Reading Eggs Review: “My struggling child improved dramatically”

In this Reading Eggs Review, parent Lacee Guest shares the incredibly positive effect the multi‑award winning programme has had on her once struggling reader. Lacee had concerns about her child’s progress, so decided to try Reading Eggs following recommendations by other parents. She shared what a difference it has made to her daughter Taya (aged six), an initially struggling reader. Lacee is also excited as her youngest child Kahlani (aged four), embarks on using the programme in the lead up to starting school. Read her Reading Eggs Review to see how it can also help your child.

Why did you decide to try the Reading Eggs programmes?

I was concerned mostly about the level of education that my children had from childcare merging into school. I wanted to make sure they were at the place they need to be able to get started, and then maintain that as well. I just wanted to give them that little bit of extra help. This was the case for my middle child. I saw a dramatic increase of ability once she was using Reading Eggs!

When did you notice your child was struggling with reading and writing?

Obviously, you shouldn’t compare your children as they all learn in different ways, but I did notice that my eldest was at a very different level going into school, than what my middle child was. Even though they went to the same childcare and had the same teachers, I felt little alarm bells and that I just need to give her that extra support.

What worried you in particular about your child’s early reading and writing skills?

I was quite concerned before she started school. She was doing things like, I know it’s common, but putting her letters the wrong way. For instance, she could write her name fluently and then about six months later she was doing it backwards. I was thinking, “What on earth is going on here? Why are you regressing? You were doing so well.” When I approached her childcare teacher, she just said, “Yes that is something they do, and then they get out of it.”

Also with shapes, she wasn’t really drawing. My eldest would come home with magical pieces of paper with suns, trees and castles and she could really describe what she was doing. My middle child just did paint splashes, with no structure or shapes. I’d ask her teachers, if they could encourage her to draw shapes or pictures to create a house, but they didn’t do that or give her any guidance.

Taya went from struggling reader to confident across all areas after using Reading Eggs and Mathseeds. Get a 30‑day Free Trial today!

Reading Eggs Reviews show the programme really works

Say her schoolteacher says, “We are going to write a book and need illustrations for that.” How would my child navigate that if they think splashes and swirls are enough? I started working with her on shapes, and how we can turn them into a picture creatively.

I feel the confidence Reading Eggs gave to Taya influenced her learning in all fields immensely. She was also using Mathseeds. Seeing the shapes on the programme, she flipped really quickly into understanding this and got to the level she needed to be at. She adapted well.

This programme has been amazing. At first, I was on the fence about using it. But my son who has struggled with reading from the start has really picked this up easily and I cannot believe how well he is reading now. ABC Reading Eggs has helped tremendously and I tell everyone about it.

- Myriam W.

So you saw a noticeable change in your child’s learning ability?

Yes, my middle child was a struggling reader at the very beginning and 100% it made a difference for her in all her learning! I believe she could have been at a lower level of reading if I hadn’t introduced her to Reading Eggs.

Did your child feel motivated and engaged with the program?

The fun aspect really engages Taya and she wants to just keep going - she pushes herself a bit more. Taya would say to me, “Mummy! Look what I’ve done! I’ve passed this”. Then I would also congratulate her. This engagement and reinforcement kept her going and built her confidence.

She was self-motivated asking to do Reading Eggs! There were times when she was doing it herself and sometimes, I had no idea.

My husband would sometimes come home and say, “I saw that (Reading Eggs) email that came through about Tay. How awesome is this?”. So, it got us all talking about her development in a positive light, and it was positive for her that mum and dad are talking about this.

How did Reading Eggs help you as a parent?

Unless there’s a big warning then you don’t get any triggers about the level your child is at, from school and childcare, or know where they should be. We don’t get that confirmation of how they’re going until six or 12 months down the track, and you can’t really work with that when you’re looking at helping support your children.

Taya and Kahlani having fun working on their individual Reading Eggs lessons, helped by the programme's Marshmallow Mouse and Bee Bee Bear. Free Trial

It wasn’t until we did homeschooling that we got an insight in a kind of teacher environment, where our child was sitting. “Are they putting their hand up? Do they know what the teacher is asking? Are they responding in the right way?”

With Reading Eggs, you get that constant support telling kids they did really well here, telling parents their kids are at this level or that they’ve increased this skill. The children are enjoying playing with it, but you can see they’re going in the right direction.

I do like that ability to get feedback and the emails we get as well. That constantly reminds us of where my child is at and what they’ve achieved, because we don’t really get that with school.

What did your struggling child like about Reading Eggs the most?

Taya isn’t into TV so Reading Eggs is her way of independently playing and relaxing. She really thrives when she gets all the positive responses. She usually likes to do 30‑40 minutes a day as her wind down time rather than watch TV shows. It helped build her confidence, knowing she was understanding.

How could your four-year-old and seven-year-old benefit from Reading Eggs?

My older child loves watching TV, so for her I can say, “You only need 15 minutes of Reading Eggs and then you can watch something.”

It’s nice to see what levels she is at and that she pushes herself a bit more as I don’t get that insight from school. With my littlest, she’s at the perfect time, as she’s got a year till school starts and is really interested in learning.

She did say recently, “Mummy and daddy I’m not learning anything at childcare I want to learn more.”

I’d like to introduce it to her on the iPad and she’ll love it, like my second child because it’s so interactive.

What do you love about Reading Eggs as a parent?

I like the reminder that 15 minutes a day of Reading Eggs is all that’s needed, the consistency of that is fantastic.

Originally, we used the online programme but then I got the app on my phone. I like that the kids can use it as another learning aid. I would download the app on all the kids devices! They prefer the app, as then it’s there and present; it’s easy to click on and very interactive. I like that all my girls are active on Reading Eggs and using the app on their three individual devices.

Also, the printouts are great for my four-year-old. She loves a good pencil in hand doing an activity. I will use the printouts for my little one to get writing and drawing and get a mixture of working on paper and learning online.

We hope this independent Reading Eggs Review by a family providing feedback about how Reading Eggs worked for their child gives some insight into how the program could help your child boost their learning skills too.