What Parents Are Saying

The Reading Game - Parent Testimonials

Overall – this is hands down the BEST, easiest, and most encouraging reading system I’ve encountered. I HIGHLY recommend it!

--Crystal
Surviving a Teacher's Salary & Mom


I cannot tell you enough about how this game has changed the way my daughter reads, she is actually reading and not slowly blending anymore, she gets it…YES! (queue the Hallelujah Chorus)

--Homeschool Mama

If you are getting ready to teach your child to read or struggling to teach your child to read, this post is for you. I have posted in the past about my daughter who is a struggling reader…I am pleased to say with The Reading Game we have been experiencing breakthrough upon breakthrough! Yes!! I knew she could do it. In the past we have tried method after method of getting her to read without sounding out every s-i-n-g-l-e sound…ugh! I don’t know how many times I say a day “if you know the word just say the word.” But she just either forgets easily, doesn’t grasp the concept or just plain didn’t want to…lol! I was stumped and frustrated and just as the feeling of hopelessness tried to consume me, we were given the opportunity to try The Reading Game. I cannot tell you enough about how this game has changed the way she reads, she is actually reading and not slowly blending anymore, she gets it…YES! (queue the Hallelujah Chorus) I’ve always read to my children, but I love it when they can read to me too! I know that not everything is for everyone…But I will have to say I have struggled to teach my child and this game me real help & her confidence has tremendously increased. Now all the other methods that I have used with her work, but The Reading Game was what got the ball rolling with my hands on learner. We have a lot of fun playing and aren’t even half way through the game yet. But let me tell you this game is always on her mind, she loves it so much she asks constantly to play, she loves the fact that she is actually reading now and has become so much more excited to try all the other methods again…love it! I hope this post will encourage that mom out there that is dealing with a struggling reader, there is hope, just keep on trying and something is bound to work.”- Homeschool Mama

The Reading Game is one of my favorite hands on games/activities for children learning reading skills. The format is simple, effective and fun.

Richelle, author of Under the Golden Apple Tree


I LOVE IT!!!! The Reading Game is awesome!!... I am so very pleased with the results

--Creative Learners Review


It was sooooo much fun to play! …How do I know it works?  Well,  (my son) can write and read the words weeks later. (The words)  are being locked into his memory, and that is evidenced by squeals from the back seat as we drive around town doing errands, squeals that nearly make me levitate.

A Teaching Heart Blog


My kids LOVED this game and what was even more exciting then that was my middle son who has learning issues and struggles to read really LOVED the game.  It brought tears to my eyes to see how into the game he was.  When you can make a subject fun for a child that usually dreads it, you know it is a hit!”

--Angela’s Analysis


My 6-year-old is a "new reader" but was ready for the level of this game and my 4-year-old struggles to keep up with the brothers so the Reading Game met it's match with my bright boys. They love it!



This was the easiest set-up for a game and a fantastic way to improve reading skills. I KNEW that The Reading Game would be a good fit for our family. Kenneth Hodkinson has another great success with it!…

--This Day Has Great Potential Blog

Our kids LOVE this game.  All 3 of them like to play it and everyday our 6 year old asks me to play it with him at least once a day.

--The Johns Family

We have a team of people that work with (our son), and with us to help us best meet his special needs. I showed our dyslexia specialist The Reading Game. He looked through it, nodded, and said, “This is perfect for him. This is exactly how he should be learning to read.” 

--Heritage Homestead and Homeschool Academy 


How precious it was to see (my daughter’s) eyes light up when she realized that she made a match and then to recognize a word she may have just learned - oh, that was just icing on the cake.  This inspired her to want to learn more and more and more words.  She didn't want to do any other school because she was making such progress with The Reading Game. I highly recommend this game for your up-and-coming reader.

--My Own Sense and Sensibility Review


If you want to find a game that your kids will ask to play again and again, then The Reading Game is one to choose.  The best part is, you will also be doing school at the same time!

--Grace Christian Homeschool


I used this program with EXCELLENT results with my daughter Montana and recommend it wholeheartedly!

--A Stable Beginning Review


I think this game would make a great Christmas gift for a new reader and a wonderful addition to any reading/phonics curriculum.

--Kramer Cottage Homeschool


I highly recommend this game, especially if you have boys that rather be outside building forts!

--Count It All Joy Family Blog

LOVED This game. We will play this with our non-reading children and grandchildren for years to come!

--Krista LaRocque, Parent


When I ask my son to bring a book for us to read, he reaches for The Reading Game now. I'm a firm believer in this one

--Jamie Moffatt
Parent and author of “A Day In The Life” blog


I give The Reading Game two thumbs up.

--Mom’s Mustard Seeds Review

As a Mom with three active children…one thing that is a MUST for me is:  anything that comes into our home must be a good value and be self contained.  I truly cannot handle anything that has poor craftsmanship.  This game definitely fits the bill.  The box is sturdy, the cards are made to last and the books capture my little guy’s attention. Truth-be-known…his big sister (who is eight) has been enjoying the games, too! … I give The Reading Game two thumbs up.  And….I’ll let you in on a secret….I have had my 8 and 9 year old play with the little guy “to help Mommy” some nights while I cook dinner.  What they did not realize is that…it was helping them with their reading, as well!

I look forward to incorporating The Magic Stories more with my children as they learn to read!

- Wendi Kitsteiner, Mom


The stories are well-written, they seem like “big-kid” stories.  The feeling of accomplishment by the reader is palpable!

--Knee Deep in Grace Review


If your child is in a rut with earning to read, laying off of the formal reading lessons and "playing" this game might just be the ticket to get him interested enough to pursue reading in earnest.

--THE BLESSINGS POUR OUT BLOFG REVIEW

When we found the The Reading Game, we knew we had to tell you all about it.


I highly recommend checking this product out!

--The Fantastic Five Review


I believe this is a fantastic program for giving kids instant success to reading and slowing them to feel that reading is within their grasp. I strongly recommend it to new and emerging readers!”

--Wendi Kitsteiner, Mom

The Reading Game is a game designed for ages four and up. The game needs at least two players.One of the players needs to be the tutor. The tutor must be able to read all the words on the cards before play begins.
This game was designed by the daughter of Kenneth Hodkinson, creator of the extremely popular vocabulary curriculum Wordly Wise.
Here is how it works:
A student learns to read a set of five words by playing a simple word matching game. The words learned are Dolch sight words and half-frequency words. For example, in the first game: Skunk Game 1, students learn five words: can, cat, is, me, and not.
Once the student completes Skunk Game 6, they are ready to read the Skunk Book. The first book tells the story of a skunk who is rejected by the other skunks before being accepted by some cats. Beautifully illustrated, it is 32-pages long and is told using just thirty new words! Each subsequent matching card game and book set in the series adds a further thirty words. This means that when they finish this game, students will have mastered 180 words!
We have three children in our homeschool group in the “learning to read” section of their education. They are 4, 5, and 6. I tried the game with each of them. The four-year-old was clearly not ready and could not really get a handle on the game. The five-year-old understood what was going on, and while moving along slowly, was able to progress. However, the six-year-old who is not reading much yet, began zipping through and was reading incredibly quickly.
Each set of cards is a distinct color: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple and is visually pleasing to young and old alike. I believe this is a fantastic program for giving kids instant success to reading and slowing them to feel that reading is within their grasp. I strongly recommend it to new and emerging readers!
And here is an exciting bonus!!!
Following your student’s mastery of this reading game, you have the option to purchase a program called Magic Stories which is a step up from The Reading Game. You do not have to use The Reading Game to useMagic Stories.
The Magic Storiesis a set of six delightful stories appropriate for second and third grade reading levels. These were well beyond the young children I was using to test the game on but were much more appropriate for my seven-year-old who is reading at about a second-grade level.
Each story comes with its own set of Naughty Forty™ words. These are more challenging words that your child will encounter when reading the story. There are also four sets of worksheets per storybook that come with the program featuring reading comprehension and creative writing exercises. The worksheets cover a range of language art skills like recall and comprehension, cognition, and creative writing.
The stories are optimized for an IPAD and computer screen. I chose to print them out and try them with my daughter. Each book is around 20 pages long and allows your child to color in the drawing and sketches that accompany the story. I love this idea!

I look forward to incorporating The Magic Stories more with my children as they learn to read!

- Wendi Kitsteiner, Mom


This teaching tool truly does two jobs: it teaches an emergent reader how to read and it takes the pain out of the process.

--The LaRocque Family

In a world where reading early and getting ahead is foremost in many parent educator's minds, The Reading Game comes along as a breath of fresh air!  The maker of Wordly Wise, Kenneth Hodkinson, presents (in his own words) his "second great idea in forty years". And a great idea indeed! No parent or teacher I know of wants to watch a child dissolve into tears and frustration because she can't remember what letters make which sounds or struggles with reading. But we all know reading is important and some children don't take to the process as easily as others! Even if you have an eager reader, The Reading Game is a great way to play your way through learning sight words.  This teaching tool truly does 2 jobs: it teaches an emergent reader how to read and it takes the pain out of the process.

The LaRocque Family


I'm using Allsaid & Dunn's The Reading Game, and the flashcard system is opening up reading to these kids in ways I barely dreamed of before.

--Anne at A Fly on My Homeschool Wall BlogSpot


It will help build self esteem while teaching sight words that will keep kids attention.

--Praises of a Wife and Mommy


The Reading Game makes for a great present that will enchant both parent and child.

--Live, Laugh and Learn Blog


So many first readers are just plain boring and in my opinion do not engage children in a way that they should. The Reading Game is different though. These books are interesting and involve animals in their storyline which my own children have really enjoyed.

--Adventures In Unsell Land Family Blog Review


I was quite impressed with the books. I'm not sure I've ever seen beginning reading books that didn't look babyish and that didn't have overly simplified stories. I would have no problem introducing these books to an older child who is struggling to read.

--Through the Calm and the Storm Family Review


There are many products on the market today under the disguise of games intended to teach children to read. Many make claims that children will be reading at young ages, or reading at high levels quickly. Sometimes these games help children excel at reading, but more often than not, these products fall short in the eyes of the consumer. I was fortunate enough to be able to review one such item that not only met but also exceeded my expectations for a game designed to teach beginning reading skills.

--Modest Mama


What a fun way to learn what could be a tough subject! It's a keeper!

--Pondering on the Prairie Blog


It is a wonderful memory game that reinforces new words and then uses those same words in a simple book to build confidence in your reader.

--Purposeful Homemaking Blog


Sight word learning is the way my girls have learned to read. All of them have struggled in one way or another with phonics alone. So this game has provided a new way for my girls to see the words and the best part was they didn't feel like it was school!

--Kelly, Mom and Author of “Believe”


It's always such a blessing to find fun ways to reinforce good reading skills that children enjoy.

--My Blessed Life Blog Review


I like the concept...it's simple, but effective. I also like that it's uncomplicated enough that I can have an older sibling play it with her while I work with someone else.

--Home with a Purpose

I like the concept...it's simple, but effective. I also like that it's uncomplicated enough that I can have an older sibling play it with her while I work with someone else. Any fairly fluent reader can play the card matching portion of the game with the student. The books are well done, with cute illustrations and fun stories.  The Reading Game has been great practice for Peanut and has given her more confidence! And she's had fun doing it!

Home With Purpose


The Reading Game is a fun way to put these words to memory, build confidence and allow your child the quick feedback of reading a book..

--Life In the Tribe Review

I am a firm believer in teaching phonics to produce great readers. Having a firm foundation in phonics does not negate the need for “sight words” or memorizing “frequency words”.  You can give your child confidence and fluency in early reading but helping them to memorize those words. There are a variety of ways that this task can be approached and The Reading Game is a fun way to put these words to memory, build confidence and allow your child the quick feedback of reading a book.

Life In the Tribe Review


I find that by learning the sight words the kids gain confidence in reading... and enjoy putting the sight words together to make sentences... for us... this game was a perfect fit!!!

--The Rambling Life of SAHM


I know that the memories Levi and I build because we are playing this game are going to stay with him, and hopefully he'll always associate reading with fun!

--Reaping a Harvest Blog


The Reading Game is an excellent tool to add to your current program, and add some fun!

--Bentz Academy


It's a great supplement and works perfectly for learning those pesky sight words that just don't follow the rules of phonics.

--Embracing Destiny Review


I have wanted to incorporate sight words, but did not have a good program or plan for what I wanted to do. (The Reading Game) has provided excellent structure with a fun model for learning.

--Speak Up Saturday Reviews


I would recommend The Reading Game for beginning readers, or readers who struggle a bit with common sight words…

--Stairsteps Homeschool Academy


I highly encourage you to check out this game.”-

--Krazy Kuehner Days Review


The Reading Game is a wonderful fit for our family. The exciting part for me was hearing him read these words in other books.

--Raising Leafs Review


With my son's developmental delays, and his challenges with processing information, etc., he is still struggling with reading. The Reading Game is proving to be a fun way for him to learn word recognition!...

--HomeschoolBlogger.com


Super awesome resource!

--The Gustafsons


In terms of giving kids confidence in recognizing sight words and making them feel that they can actually sit down and read a book, this game can't be beat.

--Laura Delgado
Homeschooling Parent


Oh how I love The Reading Game!

--Marie, Mom and Author of “Our Best Daze"


I love the emphasis on really learning so many basic words that do NOT get enough focus in most reading programs.  I love the game format, and the animal labels (instead of graded labels) for the levels…it has been a hit in my household

--Debra Brinkman, Author of "Footprints in the Butter”


This is one of those tools that I wish I had discovered years ago to use with my first child when I was teaching him to read!

--Notable Scraps Family Blog Review


My son has benefited tremendously from The Reading Game.Many of the other beginner reading books are boring in comparison.

--Larrisa Kiers, Parent


Academics' Award Smart Book Award Winner, 2015 Family Review Center Award Tillywig Toy Awards Brain Child Award Winner the national parenting center seal of approval homeschool.com award winner seal of approval review Award Winner of Dr. Toy Best Picks


the magic stories reading books