We are not really doing a full work load at all this summer. But, I do want Kaden to read and work on a few things each day to keep his skills up. We decided to try the Reading Intervention Programs from MaxScholar again. This online program is very engaging and highly interactive. And you can use it on your computer or download the app for your mobile device. A few years ago we had tried it and have since then heard of some changes. I know Reading Intervention Programs are usually for those that are struggling to read or have a known learning disability and Kaden reads very well with no problems. But, I also know he struggles with the grammar and technical side of comprehension. Like before this program is recommended for grades K through 12th grade. Let's check this out....
MaxPhonics, MaxReading, MaxWords, MaxMusic, MaxVocab, MaxPlaces, and MaxBios are the programs included. Each of these programs have several lessons and levels in them. Certain areas have games that your student can play. Here is a quick run down of each of them and how we used them.
The MaxPhonics works on mastering phonemes and letter sounds by using a variety of learning styles that are multi-sensory, including activities that will please auditory, tactile or visual learners. We did not use this as much, because the placement test was forever long and he is past needing help in this area. But, for a first time reader or an early reader this would be super fun. It's like those workbooks I used with my kids many moons ago, but interactive and online.
MaxReading was why I wanted to try this program in the first place. The passages are a perfect length and really interesting to read. You are given highlighters to highlight the topic, supporting details, and main idea in different colors in the passages. The student also gets to practice outlining, working on their writing skills through summarizing or questions. And finally there is a multiple choice section to check their comprehension. Kaden had a very hard time using the markers to highlight. He almost always missed a lot because he felt they thought too much was important info. He enjoys summarizing what he read and if he can type instead of writing it out, well that's even better. Some of the stories can be read to the student, this is nice for those days you just want to listen.
MaxWords helps build your child's vocabulary skills and focuses on prefixes, suffixes, Greek and Latin roots and spelling rules to improve reading comprehension and fluency. This made Kaden's head explode. We took this slowly, but he was excited to learn the spelling rules the most. He s a great speller, but we both see the value on learning these now to help in the future.
There are several sub-programs that work on developing reading skills with extra practice in this program.
MaxMusic is a spot that you can read lyrics to popular music. The selections are from artists like Adele, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Jay Z to name a few. Kaden was prompted to read a selection of lyrics, then choose parts of speech, and play a simple version of the tune on a piano. Like before when I reviewed I do not agree with some of the choice of music. And when seeing some of the lyrics written out I visually can see why I don't let my kiddos listen to this kind of music. I wish there was an option to remove what you don't want to be an option for your children. There are some that are okay and we did all of those. We liked this section because it reminded both of us of Mad Libs in a way.
MaxVocab is a full interactive dictionary that gives you the definition, a sentence, an synonym and antonym, for tons of words. Last time this was Kaden's favorite and when he recognized the program that was the first place he begged me to go to. I tried to get him to pick a favorite game, but he just couldn't. The definition game and hangman were both super fun, but who doesn't love a good word search?
MaxPlaces was another favorite, you get to choose a location from a world map and then read a passage regarding the location. Then in a similar way to what you did in MaxReading you complete activities like highlighting the topic and important details, outline, write a summary, and answer questions. We have been studying a lot of Geography this last year, so this was fun and easy to get him to do.
The MaxBios, like last time disappointed me again. I'm sorry, but I can think of a million different people that I would rather my kids read about other then rappers. But, I will say they do have several other people to choose from, but I would like the ability to take out what I don't want. It would be nice to assign a list of Bios to each student. The activities were also the same as in MaxReading.
So, what did I think? Even though I still don't approve of some of the content used it is not enough to turn me away. It's a great program and since he's gotten older I can see me using it more consistently with him then before. I see the value in their method of teaching. And would recommend it to other fellow homeschool Moms out there. I found that repetition usually annoys Kaden, but with this program it's nice to give a variety of topics to carry out these activities to alleviate the feeling of repetition. Not once did Kaden find it boring and that's a winner in my book! Make sure to connect with MaxScholar on social media today!
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