We have exciting news to share: Hooked on Phonics, the most-trusted brand in helping children learn to read for more than 30 years, is launching an all-new Hooked on Phonics App! We have revamped many aspects of our program to provide our proven learning system in the most up-to-date format to better meet kids where they learn.
What’s New:
â—Ź New world of characters, situations and over 30 new interactive games!
â—Ź Enhanced user experience and on-boarding to ensure children start at the appropriate place in the learning continuum
â—Ź A brand new Pre-reader section with robust instruction in letter names, letter sounds and pre-reading skills like rhyming
â—Ź Algorithmic learning to identify trouble areas and automatically tailor review to a child's current skills
â—Ź New music and free-play rooms to encourage practice
â—Ź 100+ new animated videos
â—Ź New e-books to enhance our existing digital library
Learning Program:
More than 5 million children have learned to read with Hooked on Phonics. With the help of early childhood education experts, we have enhanced the Hooked on Phonics App greatly with this launch, and are utilizing the most cutting edge research to most effectively teach early reading skills. We have included machine-learning algorithms to give children more practice in areas where they are struggling, and will give parents better insight into how their children are progressing with brand new reporting features.
Technology:
Technology changes fast. After listening to our customers, it became clear that after only five years, our core technology needed an update. We rebuilt every aspect of our App to provide a lightning-fast, smooth, glitch-free experience for all users, regardless of the device they use. We have also reconfigured how content loads to put less stress on devices and take up less space. Users can download content quickly, and even do so in advance to use the program offline, if they choose.
Look and Feel:
We are excited to unveil a completely new Hooked on Phonics world and cast of characters! Our new look and feel was designed to appeal to as many children as possible. Kids meet our cute family of insects in the Pre-reader section, and giggle with a friendly cast of funny and irreverent animals as they move into the Learn to Read section. Children will love to watch as these characters demonstrate new concepts, work with them in interactive reading games, and celebrate milestones with silly victory dances!
Practice Pack Program:
What sets Hooked on Phonics apart from other reading apps is the option to include complementary Practice Packs that help a child develop concepts of print, as well as appealing to even more types of learners with off-the-page, hands-on ideas for deeper learning at home. Built using feedback from education experts and our customers, the Practice Pack program includes 5 Pre-reader, and 12 Learn to Read packs that include workbooks, stickers, storybooks, and in the first Pre-reader pack, flashcards that are sent to the home, monthly. Users can customize how often they receive these shipments through their account dashboard to tailor the pacing to each family’s needs. Created in conjunction with the App, the Practice Packs allow children to engage in different modalities of learning, review the skills they’ve gained in the App, and practice hands-on skills—like writing and tracing—that can’t be mastered in a digital setting. The result is an immersive program of learning experiences that keeps kids highly engaged in learning to read.
Existing Customers:
When you sign in to the Hooked on Phonics App, you will be prompted to update the App through the appstore. Your child's progress will be saved. Your child will start at the appropriate level in the App, automatically. The powerful learning approach behind our App will remain, with new elements to go even deeper in areas like rhyming, reading comprehension and tailored review. Your user experience will likely even get better! We're even including more songs and games for added fun, as well as a Progress Dashboard with weekly progress reports!