Learning To Read Made Easy with the Learning Dynamics Reading Program {A Review}
Learning to read should be fun and easy – for you and your child! With the Learning Dynamics Reading Program, it is! See how my daughter did with their #4weekstoread program and learn how you can open up the mystery of the written word for your child as well.
Learning to read is a monumental achievement.
With this one skill, the world is opened up to young children in a new and fascinating way. As they learn letter sounds, blending, phonics, and even sight words, books, signs, and more are all able to be consumed by the child rather than being dependent on an adult for help.
And although I was skeptical, my daughter was insistent. So, for the last few weeks, my five-year-old and I have been diving into the world of reading with Learning Dynamics Reading Program from Learning Dynamics.
Be sure to read to the end for a Hope In The Chaos reader discount!
Learning To Read
I should first tell you that we are laid-back when it comes to learning to read.
I wasn’t always this way though.
Years ago I pushed my now-4th grader to read before he was ready all because I felt he needed to be reading. I was ambitious and foolish in my quest to prove the validity of homeschooling.
After that experience, I immersed myself in the world of learning to read to figure out what went wrong and how to improve. Through that research, I decided that I would not be teaching his younger sister how to read until she was older and ready. Fully prepared to defend my position on “late” reading, I was not prepared to hear my five-year-old ask to learn to read.
The first time she made the request I gave a generic answer and passed it off as a curiosity tied to being able to stay up later. We allow the kids to read in bed at night, but because she doesn’t yet read it’s lights out for her at bedtime.
The second time, I gave a more detailed answer about sounds and words and putting it all together. This seemed to satisfy her curiosity and I figured I was off the hook for a little while longer.
But the third time she asked about reading I decided that maybe it was time to think about giving it a try.
This third request had me questioning myself. I had not planned to work on reading skills until the first grade with her… late kindergarten at the earliest.
Yet here I was, at the end of pre-k, with a child determined to unlock the mysteries of reading. A child who was relentless in her request to master the words on the pages she loves so dearly.
Finding A Better Reading Program
Her third request happened just a few days before the opportunity arose to be on a review for a reading program.
I had already contemplated my initial standing, and with that Learning Dynamics offered, I found myself at a crossroads.
Which was better: Waiting until she was older or taking her apparent interest and seeing how far it lead?
I knew plenty of children could read at four and five years old – my oldest two were both reading very well in pre-k.
On the other hand, I knew plenty of children who didn’t read until seven or eight and then quickly took off. My own son was one of these “late readers”… although you wouldn’t know it now.
Research backed up both schools of thought, but ultimately, we decided to give it a go.
The Learning Dynamics website boasted things like 4 weeks to reading, a 98% success rate, and research-backed methods.
It stated this program was easy to use and would take just 15-minutes per day. All of this could be a reality with just three days per week of use.
Anyone could use this program successfully, even if you didn’t have a background in early childhood education.
Oh, and this video. This video pretty much cinched the deal.
This video addressed my own concerns about the pressure to start reading at an early age.
It addressed the fact that so many programs don’t work like they say they will, yet it’s often assumed that kids get what they need in kindergarten (or lower), and by the first grade, you have a fluent reader.
Partly terrified that I made a horrible decision and partly cautiously optimistic that the Learning Dynamics Reading Program would actually work the way it claimed, we waited for the materials to arrive.
Exploring the Learning Dynamics Reading Program
Before it arrived, I already knew what was coming. So when UPS dropped a small box off at my doorstep, I was a little surprised. I truly expected it would be larger.
Yet contained in the brown packing box was everything Learning Dynamics claimed would be in there.
There was a music CD with songs for each letter.
It also contained a student workbook my daughter could use for finding words that began with the letters and practicing writing.
And there was a lesson manual for me, along with several different packets of flashcards, pop-out letter cards, and 53 books.
My daughter, ever an overachiever, wanted to jump right into the books.
Not wanting to squash her enthusiasm we did look at a few of them and I noticed the transition from simple one-word pages to more complex sentences. The progress from 3-letter words up.
I also noted the size of the books, just 7-inches square – perfect for little hands. Each page boasted brightly colored pictured that clearly matched up with the words.
I also noted the instruction page. Just one.
Not wanting to be too pessimistic, I tried to shake the feeling that there had to be more to it.
Following the direction, I set out to being my own exploration of this children’s reading program to be sure I was familiar with how to use it before we began.
Getting Started with the Learning Dynamics Reading Program
On page 5 of the lesson manual, you will find the format for each letter lesson.
At the start of each lesson you begin with the alphabet song – but not the one you and I are familiar with. This alphabet song includes all of the letter sounds.
Once you have completed that, you then introduce the new letter beginning with its name and sound. Next, you read a short story where the new letter is the focus and listening to a short song all about the letter.
Following that you turn to the corresponding page in the student workbook to work on writing the letter and identifying the images that begin with the letter. Once that is completed, you again listen to the same letter song.
And honestly, it probably took me longer to type all of that out than each lesson took to work through.
Let me explain…
Each day my daughter would grab the Learning Dynamics box. While she was putting the CD in, I would work on lesson prep. This consisted of grabbing the flashcards and stand-up letter pieces for the new letter we were going to be working on.
We would then start the day’s lesson with a review of the previous letters (as stated on the lesson page).
Following this, we would listen to the ABC song. While the song was playing, she and I would take turns holding up the blue flashcards that corresponded so we were both listening to the letters and sounds while also seeing the letters.
It also kept her attention during the song. 😉
After the song, we started in on the new letter for the day. This is where we use the flashcard just for the letter, viewed both the capital and lowercase version, and learn the sound the letter makes.
At this point, she liked to hold the stand-up letter piece while I read the story about the letter careful to accentuate my pronunciation of the story to emphasize the new letter sound (this is a key component of the Learning Dynamics Reading Program).
Moving on, we would then listen to a short song (under two minutes, and it repeats) all about the new letter and sound. Each letter has its own song but after a few letters, you will find that the rhythm starts to repeat (making it easier to sing along).
When it came to the student workbook, my daughter was not interested in the writing or coloring aspect of the pages. So instead of coloring the pictures that started with the letter of the day, we instead simply pointed to the right ones and make an imaginary X with our fingers of the “sneaky” image that didn’t belong. When possible, we would name the letter page the sneaky image went to.
And we did complete the review pages.
During the repeat of the letter song we would sing it together, and also point to the words and images in the lesson manual when they came up in the song. Then we would wrap up with a final check to be sure she knew the letter and its sound.
Most days, we would complete a lesson in about 10 minutes.
Get Your Motor Running
The first five lessons of this reading program follow the exact same format. Lesson six was a review of the five letters and sounds learned.
On page 24 of the lesson
This is where you ask your child to turn on their motor and speed up the sounds each letter makes to combine the letters and form words.
This is also the part of the program where I decided to ad-lib slightly.
During each day’s blending lesson, tacked on at the end of the letter lesson, I would ask my daughter if her motor was running.
And each day she would say no.
So I jumped into a fun little parody to encourage her to “get her motor running”… ♪♪♪ time to get it running. Get your motor running, we’re gonna blend the sounds right now. We’re blending words ♪♪♪”… I think you get the point.
The older kids were mortified. My five-year-old loved it.
And if that tune is now stuck in your head, I’m sorry.
From Reading Program To Reading Books
Following lesson 9 you are told to begin introducing the first level of books (as long as they are able to blend the letters to make words).
The first book contains just four words, and they are listed on the back of the front cover. Review those words, then allow your child to read their first book, Pam. You can then i
My daughter quickly mastered Pam and wanted to move on to book 2, A Hat, but this was as far into the books as we got.
One page reads “Pam taps” and this page confused her frequently. Alone, she could read the word “Pam” but with “Pam taps” she would either skip the ‘p’ sound in Pam or say “tam” instead of “Pam.”
However, we continued through the lessons and letters. Continued learning new sounds and working on new blends.
The addition of new letters did confuse her, but everything I found on the Learning Dynamics website said to continue on – so we did.
New letters, about three per week, were introduced and we continued with the 2 blue books. We practiced blending every day – a concept that she didn’t fully grasp. Instead of blending the sounds, she would enunciate the sounds rapidly.
Patiently though, we kept going. Kept working at it and kept trying.
Continuing On with The Learning Dynamics Reading Program
The last letter we officially worked on was ‘F’ followed by the lesson 18 review. Since this program contains 55 lessons in all, we are far from done with this one.
Overall my daughter is grasping the concept that letters make sounds very well. And while she sometimes mixes up which letter makes which sound, this is happening less frequently.
We are working on
Blending is still not fully mastered, but at only five, I’m not completely concerned. Not only was progress made, but I am very laid back in my approach to the younger grades.
Each day I made sure to blend a few familiar words (like
The best part though – even after taking a full week off from using the Learning Dynamics Reading Program, my daughter was able to pick up the first book and read it fluently.
With the second book, we still had the same issue on that one page, but that was it. And with some gentle reminding, she can get it right about half the time.
Best of all though, she enjoys this reading program. To her, this is fun and even though our homeschool is on summer vacation she keeps reminding me that we need to read. She’s excited to use the Learning Dynamics Reading Program because to her it’s not work.
In my daughter’s mind, it’s simply fun. The Learning Dynamics Reading Program is opening up the world of reading one letter at a time, one word at a time, and one book at a time.
And for me, this is the much better way to teach my child how to read.
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Kelly Warner is a seasoned homeschooling mom from Maine, where she lives with her husband and their four children—two of whom are proud homeschool graduates. With years of experience navigating the ups and downs of home education, Kelly is passionate about helping families simplify their journey and find encouragement amidst the chaos of daily life. She shares practical tips, inspiration, and real-life homeschooling wisdom on her website, Hope In The Chaos, and across social media.
