Questions

What is the Ultimate Phonics Reading Program?

Ultimate Phonics is a widely used, proven program that teaches reading with phonics. It is a complete program, consistent with scientific research, that covers all the phonics sounds and rules of English. The program includes a computer CD-ROM, a book of reading material, and a User's Guide. Its purpose is to thoroughly teach your children and students the strong phonics skills that are the foundation of good reading and spelling.

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What are the computer requirements?

Ultimate Phonics runs on Windows computers. It is compatible with all versions of Windows (3.1/95/98/NT/2000/XP/Vista). The hardware requirements are very basic. If your computer has a CD drive and the ability to play sound you should be able to use Ultimate Phonics.

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How does Ultimate Phonics teach reading?

Ultimate Phonics teaches your children and students to read with direct, systematic, intensive phonics. This is the method proven by scientific research to be the most effective for teaching the phonics skills that are critical for reading success.

Ultimate Phonics begins at the most basic level of reading, with two and three letter words with short vowels. From there we introduce one new rule at a time, gradually progressing through all the phonics rules of English in a sequence. All the way through, students always learn and practice by reading actual words and sentences, not by memorizing rules in isolation. At every point the words and sentences are carefully controlled so that they only use rules that students have already learned. This insures their ability to read the material without becoming frustrated and having to guess.

When they complete the program, students will have covered all the phonics rules and they will have learned to read over 4,400 words and 2,100 sentences. Their skill level should now be high enough so that they can read independently and continue to improve on their own.

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Is it supported by scientific research?

Yes, the method used in Ultimate Phonics is proven by scientific research to be the most effective way to teach reading with phonics. Mountains of studies have shown that phonics skills are critical for good reading. Furthermore, studies conclusively prove that the best method is direct, systematic, intensive phonics. This is the identical method used in Ultimate Phonics.

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Is it a cartoon game or "edutainment" program?

No. Ultimate Phonics is not a cartoon game. It is a direct, 100% educational program created for the sole purpose of teaching your children and students to be excellent readers. Every feature in Ultimate Phonics was put there to support that goal. The result is a powerful learning tool that teaches essential phonics skills quickly, effectively, and thoroughly.

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What is the youngest age for Ultimate Phonics?

The youngest age is 3 or 4 depending on the child. Before starting, children should already know the names of the letters of the alphabet. If they are too young to learn the alphabet then they are too young to learn to read. However, as soon as they reach the level of development where they have mastered the alphabet they are now ready to learn to read and can begin Ultimate Phonics.

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For what ages is Ultimate Phonics suitable?

Ultimate Phonics is a versatile program suitable for ages 4 to adult. It teaches your children and students the complete phonics system of English regardless of age. For young children first learning to read, Ultimate Phonics teaches them to be excellent lifelong readers in a straightforward, thorough manner. For older students and adults, the highly educational design and extensive vocabulary make it an ideal choice for improving weak phonics skills without being insulting.

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What grade levels does it cover?

Ultimate Phonics is not geared to a particular grade level. It teaches your children and students the complete set of phonics skills for reading English. Ideally these skills would be taught when children are first learning to read in preschool or kindergarten. However, older students and adults who missed out when they were younger must still learn the same set of phonics skills in order to become better readers.

In terms of content, Ultimate Phonics teaches students to read over 4,400 words and 2,100 sentences, ending up at around a fifth grade level vocabulary. Our aim is to teach students to read at a high enough level so that they can independently read books and improve on their own from there.

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How long does it take to finish?

The length of time to finish Ultimate Phonics varies with the student. Because it does a thorough job, the program is fairly lengthy. An average student should take around one year to finish the 262 lessons, using the program 2-3 hours per week. However, some students may complete the program in a matter of months while others may require a couple of years.

Remember, some students have less of an aptitude for reading and will take longer, although almost any student can eventually become a good reader with proper teaching. In return for your investment of time with Ultimate Phonics you can be assured that your children and students will learn the essential skills to become successful lifelong readers.

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What results can I expect?

Upon successfully finishing Ultimate Phonics, your children and students will have learned to read English with phonics. In many cases there will no need for any further reading instruction.

• For young children first learning to read, they should end up reading well above grade level and go on to be excellent lifelong readers.
• For older students with reading difficulties, their reading, spelling, and comprehension should now be vastly improved. This in turn enables them to be much more successful in all the other areas where their poor reading was causing them problems.
• For adults, they will now have learned the important phonics skills they unfortunately missed out on when they were younger. They should now be able to read much more fluently, accurately, and independently.

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What kinds of children and students can I teach?

Ultimate Phonics can be used to teach a wide range of children and students including:

• Young children first learning to read.
• Older children with reading difficulties.
• Adults who never learned to read well.
• Students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities.
• Students with poor reading comprehension.
• Students with poor spelling.
• Students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities.
• English language learners.

For more details, check out Solutions.

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Where can Ultimate Phonics be successfully used?

Ultimate Phonics can be used successfully in almost situation where reading is being taught. This includes homes, schools ranging from preschool through high school, tutoring programs, learning centers, and adult literacy programs. For more information, check out Solutions

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