Online Homeschool Reading Programs at a Glance

This post contains Amazon affiliate links and other affiliate links. If you click through one of my links and make a purchase, I will receive a commission. Read my complete disclosure.

Teaching your child to read has never been easier with all of the online homeschool reading programs readily available. This post describes the options based on age or grade level, skills covered, awards given, parent involvement needed, and price. Some online homeschool reading programs require work on the parents’ part. Parents may need to give instruction or prepare materials. Other programs are set up for children to do independently. Some programs focus heavily on phonics, while others focus on fluency. There are many points to consider when choosing the right online reading program for your child.

Chart Comparison of Online Homeschool Reading Programs

	Ages/Grades	Orton-Gillingham	Awards	Parent Involvement	Price
PRIDE Reading Program	5+ years	x		x	$144.85/kit
Scholar Within	K-8th			X	$37/month or $247/20 weeks
Hooked On Phonics	3-8 years			X	$12.99/month
Time 4 Learning	PreK-12th				$19.95/month and $30/month
Nessy Reading & Spelling	6-11 years	X	X		$12/month or $100/year
Headsprout	K-5th		X		$209.95/year
One Minute Reader	Early readers-5th		X		Free; in-app purchases
K5 Learning	K-5th		X		$14.95/month
Reading Eggs	2-13 years		X		$59/year
MaxScholar	3+ years	X			$79.99/year to $279/year
Red Apple Reading	4-8 years		X		$7.50/month
Reading Kingdom	4-10 years		X		$19.99/month
Book Adventure	K-8th			X	$43.74/year
ABC Mouse	2-8 years		X		$9.95/month
Starfall	PreK-3rd				$35/year
Teach Your Monster to Read	3-8 years		X		Free

PRIDE Reading Program

• Ages/Grades: 5 years+
• Publisher: Pride Reading
• Skills: reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension
• Parent Involvement Needed: Yes
• Price: $144.85 for complete kit
• Compatibility: internet browser connected device
• Additional Options: Digital program is now available for $99.95. The student eBook has interactive sound cards, letter tiles, sound squares, blending drills, and whiteboard. Also included is the online teacher guide.

Pride Reading Program is an Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading. It’s systematic and multi-sensory, great for kids with learning difficulties.

There’s an assessment to give your child to help choose the right level. Once you buy a kit you only need to buy additional level books to work through the program.

Parents follow the easy-to-use online script to guide their student in using the hands-on materials. There’s an online teacher training for parents to complete before using the program that explains each lesson component through helpful demonstration videos.

Read my complete review of PRIDE Reading Program.

Scholar Within

• Ages/Grades: K-8
• Publisher: Scholar Within, Inc.
• Skills: phonemic awareness, reading fluency, comprehension, decoding and encoding words, visualization, note-taking, and critical thinking
• Parent Involvement Needed: Yes
• Price: $37/month or 20-week program $247 available for 6 months, 7-day free trial
• Compatibility: internet access and printer

Scholar Within is a combination of at-home and online resources. Materials and video instructions are online, but parents must be present to do the activities with their children. Older students can do some of the work independently. What stands out in this program is that children read text off-line, in printed materials, as opposed to reading on the screen.

There is a reading fluency assessment to measure your child’s fluency and speed to determine what grade level program to select. Since parents administer the test and use their best estimate, if you find your reading materials are not the right fit, you can contact the company to switch levels if needed.

Expect to spend 45-60 minutes five days per week. Lessons include executive function activities and brain-body activities because of their connection to reading skills.

Each day of the week, kids will have a fluency drill and time for independent reading. On Monday they read a story and take notes on a graphic organizer. The graphic organizer is used to review the story on Wednesday before taking a quiz on Thursday. Other components like spelling and phonics, taking digital field trips, card games, and more are part of the program.

Hooked On Phonics

• Ages/Grades: 3-8 years
• Publisher: Hooked On Phonics
• Skills: phonics, decoding, reading
• Recent Awards: National Parenting Publications Award 2019, iParenting Media Award, Dr. Toy Winner: 100 Best Products
• Price: $12.99/month plus shipping, with first month for $1
• Parent Involvement Needed: Some
• Compatibility: any digital device, app used with or without internet connection
• Additional Options: The Essential Learn to Read Bundle includes all eight levels from pre-K to grade two for $269.99. You get 36 storybooks, 8 workbooks, 8 DVDs, Video streaming of the DVD content, 8 sets of stickers, 2 sets of letters and picture flashcards, online access to MyHOP, and lifetime access to the Hooked On Phonics app.

Hooked On Phonics has both digital and non-digital components. Each month children receive a package of materials that correspond with their lessons. It includes a workbook, storybooks, stickers, and a certificate.

This reading program follows a four-step process. First, children learn new concepts on their device through interactive videos. Next, they practice those new concepts in digital games and activities and the at-home materials they received in the mail. Then, children practice reading real books and eBooks. Finally, children can celebrate their hard work by filling out their certificate and earning digital rewards.

Parent involvement may be needed when children are working on the practice workbook. Children are encouraged to read the storybooks several times, so parent need to sit down with their children to listen to them read aloud to help them build fluency.

Time 4 Learning

• Ages/Grades: Preschool-12
• Publisher: Time4Learning, Inc.
• Skills: Phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension
• Recent Awards: iParenting Media Award, Top 100 Educational Websites 2018, One of Cathy Duffy’s Top 102 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $19.95/month for grades PreK-8th, $30/month for high school
• Compatibility: computer with Chrome or Safari browser, iOS device (larger than iPad mini)

Time 4 Learning offers language arts, math, science, and social studies programs for all grade levels. If you choose to use the reading curriculum, you also get access to all other subjects. Lessons vary in how they present information. Sometimes there is a teacher in the videos, and other times it’s just animation.

Nessy Reading & Spelling

• Ages/Grades: 6-11 years
• Publisher: Nessy Learning
• Skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, blending and segmentation, tricky words, reading fluency, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension
• Recent Awards: Education Resources Award
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $12/month or $100/year, 7-day Free Trial
• Compatibility: computer with Chrome or Safari browser and most mobile devices
• Additional Options: Home Pack for homeschoolers includes two additional programs, Writing Beach and Nessy Fingers, all for $140/year

Created to help kids with dyslexia, Nessy uses Orton-Gillingham approaches to teach reading. Children progress in their reading skills as they work through ten different islands, playing games that teach reading and spelling skills.

Nessy helps kids learn rules by using memory strategies, like the “Silly Bull” picture to help kids remember the meaning of syllables. It’s recommended that kids use the program 20 minutes four days a week for best results.

Headsprout

• Ages/Grades: K-5
• Publisher: Learning A-Z
• Skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension
• Recent Awards: EdTech Cool Tool Award 2020, Bessie Award Winner for Early Learning 2019, Tech Edvocate Winner for Best Early Childhood App or Tool 2019
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $209.95
• Compatibility: computer or mobile device

Headsprout presents reading concepts through animated episodes in early reading, reading comprehension, and advanced reading. This individualized reading program adjusts to your child’s needs based on her errors. Parents get progress reports that show both strengths and weaknesses.

There is a bookroom where children can choose from a variety of leveled books. They can record themselves reading aloud or take notes about the book in a journal.

One Minute Reader

• Ages/Grades: Early readers through fifth grade
• Publisher: Read Naturally, Inc.
• Skills: reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension
• Recent Awards: 2013 App of the Year and Media of the Year from Children’s Magazine, 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family from Learning Magazine
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: Free & in-app purchases
• Compatibility: requires iOS 8.0 or higher, compatible with iPad
• Additional Options: printed One Minute Reader books and accompanying CDs are available for each level in the program. Books can be purchased as individual titles or in leveled bundles.

One Minute Reader is designed to help readers develop fluency. Using non-fiction texts, children first read along with a narrator who models reading at a natural rate. They are introduced to unfamiliar words by listening to them read aloud.

Children develop fluency and expression by reading the texts several times. There are crossword puzzles to help learn the vocabulary words and comprehension quizzes at the end of each book. Each story takes about twenty minutes to complete.

K5 Learning

• Ages/Grades: K-5
• Publisher: K5 Learning
• Skills: Phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, vocabulary, reading comprehension
• Recent Awards: 2013 Bessie Award for Best Educational Software, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 2012, Parents’ Choice Award 2012
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $14.95/month per child, $9.95 per additional child and optional 14 day free trial
• Compatibility: computers, laptop, and Chromebooks
• Additional Options: price includes access to K5 Math program and K5 Spelling

The K5 Learning program was originally designed to supplement at-school learning, but homeschoolers use it as well. Children are assessed and then placed at the level in the program that fits their needs, which may or may not be different from their actual grade level. The short 5-10 minute lessons actively involve the student and are followed by practice sessions and quizzes. Report cards are provided for parents.

Reading Eggs

• Ages/Grades: 2-13 years
• Publisher: Blake eLearning, Inc.
• Skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, fluency
• Recent Awards: Best Homeschooling Programs & Resources Award 2020-21, Top EdTech Tool 2020, Academics’ Choice Brain Toy Award 2019, Old Schoolhouse Review Crew Blue Ribbon Award for Favorite Reading Supplement 2019
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $59 for 12 month subscription
• Compatibility: desktop, iOS, and Android
• Additional Options: book packs containing print copies of the Reading Egg digital books that children read throughout the program can be purchased separately

Reading Eggs consists of multiple programs targeted for different age spans. Children work through lessons on their maps, earning coins as they go. Reading concepts are introduced through fun animations and practiced through games. There are books to read at the end of each map and quizzes to check comprehension.

Children have plenty to do with Reading Eggs. In addition to the lessons, they children can practice spelling, take driving tests, visit Storylands, shop in the plaza for their house and avatar, and listen to favorite songs. MathSeeds is a math program that is included in a Reading Eggs subscription. Parents can choose to be notified of their child’s progress through email.

Read my complete review of Reading Eggs.

MaxScholar

• Ages/Grades: 3+ years
• Publisher: MaxScholar
• Skills: phonics, reading, vocabulary, comprehension
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: Early Start pack $79.99/year, K-2 Pack $99.99/year, MaxGuru (includes everything) $279/year
• Compatibility: desktop with Google Chrome browser, iOS, Android
• Additional Options: student workbooks highlighting specific topics, like spelling rules, suffixes, and Latin roots are available for additional cost

MaxScholar is an online homeschool reading program that uses a multi-sensory approach to teach reading. Kids start by taking a placement test and then jump into lessons on phonics. They listen to sounds, practice writing in “sand,” and read lists of words to practice fluency. There are stories for children to read and master quizzes they must complete before moving to the next level.

MaxScholar has a reading component that helps children learn reading comprehension skills in two steps. First, children highlight important parts of the story and determine the main idea. Then they answer questions about the story for a final score.

A MaxGuru subscription includes MaxPhonics, MaxReading, MaxWords, MaxBios, MaxPlaces, and MaxMusic. MaxWords teaches vocabulary through spelling rules, syllable study, Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes. MaxBios, MaxPlaces, and MaxMusic build content knowledge through reading.

Read my complete review of MaxScholar.

Red Apple Reading

• Ages/Grades: 4-8 years
• Publisher: Red Apple Reading, Inc.
• Skills: letter names and sounds, phonological awareness, word families, high frequency words, beginning and advanced phonics, picture and word vocabulary, comprehension, and print concepts
• Recent Awards: Best Homeschooling Curriculum & Resources 2020-21, Parents’ Choice Award 2019, Homeschool.com Summer Resource Award 2017
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $7.50 per month (first month free) additional child $2.50 per month, special discount for military families
• Compatibility: desktop with internet access, six apps available that cover the three reading levels
• Additional Options: free printable workbook pages, flashcards, and storybooks are available with subscription

Lessons in Red Apple Reading are sequential, starting with basic concepts like letter names and phonemic awareness, and progressing to short vowels and digraphs, to long vowels and advanced phonics. By level three children are working on vocabulary and reading comprehension.

This online homeschool reading program teaches skills through games and activities and storybooks. Kids can follow along in the text as the stories are read aloud. They also earn points for doing their practice lessons which can be used to play a special game at the end of each unit.

Reading Kingdom

• Ages/Grades: 4-10 years
• Publisher: Mojo Learning, Inc.
• Skills: sequencing, writing, sounds, meaning, grammar, comprehension
• Recent Awards: Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award for Mind-building Excellence 2015, Homeschool.com Top Homeschool Curriculum Award 2013
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $19.99/month or $199.99/year with a 30-day free trial, or $14.99/month or $149.99/year without the free trial
• Compatibility: device with Google Chrome browser
• Additional Options: Reading Kingdom is available in print form. You can purchase a sequencing book, handwriting books, and reading books with workbooks.

Reading Kingdom customizes the content to fit your child’s need and will have him/her reading at a third grade level by the end of the program.

There are five levels with six books in each level. Kids start with short words and phrases and progress towards more complex text. First, they are taught new words they will encounter in the stories through a series of fun exercises. They will also learn common sight words.

Reading Kingdom is unique because it focuses more on recognizing patterns formed by letter combinations. The rules of phonics have many exceptions and are difficult to remember, so this program doesn’t rely on phonics rules to teach children to read.

Read my complete review of Reading Kingdom.

Book Adventure

• Ages/Grades: K-8th
• Publisher: Book Adventure
• Skills: reading comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, writing
• Price: $43.74/year per child or $74.98/year for 1-5 students
• Parent Involvement Needed: some
• Compatibility: computer with internet browser
• Additional Options: there is a basic free option available, with limited features and not ad-free, to test the program before purchasing

Book Adventure uses a combination of real books that kids read at home, from the library or ones you purchase from a bookseller, and online activities. Book Adventure is not a learn-to-read program. Kids are expected to read books on their own, listen to audio books, or have a parent read the books aloud. Parents can select books to put on their child’s reading list or let their child select his own.

There are book activities, vocabulary, writing, and printables that correspond with the books from the book lists. First, kids log their independent reading time and earn playtime points for their virtual pet, Puki.

Children can take notes on the book notes pages, take a book quiz, and complete a book review to rate their reading experience. There is a spelling list provided that takes key words from the book they read. Then they can choose from seven different spelling activities to master those words. For writing, there are prompts to get kids responding to the books they read. For example, “Which character is most like you?” or “How is this book like others you’ve read?”

ABC Mouse

• Ages/Grades: 2-8 years
• Publisher: Age of Learning, Inc.
• Skills: letter recognition, phonics, rhyming, word families, sentence structure, parts of speech, reading
• Recent Awards: Mom’s Choice Gold Award, Teachers’ Choice Award 2012, Parents’ Choice Gold Award
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $9.95/month with FREE first month
• Compatibility: computers, tablets, and smartphones
• Additional Options: subscription includes access to math, science, social studies, and art lessons to create a complete curriculum and printables

ABC Mouse Reading uses characters, like King Grammar, to teach lessons using fun animations. Children play interactive games, read online books, and learn concepts through songs and puzzles.

Children can follow their personal step-by-step learning path, completing short activities along the way. Or they can access specific subjects through the classroom.

After completing an activity, like listening to this read aloud about the farm, kids earn tickets to buy items for their avatar, room, aquarium, pet hamster mazes, and pet park.

Starfall

• Ages/Grades: PreK-3rd
• Publisher: Starfall Education Foundation
• Skills: grammar, phonics, reading fluency, comprehension
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: $35/year
• Compatibility: online browser or individual apps
• Additional Options: Learn to Read books, reading and writing journals, and sentence strips, word cards, and story sequence cards, to go along with the books on the app, can also be purchased

The Learn to Read portion of Starfall starts off with the short vowels and progresses to long vowels and r-controlled vowels. Kids listen to phonics-based stories and practice the new concepts with activities like the one below.

There is an “I’m Reading” section where children can access stories to listen to or practice reading independently. In the “It’s Fun to Read” section, children can select topics from art, music, poetry, riddles, and tongue twisters.

Teach Your Monster to Read

• Ages/Grades: PreK- age 8
• Publisher: Usborne Foundation
• Skills: phonics, sight words, reading, comprehension
• Recent Awards: British Academy Children’s Awards BAFTA Nominee, Primary Teacher Awards Gold Medal 2012, Bett Awards Finalist 2013
• Parent Involvement Needed: No
• Price: free
• Compatibility: PC, laptop, or mobile device
• Additional Options: T-shirts, tote bags, water bottles and other accessories with the different monster characters from the program are available for purchase for children and adults

Teach Your Monster to Read is a series of three incremental games for beginner readers. Level One, First Steps, is for children just learning the letters and sounds of the alphabet. Once they are confident with their letters and are ready for simple sentences, children move on to Level Two, Fun With Words.

Level Three, Champion Reader introduces new graphemes and “tricky” words and gives kids blending, segmenting, reading and comprehension practice. There are forty-seven planets, or levels, grouped into galaxies for children to complete.

Like the title suggests, children get their own monster that they can customize to use throughout the program.

There are many options to consider when choosing just one of the many online homeschool reading programs. With these descriptions, my hope is that you feel more informed in your search for the perfect reading program for your child.