they apply themselves to. They have content for kids of all ages, but much of their videos for older kids are great for tutoring.
Grades: K - 12
15. TED ED
TED talks have become one of the most popular ways for new information and academic research to get to the public, so it’s not surprising that they have great learning resources for middle and high school students as well. Explore the dark history of zombies, the science of climate change, and how candy is made. It’s fun and educational!
Grades: 6 - 12
Bonus. AP Computer Science in Java
For high school students who want to go the extra mile and pass the AP exam in Computer Science A, this course is a golden opportunity for learning the requirements for the exam and the study methods that will help each student achieve a high score of 4 or 5 on the AP exam. It is not an easy course, and students should already have some understanding of coding and computer science, but with that, advanced students will find great learning opportunities with the help of a live, professional educator.
Grades: 10 - 12
If you haven’t found something here, there are some great articles on the topic at Parents, PCMag, and Parenting that can give you even more great options.
Try the best learning programs for kids
Whether looking for fun activities for a home-schooled third grader, or tutoring resources for an ambitious senior in high school, there’s something for everyone to learn online. Up next, explore free STEM at-home learning resources. If you are looking for live instruction from an expert, consider exploring some of the best free online classes for kids next.
Written by Bryan Gordon, a Create & Learn instructor. After ten years of working as an English teacher, Bryan began studying Math and Computer Science over the past few years. Aside from writing and teaching, he likes cooking, gardening, playing guitar, and hanging out with his cats, Baguette and Wally.
Children Learning Reading Review - All You Need To Know Before Buying!
What will you learn of this review of the Children Learning Reading Program?
- INTRO: Why did I get interested in the program?
- WHAT: What is Children Learning Reading?
- HOW: How does Children Learning Reading work?
- MATERIALS: What materials do you get with the Program?
- PRICE: How much does Children Learning Reading cost?
- BUY: How to buy Children Learning Reading?
- APP: Is Children Learning Reading and app /computer based?
- CREATORS: Who is behind the Children Learning Reading Program?
- WHO: Who is this Program for?
- UNIQUE: What is so Unique about Children Learning Reading?
- Should you teach a small child to read?
- Pros / Cons
- Conclusion
*Affiliate disclosure: This post may include affiliate links, meaning I can get a little commission if you buy from them at no additional cost to you.
Can Children Learning Reading help your child become a fluent reader following a 12 weeks program? Is it really possible to teach very small children to read?
And… Can struggling older readers really catch up with the Children Learning Reading program?
If you having been looking into the Children Learning Reading program, these would be the sort of questions that go through your mind.
I know, because I had the same one doubts!
Some of the promises, especially the ones about teaching toddlers to read, seemed too far of a stretch!
But I was really curious about it, especially after hearing the story of how the creator of this program was able to teach his 4 children to read using the strategies on the program before the age of 3.
I was also ready to really roll up my sleeves when it came to supporting my child!
Children Learning Reading ProgramIn this review of the Children Learning Reading program, I will address all of the mentioned questions, and more.
You will get a very detailed explanation of what the Children Learning Reading program is and what you can expect.
After reading this review, I hope that you’ll be able to decide whether the Children Learning Reading program is the right choice for you or not.
Children Learning Reading Official Site!
Why did I get interested in Learning Reading Program?I thought it could be helpful to share with you a bit of background around why I got interested in the Learning Reading Program in the first place.
But, if you are in a rush, you may prefer to go directly into the nitty gritty of the review…
Skip this section and go to What is the Children Learning Reading program section.
The main reason why I decided to look for alternative answers for reading instruction is because I was less than impressed by the standard methods for teaching our children to read at school.
Why?
Well, they are based on an over reliance on sight words, memory and guessing (the worst habit you can get your child into!), without proper explanations about how the decoding system works.
When it comes to phonics instruction, the explanations offered at school tend to mainly focus on the first letter sound in words!
I could witness in my own home how ineffective (and boring!) that way of teaching reading this is for a kid.
Was my kid supposed to learn the 30- 50K + words (average number of words in an adult’s vocabulary) this way? Really?? Apart from being an absolute torture for the child, is that even possible?
Well, I reached the conclusion it is not possible… Common sense seems to point in that direction too… And, do you know what?
Are we supposed to memorize all words in the English using memory?Scientists in the visual memory area (not related to reading research, therefore unbiased) have indicated that we simply don’t have the cognitive capacity to remember 30 – 90,000 words for immediate retrieval.
So, my quest in search for a better solution started…
With so many different tools and programs for teaching children to read, how to know which ones are truly helpful and based on sound/effective principles?
The first thing I tried is some very popular apps.
But I was not amazed by them. Don’t take me wrong… They have their place. They are fun, full of songs and somehow helpful, but definitely not the answer that I was looking for…
By the way, and even though this may be beside the point, I wanted to share my impression about many online tools out there (especially very popular apps). It seems to me as if they are just made for fun, and for pure amusement. And not even backed up by sound scientific methodologies. Hey, I have nothing against children having fun while they learn. I actually think that is the best way to learn!
But they have to learn.
If you promise that your tool is going to teach children to read, and what you get is something that is “somehow helpful”, then I have problem
A couple more points here too, for full disclosure:
- My background is languages and communication. So, this is a terrain that I love and where I feel confident. I really wanted to understand and master the English decoding system myself, so I could be a better teacher to my daughter.
However, as you will find out on this review, I don’t think you need any specific background in order to use this program! Just, be motivated! - Even though I have been living in English speaking countries for a long time (Gosh, almost 15 years now!), I am native Spanish speaker…Why do I even mention this last point? Why do I think it is relevant?
Because, in Spanish, we NEVER use sight words for teaching children to read, only phonics.As English, Spanish is an alphabet-based language, so we always use phonics principles. On the other hand, unlike English, Spanish does not have so many irregularities, and “weird” letter combinations, so we don’t really have to be so systematic and strategic in the approach we use in order for phonics instruction to work.Anyway, after learning lots about the decoding system in English, I still think that phonics is the best method for learning to read English. When you have a strong decoding system based on good/ solid phonics principles, you are set up for reading success!
Children Learning Reading – Official Site!
And, finally, the last caveat:
- My daughter was already 5 years old, so she already knew some literacy basics.This program covers these basics, as it is designed to teach children to read from scratch.And, even really small children!
The children learning reading program is a step-by-step program that helps parents to teach their children to read.
It is based on phonics principles, and one of its peculiarities is that it has been designed to teach even really small children to read. As long as your child is able to speak, this program claims that it will help you teach your child to read fluently.
It is based on the combination of phonemic awareness and synthetic phonics. A pretty unique approach that I haven’t seen in any other program.
check Children Learning Reading Official Site!
How does the Children Learning Reading Program work?
The program is designed in two stages, the foundational stage and the advanced stage.
Each stage comes with its own manual and lessons. These lessons are short and will take between 2 minutes to 15 minutes / day to complete.
If these sessions are too long for your kid (especially if you are using the program to teach a toddler to read), you can spread out shorter lessons throughout the day.
However, consistency is important.
The content of the program includes some tips on how to engage children on the learning experience. This is useful especially for those children that still have short attention spans (very young children).
Besides, I noticed that the program is strategically created so the initial lessons are short and easily digestible for really young learners.
The objective of Stage #1 is to get your child to develop the foundational skills of learning to read fluently.
After completing this initial stage (28 lessons in total), your child will know the letters and its sounds, and should be able to retrieve all of this information automatically.
This means he/she will be able to read simple words without effort, such us CVC words (this is words that follow the structure: consonant vowel consonant words – the most basic word structure in English) or even more complex words, such as CCVC (consonant, consonant, vowel, consonant).
Children Learning Reading Official Site!
As the program focuses on making all of this retrieval process automatic, by the end of stage 1 you will witness your child reading full sentences, simple stories and rhymes.
Once your child has mastered these foundational skills and is able to decode these “simpler” sentences / stories automatically, it is time to move on the Manual #2.
In the Stage #2, your child is introduced in a systematic way to more advanced and challenging concepts, such us letter combination sounds (for example, the letter combinations “CH”, “TH”, “SH”), the idea that we can represent the same sound in different ways (for instance, the /f/ sound can be represented with an “f”, like in fan, “ph”, like in photo, or “gh”, like in laugh), or even more complex things, like -R controlled words.
As I said, the beauty is that your child will build upon the knowledge s/he already has, as s/he is introduced to all of these more difficult concepts in a systematic, logic order.
This way the child doesn’t get overwhelmed with the amount of new information she/he receives at the same time.
Children Learning Reading Official Site!
What materials do you get?The standard package includes:
These manuals include all the information you need to understand what the program is all about and what you need to do with your child. At the end of the manuals, you will find the lessons for each day.
I must say that the manuals are pretty lengthy, especially the first one, as the author offers a superb explanation on the principles behind the program, the scientific evidence that supports this approach, why this system works, what exactly you need to do, etc.
Even though I found this information fascinating and really useful (and I would recommend that you eventually read the manuals fully), if you just want to get started right away, you don’t need to read the entire manual all in one go at the beginning.
There are just around 35 pages that you can’t skip before starting. On a video inside the membership area, the creator of the program walks you through the specific pages that you absolutely can’t skip before starting.
- Story Lessons:
- Lesson Stories for Stage 1: These stories are appropriate for the level of phonics of your child at at this stage. Really important for consolidating what he/she has learned on each lesson without getting overwhelmed or confused.
- Lesson Stories for Stage 2: These stories are appropriate for the level of phonics your child is at. Again, these stories are key for consolidating what he/she has learned without getting overwhelmed or confused.
Don’t assume that you already know this!
This is like a crash course for adults! You need to be sure that you are teaching your child the right letter sounds!
It may seem too obvious, but it is crucial that you get this step right.
Believe it or not, even educators oftentimes teach letter sounds incorrectly, which leads to real problems when children attempt to sound out words themselves and blend sounds.
- Nursery Rhymes
Nursery Rhymes are a fantastic way for encouraging phonemic awareness in your child. As the name indicates, they are all about rhymes and playing with the sounds, and children have a natural predisposition for them!
So, again, do not underestimate the power of these apparently “simple” old songs!
This list has nothing to do with the typical list of high frequency words, dolch words or fry words that you are probably used to!
The definition this program has for sight words is totally different.
These sight words are “words presenting real irregularities/ exceptions to the norm, and therefore can’t be decoded phonetically”.
The idea behind the program is to keep sight words (as per the definition I have just shared) to a bare minimum. Memorizing words by sight should be the last resort.
You will be amazed that there are probably less words than you were expecting!
The premium package includes all of the above, plus:
- Video recordings
These are video recordings of the creator of the program applying this program to his child. Total video length: 2 hours and 24 minutes.
This series of videos documents a 12-week learning to read period the creator of the program went through with his second child, Ethan, who was a 2.5 year old toddler at the time!
You can see how to put things into practice in real life.
Besides, on the videos the creator discusses, shares and highlights critical key points you need to take into account.
- Print outs:
It is a pity that these only came with the premium package, because, in my opinion, they are an essential part of it!
Have a look at what they look like in the image below!
I know, they look like a simple thing, but they are amazing, powerful tool. So, do not underestimate their power!
Print them out, have them handy, maybe carry them always in your pocket and get your child to practice with them every time you have an opportunity.
It may only take a couple of minutes, but when you get into this habit, these minutes do add up!
Print Outs Example- Stage 2 Rhymes
A book with colorful illustrations containing all the rhymes included in the stage 2 lessons.
How much does Children Learning Reading Cost?Prices:
The standard package costs $69 dollars, and the premium package costs $89 dollars.
Besides, the program also has a 2-weeks trial for $9.
By the way, I also wanted to share an important note from the official Children Learning Reading program: “Many resellers of the Children Learning Reading Program claim that they provide special discounts to buyers when buying from their links. Please note that the Children Learning Reading Program does not come with any special discount, other than the ones mentioned on the Children Learning Reading official website itself”
I hope you got the point clear : If the program offers discounts, they will be advertised on the official website itself. Do not trust anyone claiming to have special discounts or coupons only if you buy from them.
>> Find the link to the official Children Learning Reading website here.
How to buy the Children Learning Reading Program?
As mentioned on the previous section, the only way to buy is through their official website here.
Once you buy, you get instant access to the program’s membership area.
On the membership area, you can view and download the materials included on the program.
BUY HERE (Official Site!)
Is Children Learning reading an app or a computer-based program?Children Learning Reading is not an app or a computer-based program. As explained before, you have a membership area where you can access all of the materials.
But these materials are to be done offline, on short (approx. 5 minutes long) one-to-one lessons with your child.
This, in my opinion, is an advantage.
Who is behind the Children Learning Reading program?The creators of the program are Jim and Elena Yang. Jim is a veteran literacy teacher who, disappointed with the standard approach for reading instruction, developed his own program for teaching reading.
Then, they used it to teach their own children to read before turning 3 years old.
There are various clips of their young children reading. Probably you may have seen some of them.
They are pretty amazing!
Who is this program for?
This program designed for parents with young children between the ages of 2 to 6 years old. However, it can be used with older struggling readers too.
You may want to skip some of the initial lessons, as your child might already know some of the basics.
But the system can work for teaching anyone, of any age (even adults) to read. The principles are the same.
As you are moving along the program, maybe skipping some parts if you are using the program with an older child, test your child’s abilities and knowledge first!
Do not assume, make sure s/he knows before skipping lessons!
What is so unique about this program?As I mentioned before, it is based on a combination of Phonemic Awareness and Synthetic Phonics principles.
This is a pretty unique approach that I haven’t seen in any other program. And the good thing is that this unique approach is also very effective.
Confused by these terms? Ok, hold on!
In short, Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the individual sounds in words.
These individual sounds are called phonemes.
For instance, a child with phonemic awareness will know the word cat is formed by the individual sounds /k/ /a/ /t/.
He/she will also know that if you add the /s/ sound at the end of this word, you get the word cats. And if you replace one of its sounds, you get a new word.
For instance, if you swap the initial /k/ sound on the word cat, with the /b/ sound, you get the bat. Phonics is different from phonemic awareness.
If interested, for further information about phonemic awareness, you can check this post.
The program truly follows the motto “Learning to Hear is the First Step of Learning to Read”.
Why does the program put so much emphasis on Phonemic Awareness?
I believe it is because latest research is overwhelmingly showing that Phonemic Awareness is the #1 predictor for future reading success. A program that focuses so greatly on the development of phonemic awareness from an early age is quite exceptional.
So, the first step is learning to hear the sounds in words, before you even attempt to read. This step, while crucial, is usually overlooked.
It is hard at first, as the kids might only be able to hear the first sounds in words. But after some practice, they can become masters at it.
And it will really facilitate the path for learning to read and become a fluent reader!
Get Now (Official Site!)
Another pretty unique feature of the program is that that it doesn’t force your child to explicitly memorize any phonics rules!
I believe that this might be because the program was originally designed for small children.
The creators may have thought that it would be nearly impossible to get young kids to memorize phonics rules.
If that is the reason why they took that decision, I agree with them.
Phonics rules can be helpful, but you certainly need a certain degree of intellectual maturity in order to memorize them, and even understand them!
Besides, some popular phonics rules have been found to only work in as little as 40% of the cases… Which makes you wonder why should you even introduce them in the first place!?
So, I agree with the creators’ premise around phonics rules (and it is truly liberating not having to necessarily teach them!)…
However, in my case, I am introducing some of them based on the following 3 criteria:
- I feel she is mentally ready for understanding / memorizing the rule.
- The rule is truly helpful, and doesn’t break more times than it works.
- The child is mentally ready for it.
Why do I do that?
The main reason is that I find they can be helpful for spelling purposes.
By the way, if you go ahead and purchase the Children Learning Reading program, and you would like me to share with you some phonics rules that I have found helpful in addition to the program, you can contact me!
I am happy to share them with you!
Why should you teach a very young child to read? Is it even possible?Many parents (and even educators!) will give you a weird look if you tell them that you are trying to teach a very young child to read.
I am sure that you are skeptical too! In fact, I was super skeptical about this point!
But I can now see how the lessons and the program in general is structured to work with really young children
Having said that, I haven’t tried the program with a really young child myself. As explained before, I started using this program with my 5-year-old kid, so she was definitely not a toddler!
As the main problem you face with toddlers is their attention span, the program has been designed in small digestible lessons.
You also get advice throughout the book on how to work on the attention span of really small children.
And, as they say, “the proof is on the pudding”: On the video lessons you can be a witness of how the creator of Children Learning Reading actually applied the program to his 2.5 year-old son. Remember, though, that these video lessons are only included on the premium package.
As to why you should even try to teach your young child to read: Learning to read at a young age offers numerous advantages for the child.
Studies have consistently found that teaching a baby to read and helping children develop phonemic awareness well before entering school can significantly improve their development in reading and spelling. This gives them a true head-start at school.
Besides, studies have also found that learning to read at a young age literally “makes you smarter”. The simple fact of being introduced to early reading led to higher intelligence levels in identical twins. You can read more about this on this post.
Bear in mind one very important caveat here, though: You should only try to teach a child to read once he/she is able to speak more clearly, capable of expressing him/herself using simple sentences.
Typically, this happens around the 2.5 year – 3 year old mark. There is really no point in starting if the child isn’t at that point yet!
Children Learning Reading Official Site!
Pros and cons of Children Learning Reading
Pros:
- Unique approach based on sound synthetic phonics principles and phonemic awareness
- Can be applied to children from a really early age
- Step-by-step lessons designed to be quick and effective.
- Introduces phonics in a systematic/logic way, that is strategically designed to build upon what your child has learned previously without overwhelming him/her.
- Stories appropriate for your child’s level of phonics and video lessons on how to apply the program included (note: only on premium package!)
- Affordable and good value for money. Especially in comparison with what you could end up paying in monthly subscription of apps, games.
- This program is intended to teach your child to read. That is the ultimate goal. This is very different to some tool or game around literacy, which is somehow helpful and educational, full stop.
- Comes with a 60-day money back guarantee.
- Very good reviews and happy customers.
Cons:
- The program does not include activity worksheets.
Actually, it does, but it charges a premium (in the region of $40). They are not absolutely necessary for the program to work, but they are actually a good addition to have. Unfortunately, you’re going to have a you’re going to have pay an extra! - This is not a writing program or spelling program. I don’t know why I expected that my child would also learn to write with this program… o
Obviously, your child will benefit from the knowledge on this program when it comes to writing, but it hasn’t been specifically created for learning how to write
Children Learning Reading Official Site!
Conclusion: Is this program worth it?In my opinion, this is a really good program and really worth considering.
If you are consistent (remember consistency is key to success!) you will teach your child to read. Besides, you will be implanting a very solid decoding system based on phonics and phonemic awareness on your kid.
These principles make up very strong foundations to build a solid “literacy house” in your child. Learning to read this way is a true gift.
For all of these reasons, I believe that program is worth the money and gets my recommendation.
Buy Here (Official Site!)
If you are still unsure and would like to learn about other Learn to Read programs alternatives, check out our legendary post about the Best Learn to Read Phonics Programs! We go through (in detail) a selection of the top phonics programs out there in 2022!
Prefer to watch on video??
training programs for the development of first-graders
Types of programs for elementary school
Traditional and developmental systems of education are distinguished in pedagogy:
- Traditional. Training is built according to the scheme "we study - we fix - we check." This system is used both in the beginning and in subsequent classes.
- Developmental. Training is built according to the scheme "we study - we independently draw conclusions - we practice. " As a rule, it is aimed exclusively at elementary grades and is not used in middle and high schools. nine0008
Each system has a variety of curricula. Consider the most popular.
Source: freepik.com
Program L.V. Zankova
📌 Developmental curriculum for primary school
Fundamentals of the theory - works of L.S. Vygotsky. According to the program, one should not be afraid of mistakes - they learn from them. The schoolboy jumps above his head, but his own, and not someone else's. Disadvantages of the system: a fast pace of learning and a high level of difficulty is not suitable for every child. nine0005
D.B. system Elkonin - V.V. Davydova
📌 Developing curriculum for elementary grades
Daniil Elkonin and Vasily Davydov are Soviet scientists. According to their program, students in elementary school are not graded, it is assumed that students must independently assess the level of their knowledge.
Most of the parents in this program are afraid that due to the lack of grades, the level of knowledge will be low. Elkonin and Davydov assure that learning is more effective if the student is not demotivated by subjective scores. By the way, elementary Waldorf schools adhere to a similar methodology - children are not graded there either. nine0005
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“School of Russia”
📌 Traditional curriculum for elementary grades
“School of Russia” is the most popular curriculum. Complies with GEF and is used in most schools. The main goal is spiritual and moral development, which is formed in specially created conditions. The main vector is aimed at the adaptation of the child in the team.
Training under the program is aimed at adaptation in a team, accumulation of knowledge and skills for further training. But feedback from parents is not always positive. Many note that the world around us can be greatly reduced, and the four-year program is too long. nine0005
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"RITM"
📌 Traditional curriculum for elementary grades
"RITM" stands for development, individuality, creativity, thinking. The program combines the traditions of the national elementary school K.D. Ushinsky and the achievements of modern psychology and methodology. The features of this curriculum in the primary grades of the school are variability and an extensive information and educational environment. It is believed that every child should learn to think creatively and independently, as well as to reveal their individuality. The system consists of completed subject lines of textbooks, which are included in the federal list, except for the ABC and Literary Reading. nine0005
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Primary school of the XXI century (Vinogradova system)
Vinogradova is a doctor of pedagogical sciences and the creator of a training program for first grade children. The program is aimed at strong students. To pass it successfully, you need to come to the first class with a certain level of preparation. This program is based on the theory of L.S. Vygotsky, as well as the ideas of Elkonin and Davydov. UMK is included in the Federal list of textbooks recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science. It is believed that the goal of a teacher working on this teaching method is to teach a child to learn. nine0005 📌 Traditional Primary School Education Program The author of this Primary School Education Program is Lyudmila Peterson, a Russian teacher, mathematician and Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. In addition to Perspektiva, she developed a popular mathematics course in Russia for preschool and school age. Peculiarities of WMC Peterson are personality education and spiritual and moral development. It is assumed that educational materials are structured so that the child's curiosity is not lost, but constantly nourished and turns into a need to learn new things. nine0005 📌 Traditional education program for elementary grades Educational program for elementary grades "Harmony" is based on two principles: humanization and developing education. A feature of the EMC is the dynamic assessment of the success of each child, which is reflected in the portfolio. The concept of the program was proposed by Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences N.B. Istomin. For successful learning under the program, the child must already be able to actively communicate, think logically, and have an objective interest in knowledge. Preparation of preschoolers for "Harmony" falls on the shoulders of parents. nine0005 📌 Traditional primary education program This primary education program is called “the concept of the educational system” because it has not one, but a whole team of authors: Sh.A. Amonashvili, A.A. Leontiev, L.G. Peterson, R. N. Buneev, E.V. Buneeva and others. It is based on the “pedagogy of common sense” by A.A. Leontiev. The features of the program are called continuity at all stages of education from kindergarten to university, consistency in the use of acquired knowledge and continuity in the sequence of educational tasks. Work on the program continues at the middle level. As a result, the authors see a child capable of self-development, owning a picture of the world and bearing responsibility for himself and his education. nine0005 📌 Traditional primary school curriculum The fundamental principle of this program is variability. TMC consists of two parts: According to this elementary school program, the student must strive for new knowledge and enjoy learning. To do this, you need to create comfortable conditions. Therefore, the first year of study is considered adaptive - young students are not overloaded and are allowed to smoothly join the process. The advantages of the program are the variability of levels and tasks, the education of the desire to acquire new knowledge. The disadvantages include preschool education - the child must be able to read and count. nine0005 📌 Traditional Primary Education Program This Primary School program was developed in 2006 along with the first GEF. As in the Planet of Knowledge program, the entire learning process is based on the child's desire to learn. For simplicity of reasoning, constant book characters were invented - Misha and Masha. So children in elementary school learn the material visually. < Perspektiva
"Harmony"
“School 2100”
Planet of Knowledge
Promising Primary School
Teaching of four foreign languages: English, Spanish, German, French. The program is designed exclusively for beginners - in secondary school, children switch to a program chosen by the administration.
Parents' opinions vary greatly. Thus, many argue that the program is inconsistent and difficult to give. There are moments in the EMC that run counter to the usual school programs. For example, children do not count in a column, but lay out numbers, writing an example on half a sheet. At home, parents explain that it is easier to count in a column, and the child begins to get overtired from incoming disparate information. nine0005 Source: freepik.com
Foxford program for grades 1-4
Education at Foxford elementary school is based on original programs. However, when compiling them, teachers were guided by the current Federal State Educational Standards and basic school programs. So, the guys study mathematics according to Peterson.
The workload is balanced in such a way that the young student can master the prescribed program without stress, and he has time for games and extra activities. In the primary grades, they study the Russian language, reading (in grades 1-2, these subjects are combined into one - literacy), mathematics, and the outside world. If you wish, the period of study in the lower grades can be reduced and you can finish the primary school as an external student. nine0005
Algorithms and English have been added to the basic subjects at Foxford Primary School. You can also study additional modules in the Russian language, reading, mathematics and the world around you. Each course contains developmental activities to instill in children a greater interest in learning and make learning fun.
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Which primary school curriculum to choose
For those who hesitate and cannot decide which program to prefer, we have compiled a visual table. Here you will see the pros and cons of each educational program for children in primary grades. We hope this will help you make the right choice. nine0014
Care and education programs
In its activities, a preschool institution implements the main general educational program of preschool education in groups of a general developmental orientation. The content of the educational process in a preschool institution is determined by:
- in early age groups "The program of education and training in kindergarten" edited by M.A. Vasilyeva. Recommended by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation; nine0008
- in groups of preschool age with a comprehensive educational program for the development and education of children in the kindergarten "Childhood". Developed by a team of teachers of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy of the Russian State Pedagogical University. A.I. Herzen / Mr. St. Petersburg / Recommended by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
The programs are determined by the order of parents for the development in the child of activity, curiosity, the desire for independence of knowledge, creativity, readiness for schooling, and are of a secular nature. nine0005
Main goal "Programs for the development and education of children in the kindergarten" Childhood ":
protection and strengthening of the physical and mental health of the child, the formation of the foundations of safe behavior, motor and hygiene culture;
development of the child's personality, his curiosity, creative imagination, emotional and sensory sphere.
Program motto: Feel. Know. Create.
The program is aimed at the formation of a general culture, the development of physical, intellectual and personal qualities, the formation of the prerequisites for educational activities that ensure social success, the preservation and strengthening of the health of preschool children, the correction of shortcomings in the physical and (or) mental development of children. nine0005
When organizing the educational process, the principles of integration of educational areas (physical culture, health, safety, socialization, labor, cognition, communication, reading fiction, art, music) are taken into account in accordance with the age capabilities and characteristics of the pupils. The integrative approach makes it possible to develop in unity the cognitive, emotional and practical spheres of the child's personality.
The solution of program educational tasks is carried out in various forms of joint activities of adults and children and independent activities of children, not only within the framework of directly educational activities, but also during regime moments in accordance with the specifics of preschool education. nine0005
The educational process is based on age-appropriate forms of work with children. The main form of work with preschool children and the leading activity for them is game . Game moments, situations and techniques are included in all types of children's activities and communication between the teacher and preschoolers.
The upbringing, education and development of children from 1.5 to 7 years is carried out in the following areas:
- Physical development and health improvement
- Cognitive speech
- Art and aesthetic
- Social and personal
In the educational process, partial programs are used, built on the same principles as the integrated program "Childhood". Their choice is justified by the methodological reinforcement of sections of the main program.
The structure of the content of preschool education. | Implemented educational, health, correctional programs and technologies. | |
Programs. | Technologies. | |
1. Physical development and health. | "Physical culture - for preschoolers" L.D. Glazyrina. "Fundamentals of Safety for Preschool Children" R.B. Sterkina, N.N. Avdeeva, O.L. Knyazeva. | AND I. Shakhomirova "Know thyself" "Physical education in kindergarten» L.I. Penzulaeva
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2. Development of gaming activities. | "Childhood" / V.I. Loginova, T.I. Babaeva, N.A. Notkina. nine0225 | "Game tasks and exercises for preschoolers" Z. A.Mikhailova,
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3. Speech development. | "Childhood". | "Classes on the development of speech" F. Sokhin, O. Ushakova, nine0004 Zhurova Teaching children to read and write.
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4. Development of the child in visual activity. | "Colored palms" I.A. Lykov.
| "The beauty. Joy. Creation." nine0005 T.S.Komarova
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5. Development of the child in musical activity. | "Ladushki" THEM. Kaplunova, I.A. Novoskoltseva | "Musical masterpieces" by O.P. Radynov. nine0005 "Rhythmic Mosaic" A.I. Burenina. T. Sauko, A. Burenina "Top, clap, kids."
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6. Development of the child in theatrical activities.
| nine0234 "Theatre. Creation. Children." N.F. Sorokina. | |
7. Development in constructive activity. | "Childhood" | "Design and manual labor in kindergarten" L.V. Kutsakova
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8. Development of elementary mathematical concepts. | "Childhood" | "Mathematics from 3 to 7" PER. Mikhailov. "Mathematics is interesting" Z. A. Mikhailova, I. N. Cheplashkina
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9. Development of elementary natural science ideas.
| "Childhood" |
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10. Development of ecological culture of children. nine0193 | "We" Kondratieva N.N. | O.A. Voronkevich "Welcome to ecology"
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11. The development of ideas about man in history and culture. | nine0004 "Childhood"
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12. Social and personal development. | "ABC of communication" Shipitsyna L.M. nine0005
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13. Correction of developmental disorders. | "The program of education and upbringing of children with phonetic and phonemic underdevelopment" T.B. Filicheva, G. V. Chirkina
| "The system of corrective work to overcome the OHP" N.V. Nishcheva
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14. Early childhood development. | "The program of education and training in kindergarten" ed. nine0005 M.A. Vasilyeva
| "Baby" G.G.Grigorieva. |
The normative term for mastering the main general education program is 5.5 years (the period of early and preschool age is from 1.5 to 7 years).
The formed integrative qualities of the child are the final result of mastering the main general educational program of preschool education. To determine the results of mastering the Program, the social portrait of a 7-year-old child who has mastered the basic general educational program of preschool education is of great importance. nine0005
The “social portrait” of a 7-year-old child who has mastered the basic educational program of preschool education, an integral result of preschool education, is included in the regulatory legal document of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation - Federal State Requirements for the Structure of the Basic General Education Program of Preschool Education.
A child aged 7 years who has mastered the basic general education program of preschool education:
nine0018 1. Physically developed, having mastered the basic cultural and hygienic skills.
Not all qualities formed in a child by the end of preschool childhood are the result of mastering the main general educational program of preschool education.
The child has reached the maximum possible level of harmonious physical development (taking into account individual data). He has formed the basic physical qualities and the need for physical activity. Independently performs age-appropriate hygiene procedures, observes the elementary rules of a healthy lifestyle. nine0005
2. Inquisitive, active.
He is interested in the new, unknown in the world around him (the world of objects and things, the world of relationships and his inner world). Asks questions to an adult, likes to experiment.
Able to act independently (in everyday life, in various types of children's activities). In case of difficulty, he turns to an adult for help. Takes a lively, interested part in the educational process.
3. Emotionally responsive.
Responds to the emotions of loved ones and friends. Empathizes with the characters of fairy tales, stories, stories. Emotionally reacts to works of fine art, musical and artistic works, the natural world.
4. Having mastered the means of communication and ways of interacting with adults and peers.
The child adequately uses verbal and non-verbal means of communication, owns dialogical speech and constructive ways of interacting with children and adults (negotiates, exchanges objects, distributes actions in cooperation). nine0005
Able to change the style of communication with an adult or peer, depending on the situation.
5. Able to manage his behavior and plan his actions on the basis of primary value ideas, observing elementary generally accepted norms and rules of behavior.
The child’s behavior is mainly determined not by momentary desires and needs, but by the requirements of adults and primary value ideas about what is good and what is bad (for example, you can’t fight, offend the little ones, it’s not good to sneak around, you need to share, you need to respect adults, etc. ). The child is able to plan his actions aimed at achieving a specific goal. Complies with the rules of conduct on the street (traffic rules), in public places (in transport, shops, clinics, theaters, etc.). nine0005
6. Able to solve intellectual and personal tasks (problems), adequate to age.
The child can apply independently acquired knowledge and methods of activity to solve new tasks (problems) set both by adults and by himself; depending on the situation, it can transform the ways of solving problems (problems). The child is able to propose his own idea and translate it into a drawing, building, story, etc.
nine0018 7. Having primary ideas about himself, family, society (nearest society), state (country), world and nature.
The child has an idea:
• about oneself, one's own belonging and belonging of other people to a certain gender;
• on the composition of the family, family relationships and relationships, the distribution of family responsibilities, family traditions;
• about society (nearest society), its cultural values and one's place in it; nine0005
• about the state (including its symbols, "small" and "big" Motherland, its nature) and belonging to it;
• about the world (planet Earth, diversity of countries and states, population, nature of the planet).
8. Having mastered the universal prerequisites for learning activities: the ability to work according to the rule and according to the model, listen to an adult and follow his instructions.