Hooked on Phonics Isn’t as Difficult as It May Sound

In a recent column about the importance of learning phonics (a method of learning the sounds associated with alphabet letters) to improve reading skills, I recommended the Hooked on Phonics program as a supplement to classroom study.

Since then, I’ve been deluged with questions from people who are interested in buying the program for their children but first want to know what it entails.

Such research is wise because the Hooked on Phonics package’s $229 price is a hefty sum for many parents.

I can’t tell you whether the program is right for your child or your budget--but I can certainly tell you what’s in the box.

Pop the lid of the kit and you may be intimidated by the many components, bright colors, busy pictures and instructions chart. I opened my kit, took one wide-eyed look, then put it off until after lunch.

But once I dug in, I found that the instructions were easy.

The program consists of two parts: Hooked on Phonics, which teaches basic sounding-out of words and brief sentences, and Your Reading Power, which polishes comprehension and analysis of longer passages and stories.

The Hooked on Phonics portion must be completed first and is made up of coordinated workbooks, cassette tapes and flash cards.

There’s also an instruction booklet and cassette tape, which are reasonably clear, although I had to rewind a couple of times to keep up.

A student-progress booklet and about 75 colorful achievement stickers--such as “Super!” “You’re on the Right Track!” “Doggone Good!” and “You’re Number One!”--are also included.

The child listens to a cassette tape while following along in a book in order to hear the correct pronunciation of the letters and words. Each workbook is about 100 pages long and targets a particular category of letter sounds.

Book 1 tackles the sounds of each alphabet letter, along with short vowel and consonant sounds. Sounds that are generally found at the beginning or ending of words are taught in Book 2. Book 3 continues with beginning and ending sounds, then progresses to long vowels and other sounds.

Diphthongs and other related sounds are featured in Book 4, along with more vowel and combination sounds. Book 5 hits combination sounds and silent letters, and prefixes and silent letters. Suffixes and silent letters and other related sounds are covered in Book 6.

Finally, Book 7, the Reading Review Book, gives the child plenty of practice on concepts from the preceding books.

All the books include color illustrations, reviews and exercises.

If matching the cassettes with the right book and stack of flash cards sounds chaotic, don’t worry. Every component is color-coded, so your child will be able to pick the right materials and start a study session without your help.

Almost everyone who has asked about the Hooked on Phonics program wants to know how long it takes to complete. My answer is inherently sketchy: speed depends largely on your child’s age, amount of motivation, and frequency and length of study sessions.

Once the child has finished the program, you can send in an enclosed coupon to receive a personalized certificate of completion.

Then he or she moves on to the second half of the overall Hooked on Phonics program, Your Reading Power.

It is a home-use version of the Science Research Associates reading comprehension program, which has been widely praised and used in the primary grades.

I used it every day for several years and will be forever thankful; it’s the reason I can immediately notice and remember the salient points in any reading.

Your Reading Power contains 100 typed and illustrated selections that range from short passages to longer stories, and four cassette tapes that narrate them. The child reads a story while listening to it, then answers questions about it in the “student record book.”

The passages and stories progress in difficulty from first grade through high school. They’re color-coded to indicate reading level.

As with the Hooked on Phonics portion of the program, Your Reading Power includes an instruction tape and booklet.

Again, a first glance at the size and number of components of the whole Hooked on Phonics package may seem cumbersome.

But the instructions and exercises are interesting, thorough, academically sound--even enjoyable. And after about half an hour of studying the directions, everything will make sense.

For more information on the Hooked on Phonics program, call (800) ABC-DEFG.