If you have a child in preschool, kindergarten or early elementary, Reading Eggs is an amazing resource for the biggest early learning hurdle of learning to read!
After 17 years of homeschooling nine unique and wonderful kids, I’ve learned one thing for sure: no two readers are alike. Some of my children picked up books early and devoured them. Others took their time, needed more support, and didn’t quite “click” with reading until later. Some loved independent online learning programs, while others needed more one-on-one teaching moments.
When my oldest was learning to read…17 years ago…we used books, flashcards and games to learn how to read. But what worked for him didn’t work the same for the other kids. And once I had a house full of littles, I realized there wasn’t enough of me to do one-on-one reading practice for every lesson…and help the other kids with their school work…while chasing babies and toddlers!
I’m only ONE person!!
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That’s where Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress came in—and they’ve been a total game-changer in our homeschool routine for the past 12 years!
That’s right…I’ve had SOMEONE learning to read for 17 years and 12 years ago we were introduced to Reading Eggs and have used it ever since! It is one of the few resources we have stuck with that long!
With Reading Eggs as part of our toolbox, my child learning to read could practice independently while I was nearby helping a sibling with their other subjects. Reading Eggs freed me up as a mom! It let me successfully “help” more than one child at a time. Anytime I can “multiply myself,” I call that a major win!
Table of Contents
⭐ Quick Overview: What Is Reading Eggs?
Reading Eggs is a comprehensive online reading program designed for kids ages 3–7 (and beyond). It covers the basic components of reading using interactive online reading activities, literacy games, phonics activities, and even real books—all laid out in a fun, game-style format.
You’ll also get:
- Reading Eggs Junior for ages 2–4 (great for pre-reading skills!)
- Fast Phonics, a synthetic phonics program that targets key phonics skills
- Mathseeds for developing essential early numeracy skills
- And Reading Eggspress for older learners ready to build comprehension and confidence
In a nutshell, the Reading Eggs website has all of the subject material you need for teaching reading, grammar and math for early elementary which can make it a very useful and affordable option for a mom trying to juggle a house with a lot of littles.
⭐ Is Reading Eggs a Video Game or School?
Here’s the deal. Reading Eggs has gamified ALL of the learning that happens on their platform. The kids learn and earn golden eggs as a reward that they can redeem for prizes. If you have younger kids who don’t get much screen time, Reading Eggs and Mathseeds can be the perfect way to offer them a learning “video game” while you know that you are offering them actual valuable learning materials!!
I call it a “Win Win!”
After 17 years of homeschooling…I”ll take the easy win. My daughter loves Reading Eggs. It’s not a fight. And it’s not hard to include in our day. All of homeschooling doesn’t have to be hard!
The kids get what they want and so do I! That doesn’t happen often so its worth celebrating a place where it can happen!
⭐ The #1 Benefit of Reading Eggs
As a mom of many, the #1 benefit for me is simple:
Reading Eggs allows my kids to learn somewhat independently without me having to manage every single step.
That’s HUGE when you’re juggling different grade levels, subjects, meals, and everything in between. While we also use other outside resources to teach reading, Reading Eggs provides a way for them to do the reading repetitions they need in a fun way without it being completely dependent on my availability.
Of course there are many other benefits too! Those include:
- Easy To Use Placement Test
Your child starts right where they need to be with the placement test, ensuring they land at the perfect level. From alphabet knowledge to phonemic awareness, the lessons build one skill at a time. This can be helpful anytime you think your child’s learning has regressed…or that they might need to go back and practice earlier concepts. - Real Books + Read-Alouds
With access to online children’s books, read-aloud books, and short passages, your child is always engaging with real reading—not just clicking buttons. The actual lessons have practice reading short books but there is a separate activity area where they can do a lot of this practice! - Motivating Reward System
My younger ones love collecting golden eggs, unlocking collectable pets, and printing off printable certificates at the end of each lesson. It’s motivation that really works! - Printable Teaching Materials
Use printable worksheets, lesson plans, and detailed curriculum guides to reinforce learning offline or track progress at a glance. - Progress Reports & Parental Control
You’ll get detailed progress reports, feedback emails, and can easily manage account details, lesson resets, and the student console. Everything is customizable to fit your child’s individual needs.
⭐ Real Talk: The Cons
As much as we love Reading Eggs, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Game Distractions
Some kids can get sidetracked by the game-like features and forget to focus on the actual reading content. This isn’t a huge problem because most of the extra fun stuff they need to buy with their reward eggs…but some kids have a harder time getting back into “earning mode.” - Frustration With Harder Concepts
New or tricky concepts can cause frustration. Younger children may need you nearby for encouragement and explanation. - Extra Support for Dyslexia
Kids with reading challenges or dyslexia often need more than what an app can provide. Reading Eggs is a great supplement, but not a complete solution for every struggling reader. - You’ll Still Need Other Resources
While it’s incredibly helpful, I still recommend using real books, read-alouds, and offline activities in addition to the program. Reading Eggs can theoretically be a stand alone program. It has worksheets built in for nearly every lesson. But there is a lot of value to sitting on the couch reading with your kids from physical books, so you don’t want to miss that if this is your curriculum spine.
⭐ What About Reading Eggspress?
Once your child outgrows Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress takes the baton! It’s geared toward kids who are ready for comprehension, vocabulary, spelling skills, and main ideas. It includes:
- Word puzzles and fun math
- Quizzes and interactive activities
- A built-in library of different books across genres and topics
- Tools for older learners to continue making real progress
And yes, you still get access to printable worksheets, detailed review reports, and the same rewarding system. For homeschool families, Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress can be your curriculum spine for language arts…all the way through about 5th or 6th grade! All of the lessons are included…as well as printable worksheets which is amazing!
⭐ Tech Details
- Works on most compatible devices: Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Pixel, small tablets, and more
- Available in the Google Play Store account settings
- Needs a stable wireless internet connection
- Includes technical support, volume control, and teacher accounts
- You can cancel anytime, no hassle
Don’t forget: You can try the first month of a monthly subscription free. Click here to activate your free trial.
❓ FAQ: Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress
Q: Is Reading Eggs a good fit for struggling readers or kids with dyslexia?
A: It can be very helpful, especially with building confidence and reinforcing key skills through repetition. However, it may need to be supplemented with more targeted interventions for dyslexia or significant reading delays. I’ve found that my child with reading struggles, benefited from me working with him more one on one with the program rather than letting him work independently.
Q: How do I know which level my child should start on?
A: The placement test does a great job determining your child’s perfect level based on their current skills. You can also reset lessons if you want to review or start over.
Q: Can I use this with more than one child?
A: Yes! You can manage up to four student profiles from one parent account. Great for large families like mine.
Q: What happens after the free trial?
A: You’ll be billed for the subscription unless you cancel. It’s easy to cancel anytime through your account settings.
Q: Is there a homeschool guide?
A: Yes! Reading Eggs provides a homeschool guide, lesson plans, and printable teaching material to help you integrate it into your day.
⭐ Final Thoughts
If you’re a homeschool parent looking for an easy-to-use, engaging, and flexible tool that supports your child’s reading journey, Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress are fantastic options. They’ve been a solid part of our homeschool toolbox—and in a house with nine kids, that’s saying something.
Whether your child is just learning letters or diving into longer chapter books, Reading Eggs meets them where they are.
Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! After being very socially awkward growing up, she now loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership to their kids!
More Reading:
I love how you shared your homeschooling journey! Reading Eggs sounds great. Did any of your kids have a favorite Reading Eggs activity? I’m curious!
Besides the actual lessons, my daughter likes to decorate the “house” inside and play the games.