Reading Eggs Review

As a reading teacher and a parent, I was gifted a free account to explore Reading Eggs with my three children over the summer. My son, who is seven years old and entering the first grade, took the placement test and was placed appropriately for his grade level. This placement test is a great feature as it helps assess a child’s current reading skills and places them at the correct level. What I appreciated most was that even after a summer break, the program confirmed that my son had retained most of his reading skills and gave him the perfect refresher before heading back to school.

I also had my older daughter, who is going into fourth grade, and my son, who is entering sixth grade, take the test. One of the great things about Reading Eggs is that it provides practice for children up to age 13, making it a valuable tool for my older children as well.

Engaging and Interactive:
Many parents and teachers praise Reading Eggs for being fun and interactive, and I can see why. My youngest son especially enjoyed the game style learning of the program. He’s quite competitive, so when he initially scored a 10 on one of the games, he wanted to try again to improve his score. What I loved about this was that he didn’t even realize he was practicing his reading skills—it felt more like a game to him. Learning electronically truly kept him engaged.

Effective for Struggling Readers:
Reading Eggs is highly effective for children who struggle with reading. It supports the basics of reading by focusing on phonics and foundational skills, and I saw this firsthand with my son. The variety of exercises, including typing words into sentences and proofreading, gradually built his confidence and independence. Although the proofreading was initially a challenge, he eventually mastered it with a bit of guidance.

Encouraging Independent Learning:
Children can complete the Reading Eggs activities largely on their own, and the structure of the program supports independent learning.  Some families have found that the program’s interface is easy for kids to navigate independently, which helps them develop their technological and learning autonomy. Though I had some initial difficulties navigating between my three children’s accounts, once I got the hang of it, things flowed smoothly and there are parent guides in the family dashboard that can help you navigate as well.

Rich Digital Resources:
Another great feature of Reading Eggs is the massive digital library and resources available. Whether you’re working with a whole class, a small group, or at home, there are extensive resources to support reading instruction. The program even includes downloadable worksheets that you can print to reinforce skills and give kids practice with writing. This allows for hands-on practice beyond the screen, which is a nice complement to the digital experience.

Reasonable Pricing:
Reading Eggs is very reasonably priced!  When you consider the breadth of content available:  Reading and math activities, digital and printable activities, the value offered, from the foundational reading support to the engaging games and activities, makes it a cost-effective option for families.  I appreciate that I could have 4 of my children on 4 different devices using the same Reading Eggs account. 

Additional Math Practice with Math Seeds:
Reading Eggs also features a math component called Mathseeds, which provides additional academic support in a fun, engaging way. My children enjoyed having access to both reading and math activities in one platform.

Challenges with Navigation and Device Compatibility:
One area that could be improved is navigation, especially when using the program with multiple children. It took me some time to figure out how to switch between accounts and get to the correct dashboard for each child. Additionally, I had trouble figuring out how to access Reading Eggs on our Kindles. While I believe it is possible to use the Kindle’s web browser to access the platform, I didn’t explore this option fully as we don’t use our Kindles often.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, Reading Eggs is an engaging, effective, and reasonably priced program that offers robust reading support for children of various ages. With its comprehensive digital resources, engaging activities, and tools for independent learning, it’s a valuable asset for both classroom and home use. While there are some usability challenges, particularly with navigation and device compatibility, the educational benefits make it a worthwhile investment for reinforcing reading skills.