Item #: 066742
ISBN: 9781941722299
Retail: $24.99
Rainbow Price: $19.50

Item #: 007398
ISBN: 9781935197546
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $134.95

Teacher’s Manual, Student Packet with Activity Book, Heirloom Antics and The Voyage.

Item #: 007336
ISBN: 9781935197867
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $35.95

Item #: 007379
ISBN: 9781935197881
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $21.95

Item #: 007360
ISBN: 9781935197874
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $21.95

Item #: 048706
ISBN: 9781940384184
Retail: $79.98
Rainbow Price: $49.95

Levels 1 & 2. Includes two DVDs, two workbooks, six readers, uppercase and lowercase letter flashcards, reward stickers, and a Quick Start Guide.

Item #: 007331
ISBN: 9781935197850
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $42.95

Item #: 034824
ISBN: 9781940384191
Retail: $79.98
Rainbow Price: $49.95

Considered Levels 3 and 4 of the program, Kindergarten includes 2 DVDs, two workbooks, twelve readers, two storybooks, and reward stickers.

Item #: 068770
ISBN: 9781940384115
Retail: $39.99
Rainbow Price: $24.95

 Teaches lowercase letters and beginning sounds in words. Includes one DVD, one workbook, two readers, one storybook, lowercase flashcards, reward stickers, and online access.

Item #: 068769
ISBN: 9781940384108
Retail: $39.99
Rainbow Price: $24.95

Focuses on recognizing and writing uppercase letters and beginning sounds in words. Includes one DVD, one workbook, two readers, one storybook, uppercase flashcards, reward stickers, and online access.

Item #: 060400
ISBN: 9781940384221
Retail: $39.99
Rainbow Price: $25.95

It’s not hard to guess the connection – Hooked on Phonics; Hooked on Spelling. Just like its “kissing cousin,” Hooked on Spelling is fun, colorful, and easy-to-use. The general format of the program is familiar as well: Learn (a short 5-7 minute, computer-based lesson), Practice (5-7 minute segment with the engaging workbooks), and Play (another 5-7 minutes having fun with new skills). Each lesson ends with a celebration and a sticker on a progress chart. In fact, this celebration is part of the overall educational philosophy of the program which includes working side by side with your student, encouragement/praise, mastery, being patient, not overdoing it, working in a quiet place, employing real-world spelling activities, surrounding the child with words, and lastly (most importantly?) reading with the child every day. There are two levels: Yellow – roughly corresponding to the 1st grade level of HOP Learn to Read – and Red, corresponding to HOP Learn to Read 2nd grade. Program components for each level include a CD-ROM, a worktext, a spelling study card, a progress poster and stickers. The CD-ROM lessons (20 including reviews) each provide instruction plus interactive reinforcement. Worktexts are for practice and include exercises, reviews and family-time activities. Each word is written at least three times in this segment. The wipe-off Spelling Study Card is available for more practice and provides some guidance for effective mastery. Stickers applied to the Colorful Poster (11” x 7,” laminated) track your student’s progress. All instruction centers around the computer component and although the computer program is professional with good audio and practice, there is no way to skip forward through the lessons. If typing is a roadblock for the child, it may be frustrating. The Yellow level (six words per lesson) covers beginning consonant and rhyming word families, ending consonant sounds, short vowels, beginning and ending blends, word families with ending blends, “ch,” “sh,” “th,” and some irregular words. The Red level (eight words per lesson) covers short vowels vs. long vowels, blends vs. non-blends, “c” sounds, “g” sounds, “y,” plurals and other endings, and some irregular words. ~ Janice System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP or higher; Mac OS 10.1 or higher.

Item #: 057346
ISBN: 9781940384030
Retail: $9.95
Rainbow Price: $6.50

Item #: 057345
ISBN: 9781940384023
Retail: $9.95
Rainbow Price: $6.50

Item #: 057344
ISBN: 9781940384047
Retail: $9.95
Rainbow Price: $6.50

Item #: 057343
ISBN: 9781940384054
Retail: $9.95
Rainbow Price: $6.50

Item #: 057337
ISBN: 9781604991321
Retail: $12.99
Rainbow Price: $9.75

Item #: 057335
ISBN: 9781604991222
Retail: $4.99
Rainbow Price: $4.25

Item #: 034825
ISBN: 9781940384214
Retail: $79.98
Rainbow Price: $49.95

Levels 7 and 8 of the program, 2nd Grade includes two DVDs, two workbooks, eight storybooks, and reward stickers.

Item #: 034823
ISBN: 9781940384207
Retail: $79.98
Rainbow Price: $49.95

Levels 5 & 6 of the whole HOP program, 1st Grade includes two DVDs, two workbooks, eight storybooks, and reward stickers.

Item #: 068582
ISBN: 9780938558682
Retail: $149.97
Rainbow Price: $112.46

Designed like a unit study, this program primarily focuses on phonics but also brings in the study of literature, creative writing, and storytelling, drawing and painting, and the study of art history. Also intermingled throughout are history, geography, science and discovery lessons. The full color art cards are the core of the program. I fell in love with the beautiful art cards the moment I saw them! These cards (measuring 6 x 9 inches) reveal paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries and portray the love of family and its values, the love of children, of country, and of Gods creation. The cards are the core of the entire program and Internet links are used heavily throughout. The teacher manual, Basic Studies in Phonics, Literature, Art, Creative Writing, Drawing, and History explains the programs premise and gives complete instructions on how to use it with detailed lesson plans.

The 112 lessons follow the same daily format. Each lesson begins with a short artist summary followed by thoughts and questions to discuss with your children. Next is the phonics instruction (which is based on the 112 art cards depicting fundamental sounds of letters, or groups of letters, associated with the English language). The courses goal is to learn the phonetic sounds by connecting a sound of a letter, or combination of letters, with a word using that sound associated with the painting. The letter appears on the front of the art card and the back has a word associated with the sound and the painting. For example, the letter Cc is associated with a painting of cats. The back of the card will also include the word cats, the name of the painting, and the artist. Free internet links as well as short stories are provided to enhance the phonics lesson. Instructions on how to write the alphabet letters are also included with each letter as well as downloadable pages to practice writing the letters.

After the phonics lesson comes other instruction. The literature portion of the program encourages writing and using stories pertaining to a painting. There are links provided for stories to listen to and write down thoughts to discuss with children. Describe the painting, make up a story about a certain aspect of the painting, or use clustering (organizing thoughts that branch out from the main idea). Learn art history by exploring the links to other paintings by the same author. Science, Biology & Discovery links also provide interesting and informative bits of intelligence about the paintings subject matter. Drawing and painting instructions are given through free internet links and art supplies needed are listed in the teachers manual.

Using these inspiring paintings as a springboard for learning phonics and other subject areas is a wonderful mental hook to help retrieve abstract information. While designed to be a phonics program, the art and history can be enjoyed by the whole family. Together with the art cards and internet links, there is an enormous amount of creative learning for your young students.