LightSail Online Reading Program Review: 5 Things You Should Know

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The LightSail online reading program is different from anything I’ve tried before but it is totally worth sharing with other homeschool parents.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m looking into a curriculum I haven’t seen or tried before I like to do plenty of research ahead of time.

I don’t like to waste my money on products that aren’t up to par or don’t fit the needs of our family.

In this post, you’ll find out what you need to know about LightSail for Homeschoolers and whether or not it’s a language arts program that could work for your child.

What You Should Know About The LightSail Online Reading Program

Choosing the right homeschool reading curriculum for your child can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you’re new to homeschooling.

There are so many great options out there and in today’s world, online programs are becoming increasingly popular.

What LightSail for Homeschoolers Is

LightSail for Homeschoolers is an online all-in-one language arts program which consists of four main pillars:

Reading
Writing
Vocabulary
Fluency

It is built for homeschoolers by homeschoolers and is designed to be adaptable and specific to the needs of your child.

Their online library database has a plethora of books for your child to read and increase their literacy skills.

It is a K-12 program and is designed to be used with a family-centric approach.

They have several different pricing options depending on if you go with their standard or premium plan. Right now they have an introductory offer of $99 /year for premium or $65 /year for standard. This is only valid until the 31st of August 2021.

Go ahead and check out their website >> here.

How LightSail for Homeschoolers Works

I’ll admit that I typically prefer a paper-in-hand curriculum, but there are unique features of online programs that really do bring a lot of value.

So, how does LightSail for Homeschoolers work?

Well, to begin with, your child will take a placement test that will place them in their appropriate reading level. This test is supposed to be done independently by them so that an accurate representation of their reading level can be found.

The platform offers all kinds of literacy building opportunities all based off of their extensive library of books available to your child.

There is both a parent and child dashboard each with their own unique controls.

Key note: It is vitally important that you watch the welcome video and other help videos where necessary. Without them, the platform can be overwhelming and you’ll struggle to make head or tail of any of it. There are many incredible features available to you, but you need to watch the guidance videos to really appreciate everything there is on offer.

Your child will get to increase their literacy skills using books, writing activities, reading assignments, and games.

Key Features of LightSail for Homeschoolers

Here are some of the key features you should know about this online reading program…

You will get your own parent-dashboard where you can track each child’s progress and assign projects to them.

You also have lots of control over many different settings, including strict parental control.

Each child gets their own dashboard where they can see what progress they’ve made and what assignments are due when.

They’ll get to look through different books and pick ones that really pique their interest. This is especially great for early or reluctant readers. We all know that kids learn best when it’s something that they’re interested in.

Best Points of LightSail for Homeschoolers

Here are a couple of things that really stuck out to me about the program:

First of all, I loved the level of parental settings available. I didn’t have to worry about my children accessing any books with content I wasn’t comfortable with.

In fact, you can set it so that they have to request approval for a book and you can review it and decide whether it’s okay for them to read or not.

Secondly, in the books themselves there are several tools to make reading easier for the child who might struggle with distractions or overwhelm.

I found this particularly helpful for my 6-year old son who is still a budding reader.

You’re able to have them focus on just one word at a time and really reduce outside distractions.

Finally, I think this program is perfect for travelling families, international families, or those who just don’t have room for a lot of physical curriculum.

This program is easily accessible from many devices and would work really well if you are on the go a lot or can’t afford shipping costs for traditional paper curriculum.

You Should Try This Online Language Arts Platform If…

You like the idea of an online reading curriculum
You want something designed specifically for homeschoolers
You like the idea of your children being more independent with their school work
You want access to thousands of books for a really affordable price
You like the idea of all of your children using the same program and being able to chat about things they’re learning