Reading Eggs is a fun program that teaches children to read using animated games and other varied activities. Its engaging and entertaining graphics that rival Candy Crush have earned it excellent reviews all over the internet. But is Reading Eggs as good as the hype suggests it is? Find out the pros and cons below, and check out its subscription options.
- About Reading Eggs
- The app
- The cost of Reading Eggs, subscriptions, and packages
- Advantages, disadvantages, pros, and cons of this program and
- Alternative learn-to-read programs
Let’s dive in and get started!
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About Reading Eggs
What Ages Does Reading Eggs Cater For?
- 2-4-years-old – the Junior Reading Eggs program. This is also called the ‘First Steps’ stage.
- 3-5-years-old – the ‘Ready for School’ stage.
- 6-7-years-old – the ‘Practice makes Perfect’ stage.
The App
The ABC Reading Eggs Learn To Read app lets you access the award‑winning reading program on your iPad. If you have an existing Reading Eggs account, download the app for free and use your current login details. [Reading Eggs App Page]
ABC also has other apps by ABC that are similar to Reading Eggs, including:
- Eggy Times Tables – games that teach children aged 5-10 their multiplication tables
- Eggy Phonics – a learn-to-read phonics program with multisensory games that teach phonics to children 3-years-old and up.
- MathSeeds Play and Learn – a math section for 3-9-year-olds that teach them core math concepts
ABC Reading develops programs for various reading ages, including pre-school age.
Cost, Pricing, and Subscriptions
If you love this program, you can get a subscription to it. A subscription gives you access to all areas, including ABC Reading Eggs Junior and ABC Reading Eggspress.
In this case, you have a few options as of February 2019, namely, buying a:
- 6-month subscription for $59.95 or
- 12-month subscription for $79.95
Unfortunately, there is no monthly option available, although you can get a free trial for two weeks if you want to try it out.
Reading Eggs plus Mathseed Bundle
If you’d prefer a monthly option, you can do this if you get the bundle of Reading Eggs plus Mathseeds. As of February 2019, here your options are:
- one-month subscription for $13.99 cancel anytime
- 12-month subscription for $109.99
- 12-month subscription to Mathseeds ONLY $59.95
Of course, if you prefer to do things offline, there are plenty of Reading Eggs books available in the online shop.
The ABC Math Program
The Reading Eggs math program is called Mathseeds Play and Learn. This program is designed for children aged 3-9. It teaches them core math skills using highly structured lessons. However, it’s still fun and light, so children are engaged the whole time.
Like Reading Eggs, you can get the app and play it anywhere. This is another reason it has been so popular and lauded on Mathseeds reviews around the internet.
Like Reading Eggs, you can get Mathseeds on a two-week trial to see if you like it. If you don’t, you can cancel anytime and not pay a cent.
Reading Egg Reviews: What People Say About it.
When I research a program, I try to go into it as if I’m a new homeschooling mom trying to find out information on a topic. To compile this article, I looked at 20+ Reading Egg reviews from around the web. I compiled a pros and cons list from these.
Essentially, people were very happy with this program and, although I list the disadvantages here, I think you’ll find many people didn’t find all the disadvantages relevant. To give you an idea, Verified Reviews had over 3,700 reviews, of which 90% were positive, 7% neutral, and 3% negative.
Advantages
Some of the advantages of Reading Eggs include:
- games that teach your children to read so they have fun plus learn to read
- varied lessons including fun games and other formats
- visually attractive with bright cartoon characters doing a lot of the teaching
- students learn plenty of words that are used in everyday language
This program seems like a great way to get kids into reading if they’re not very interested in the idea. It appears to be especially good for children with special needs like autism or dyslexia as it is so engaging.
Disadvantages
Some of the disadvantages of Reading Eggs include:
- children may lose interest in the program after they learn to read properly (perhaps this is just a job well done, though!)
- a couple of parents mentioned their children were bored with it as they found it too easy. (The ABC representative questioned whether they had taken placement tests and were placed in the correct grade for their understanding, though.)
- it’s addictive. Kids get hooked on technology, and it can be a battle to get them off the iPad.
- some animals are only really found in Australia, so children from other countries might not be familiar with them.
It seems like the main complaint arose when a child was put in the program at the wrong stage for their development – but this doesn’t seem to be a legitimate problem with the Reading Eggs itself…just an incorrect placement problem.
Other Points
Some other things parents noted in their reviews include:
- The accent is an Australian accent. Australians would love this as most online programs have an American accent. However, Americans may find this frustrating as things might not be pronounced correctly.
- Putting your two-year-old in front of an iPad for a long time has its own problems. See this article for more.
If You Want To Read More Reviews
Besides asking other parents on Facebook, these are some of the pages I found helpful when looking into this program:
Other Online Learn to Read Programs Similar to Reading Eggs
- Homer Reading – this learn-to-read app is similar to Reading Eggs and offers an attractive homepage that slowly walks you through the ABC, using phonics.
- Reading A-Z – a Common-Core aligned (American) reading program in America
- Letter Land – an Australian learn to read option.
- PBS Reading Games – also checkout PBS reading games
- Veritas Press Phonics Museum (talked about below)
- Hooked on Phonics (also talked about below)
Of course, there are many learn-to-read options out there, but the ones above are pretty similar to Reading Eggs in look and feel.
A Free Alternative
Starfall.com® opened in September 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read. Since then, it has expanded to include language arts and mathematics for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. Starfall’s emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity has proven effective in teaching emergent readers. Starfall activities are research-based and align with Individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics.
Learn to Read on Youtube
Learn to Read Programs with Christian Values
Some homeschooling parents might like a Christian reading program. While there aren’t many online stand-alone Christian homeschooling programs similar to Reading Eggs, a couple stood out.
The best option I found was the Veritas Press’ Phonics Museum app. It also has fun games and animations and inspiring content that follows a Classical education model. Another one I found was the Hooked on Phonics app, which you can check out here. Both have stunningly positive reviews, so I encourage you to check them out.
However, you can easily purchase a single subject from a Christian homeschooling curriculum provider that provides an online curriculum.
For example, the Monarch homeschooling program is split up so you can buy a whole year group or just one subject. In this case, you might get the SOS Language Arts Curriculum (below), but this only starts from Grade 3.
Of course, if you want to go offline, there are so many to choose from, and you can get your learn-to-read subject as a full-blown curriculum or purchase it as part of a set.
The Ideology behind ABC
It’s always good to realize that every person or group has its own ideology and bent. Secular beliefs have a religious tendency of their own, even though they don’t claim to. Because Reading Eggs is published by ABC media, which are secular in their ideology and framework, you’ll find it is humanist in its outlook.
Although their government funders require ABC to be impartial and independent, it has been heavily criticized for having a progressive, left-wing lean. If you’re a parent who has a conservative, right-wing perspective, there is a chance that you might find the material in this curriculum frustrating. (I saw parents echo their frustration in this regard on Facebook comments).
Advantages of Online Reading Programs
Online reading programs for kids offer numerous benefits that traditional learning methods do not.
Not only do online reading programs allow children to progress at their own pace, but they also provide engaging activities that keep kids motivated and actively involved in the learning process.
One of the core advantages of online reading programs is that they allow children to take ownership over their own learning. Online lessons are usually self-paced, which allows each student to work through material at a rate that is comfortable for them.
This helps to ensure that everyone’s individual needs are met and can be beneficial for those who may have difficulty grasping certain concepts or require additional support with specific topics.
Additionally, online reading programs provide a range of interactive activities which helps to keep students engaged as they learn. These activities often come in the form of quizzes and games which make the whole experience more enjoyable and motivating for young learners.
Disadvantages of Online Reading Programs
Online reading programs for kids can be beneficial and educational, but there are also some potential drawbacks that parents should consider.
These programs may have limited content (i.e. no writing program intertwined with reading material) compared to traditional reading resources, such as books or even physical magazines and newspapers.
The interactive elements of the program can also distract children from actually learning to read and comprehend material.
Many online reading programs are not tailored toward each child’s individual needs; instead, they offer a generic approach that may not be effective in cultivating a love of reading in all kids.
Furthermore, many online programs require internet access which may not always be available or feasible due to cost-related issues or other circumstances related to location or resources.
