Homeschool Curriculum Review: Reading Assistant

We are using the Reading Assistant in our homeschool this year and I think it is absolutely wonderful. The program is expensive by some standards but there are several subscription options available. The Reading Assistant is a computer based reading program that is designed to improve a student's reading ability. It is available for grades K through 12.

Overview

The Reading Assistant has two separate parts. The first part is the maintenance module where teachers set up the reading assignments for their students. An assignment can be reassigned if the student needs more work on the item.

The main module is where the student reads and completes the lesson. Every lesson consists of reading a passage and answering a couple of short questions to determine reading comprehension.

How it works

Your child signs into the main module of the Reading Assistant using a provided password and user ID. A selection of reading topics appears in the library window. Your student chooses a topic. They should read the passage once, to themselves. After the initial read through, the Reading Assistant is turned on. Your child will read the passage to the assistant. Words that give the reader difficulty are corrected.

During the oral reading, a couple of questions appear in a pop-up window. Your child should answer the questions.

After the oral reading is completed, a report is created. The report will show you and your child every word that was read correctly, words that require review or additional work and words that were missed completely.

Diagnostics

I really like the report the program produces. It shows me where my kids need work. I use the words that are noted as needing work or words that were missed as spelling words for the week. The report also lets me know if my child understood what he read. For me, this has been a huge benefit because it allows me to focus on the areas where my child is struggling.

Customization

You can customize the program to suit your child's needs and grade level. I started my son at grade level even though he is a reluctant reader. I had to change how the program interpreted the way he pronounced words beginning with the letters "F" and "S."

It took a little bit of effort to get the voice recognition software set up for us. You have to use a good quality headset. A noise canceling headset is recommended--we are using an inexpensive Logitech headset without noise cancellation. The set up would have been easier with a better quality headset.

Pros

I have a number of positive things to say about the Reading Assistant. The first is that my 6th grade son can use it by himself and I do not have to be in the room with him. He has confidence issues with reading aloud that started at a charter school several years ago. I know that he has difficulty with reading and using the assistant allows him to read to a non-judgmental "teacher" that helps him with tough words. I can see how he is doing through the reports. I can also hear him from the adjoining room so I know if he is really working or not.

The Reading Assistant has helped tremendously with my son's confidence and reading level. We have been using the program for 4 months and it has made a drastic improvement in his reading ability. Now he is starting to read for recreational purposes. He did not do this prior to using the program.

Cons

While I think the program overall is terrific, I found a few weak spots that could use improvement. Setting up the program is more complicated than it needs to be. It took me multiple attempts to get the password and teachers account set up.

The voice recognition software is pretty good. However, it does not accommodate children with minor speech issues well. It will take several attempts at training the voice recognition and making adjustments to how strict the software is on pronunciation in order to get the correct set up. One you have it right, the program is wonderful to work with.

Expect to spend about an hour on the initial setup. For me, this is a long time.

Where to buy

Parents cannot order the Reading Assistant directly from Scientific Learning. For some reason the company feels that only teachers, school districts, and other learning professionals are capable of using the program correctly. Homeschool parents can order the Reading Assistant through the Home School Buyers Co-op. This is not the same edition as the Reading Assistant Expanded Edition shown on the Scientific Learning website. It is the original edition.

Through the co-op you have a choice of purchasing a one-year subscription or a month to month subscription. I chose the month to month for two reasons. It is easier on my budget to come up with the smaller monthly fee than the large one year fee. The second reason is that I am not convinced that my son will require the program for the entire year. With a month to month subscription I can cancel at anytime. This is a good way to try out the program to see if it will work for you.

I would recommend the Reading Assistant to homeschool families that have struggling readers. It is also a great asset to parents who have children in traditional schools. If your child is struggling with reading, this program may be what you are looking for.

I have based this review on a purchased monthly subscription to the Reading Assistant. I have no other connection to the company.