Rime to Read is a collection of virtual beginning reader books. Rime is not a misspelling, but a way of learning! Rimes are word families which are consistent both visually and auditory (for example; can, tan, fan, man), making it easier for the child to read with success right from the start.
There are a total of twenty books, four books covering each short vowel. The rimes are color coded throughout to help the child decode the words more easily. Thirty-five sight words are also included within these books and are listed in a box in the upper right hand corner of the page. The stories are simple and the line drawings that accompany them suit the books well.
These are available only as virtual books, but you may print one copy of each book yourself with purchase. To use the virtual books, you simply sign on to the site with your username and password and then click the link for the book you'd like to read. The child can click the big green arrow to turn the pages forward or back. They have also just added a feature where the student can click on the rime to hear it said out loud, if a little help is needed.
The books themselves remind me of the ever popular Bob books. They are similar in style and I wondered why I would need a similar idea in a virtual edition. Surely my children would rather hold the books in their hands and would find this less than exciting. I was wrong.
My daughter is a late reader. She understands the mechanics of reading but struggles with remembering the sounds. This program (along with a couple of others I am reviewing) has been a huge blessing to her! She enjoys being on the computer and she loves being able to read the books with success. Because the books use the rimes, she is able to remember much more easily and it's giving her the confidence in reading that was missing.
I am happy with the way Rime to Read has worked for us, but I must mention that the site has had several technical glitches since we've been using it. I know they are working on these things and it may be a moot point in the future, but it's worth mentioning. My only other concern with this program is the price. It is a little pricey if using it simply as an added reader. For those of us with struggling readers though, it's worth every penny to see our child succeeding.
Rime to Read allows you to try the first book for free. This is an excellent way to check it out and try it with your child to see if maybe this is the confidence booster they need. A vowel set of four books is available for $9.99. The entire twenty set book is $44.99.
As always, if you have experience with this program, questions I may not have answered, or you decide to check it out yourself, please leave a comment! I'd love your feedback!
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