For many of us teaching our children to read can be a very scary and sometimes challenging undertaking. However, there are online programs available that can often lessen our fears and address the reading issues that we run into. Here are just a few of the wonderful programs available at the Homeschool Buyers Co-op and some reasons homeschool families love them.

Explode the Code Online – Explode the Code has been a homeschool favorite curriculum for years because it has a track record of helping children to learn phonic decoding skills.

Co-op Member, Jessica, says:

I love Explode the Code for my 6-year-old son. The online version (we use a tablet) works great for a busy Mom. It is user friendly so even young children can work independently. It also keeps track of their progress and makes adjustments based on their performance. My favorite part is the student report page that gives excellent information on each child's progress and even tips on how they can improve. Overall my son and I both love the program and he looks forward to "playing" on his tablet each day. The tablet version has a few glitches at times, but nothing that would keep me from using it or recommending the software to others. So thankful we were able to purchase this through the co-op!

Reading Eggs – This program helps young children learn to read through variety of lesson types, interactive activities and games in a user-friendly and colorful atmosphere.

Sarah Grey told us:

Reading Eggs has helped my daughter tremendously! I knew she had the capability to read, even at a young age, but she had no motivation to actually want to learn how. I hired a private tutor to help her, but even after a semester of kindergarten, hardly any progress. Someone suggested Reading Eggs to me and to my surprise, within two weeks of using, she had doubled her sight word list and now loves reading everything (she's in 1st grade now). I completely recommend you try it for your child. It's fun, very interactive, and as a parent you can track their progress, print supplemental worksheets for the lessons. They are in a very complete reading system you'll love!!

myON – By providing students access to thousands of award-winning, high-interest digital books 24/7 with built-in scaffolding that helps personalize content for a child's interest and Lexile reading level, myON can help a child's literacy skills grow.

Barbara Simmons shared:

My homeschool student had used MyOn.com in the public school and really liked it, but when I began homeschooling her, she lost access to it. She was not a good reader, and still prefers e-books with someone reading to her, and her reading along, to those she has to read herself. She was SO happy to find out that she could access it again through the HSBC! She loves the variety of stories, and I love that I can pick out books to add to her reading list, and that the system keeps track of Lexile level and reading activity. Great product!

Reading Assistant Plus – If you have a reluctant reader in your house, Reading Assistant Plus has a track record of helping your child become a happy and willing reader by putting them in charge of their reading experience at their own pace.

Mrs. Kristie Richardson, told us:

My 9-year-old daughter is a struggling reader. We have used this product for almost a year now. She has gone from never wanting to read to now enjoying reading. She still has some struggles but not nearly as much. Her fluency has improved dramatically as well as her site word recognition. I would highly recommend this product for any age child who is a struggling reader.

MindPlay Virtual Reading Coach – This online program provides a reading program that covers practically every aspect of reading with individualize learning plans.

This is what Linda T. had to say about MindPlay:

My daughter is a struggling reader. It affects her across all subjects. She has been using Mindplay steadily now for several months. Her comprehension and fluency is steadily increasing and for the first time she is reading books for enjoyment on her own. She loves the lessons and feels that she is getting one to one instruction. Her reading confidence has soared.

As a parent, I love the progress reports and the details it provides. I recommend this program without any reservation.