Shepherding Kind Hearts: TOS Review: Kid Scoop Reluctant Reader

Do you have a child who is a reluctant reader? Has your child not found a love for reading and learning? If yes, then Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader program may be just what your child needs to jump start their love for reading.

As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew team my kids and I were able to review this program. First off I have to say that my oldest who best fits in the grade range target for this program is not a reluctant reader. He devours virtually any book he can get his hands on. My younger son however, who reads at an advanced level has not found his love for reading. When I received this program to review, I was hopeful that it would light a fire under my younger son to read more and enjoy himself.

Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader program is intended for 2nd through 8th graders but would work for a reluctant reader of any age because of the way the program is written and tailored to a wide range of interests and activity levels. Reluctant Reader is a unique reading program that encourages a love for reading based on the idea that kids love to read about their favorite topics. It is based on the premise that your child will willingly and excitedly pick up a piece to read if it is about something that piques their interest. For boys, these topics might include baseball, trains, or airplanes. Girls on the other hand might enjoy reading about butterflies, bubble gum, or fun kitchen activities. No matter the topic, it is all about getting your little one interested in reading. To that end, Vickie Whiting, founder of Kid Scoop created 365 Kid Scoop worksheets focusing on different topics and a 12 issue newspaper. Both the worksheets and newspapers make reading fun yet educational for your struggling reader.

When you subscribe to the Kid Scoop Reluctant Reader program you will receive all 365 Kid Scoop worksheets in pdf format and you will have online access to a full year of Kid Scoop newspapers. The online newspapers include current events, weather, and special holidays just to name a few topics covered. The newspapers are not only enjoyable to read but they also provide conversation and discussion topic starters for you and your child. The newspapers are written and presented in such a manner that they are fun to read and explore. If your child learns better by listening, the online newspapers also have an audio option.

The 365 topic fun worksheets span the gamut so your child is sure to find plenty of worksheet topics that hold their interest. You can explore the worksheets documents in one of two ways. First, you can do them daily; 365 different documents gives you an entire year of topical reading. Or if you prefer, you can select the worksheet documents based on topic and supplement a unit study you might have planned. These worksheets are full of fun reading activities such as word searches, decoding lessons, and much more which all refer back to a written article in the beginning of the worksheet about your chosen topic. For example, my boys and I chose to first read the Martin Luther King Jr. article as part of our MLK day lessons. We began by reading the written article, I gave each of my boys their own copy to read at their pace. After everyone was finished we discussed what we had read and then thoroughly enjoyed applying what we had learned about MLK in the fun written and discussion activities that followed.

I knew my oldest would love this type of program but I was pleasantly surprised when my younger son asked to read through another article just 2 days after reading our first. He enjoyed the way the worksheet information was presented, they are not written in the typical "article" format but rather presented and written in a fun manner that is appealing to children. Since beginning the program my boys and I have read through a good number of the worksheet topic and thoroughly enjoyed the online newspapers. Using the Reluctant Reader program was not a reading "chore" for my boys but rather a fun reading and learning game. As a homeschooler I love that the 365 worksheet topics can be added seamlessly to our unit studies or added to a "light" day of learning on selected holidays.

Pricing information:
For $97 you will receive the following: 12 month access to the online newspaper, 365 Kid Scoop worksheets, and a 365 day money back guarantee. Click here to subscribe.