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Reader Rabbit Learn to Read with Phonics: Preschool & Kindergarten – Windows Manual – English

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Type: Manual
Platform: Windows
Language: English
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Filename: reader-rabbit-learn-to-read-with-phonics-preschool-and-kindergarten_win_manual_en_7io.pdf

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Reader Rabbit
Learn to Read with
Phonics for
Preschool & Kindergarten
V 1.3

User's Guide

ABOUT RIVERDEEP - THE LEARNING COMPANY
Riverdeep - The Learning Company provides highly motivating, dynamic,
curriculum-based Internet and CD-ROM learning experiences for children in
kindergarten through high school. Our products feature interactive, problem-solving
approaches and real-world applications that help develop your child's underlying
thinking skills and creativity, while reinforcing important areas of the basic
curriculum, such as reading, writing, and mathematics.
Since 1980, The Learning Company's award-winning titles have consistently
produced the highest quality educational software available. Every product under the
Reader Rabbit® brand undergoes extensive research and testing, with input from
educational professionals, parents, and children. Each product features a precise
balance of educational content and entertainment value, so your child has fun while
learning!

© 1999-2002 Riverdeep Interactive Learning Limited, and its licensors. All
rights reserved. Uses Smacker Video Technology. Copyright © 1994–2001 by
RAD Game Tools, Inc. All rights reserved. Adobe® Acrobat® © Adobe Systems
Incorporated. The Learning Company and Reader Rabbit are registered
trademarks of Riverdeep Interactive Learning Limited. Microsoft, Windows and
the Windows logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh and Mac are registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Pentium is either a registered trademark or a trademark of
Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe
Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
In the interest of product improvement, information and specifications represented here are
subject to change without notice.
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READER RABBIT ® LEARN TO
READ WITH PHONICS FOR
PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN
CONTENTS
Hardware and System Requirements ................................... 4
Setting Up and Starting the Program ................................... 4
Using the TLC Learning Launcher ...................................... 7
Road to Reading
Educational Focus ................................................................ 8
The Reader Rabbit Reading Readiness Tool:
Evaluating Your Child’s Maturity Level ............................. 9
Using Reader Rabbit Road to Reading .............................. 11
The Opening Movie ....................................................... 11
Signing In....................................................................... 11
Two Modes of Play ........................................................ 13
Along the Road to Reading ........................................... 13
In Pick and Play ............................................................. 21
Using the Program Options Pad (POP)
and the Teach1 Option ................................................... 24
Word Factory
Educational Focus .............................................................. 26
Getting Started ................................................................... 28
The Word Factory Activities ............................................. 30
Matchup ......................................................................... 31
Sorter .............................................................................. 31
Labeler ........................................................................... 32
Word Train ..................................................................... 32
Dreamship Tales™ CD .......................................................... 33
Troubleshooting
Windows® ........................................................................... 35
Macintosh® ......................................................................... 37
Contacting Riverdeep – The Learning Company .................. 38
Appendices
The Road to Reading ......................................................... 39
Reader Rabbit’s Reading Tips ........................................... 41
Word Factory Word List .................................................... 43

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HARDWARE AND SYSTEM
REQUIREMENTS
Windows®

Macintosh®

Runs on: PC and compatibles—Pentium®
166 MHz or better

Runs on: PowerPC® Macintosh or better
With:
■ 32 MB of memory (RAM)
■ Hard disk with 100 MB of free disk space*
■ 4X CD-ROM drive
■ Thousands color monitor capable of 800 x
600 resolution
■ System 8.6 to System 9.1
■ Speakers
■ Mouse

With:
■ 32 MB of memory (RAM)
■ Hard disk with 100 MB of free disk
space*
■ 4X CD-ROM drive
■ 16-bit color monitor capable of 800 x 600
resolution
■ Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000**, XP**
■ Windows-compatible sound card
■ Speakers
■ Mouse

Recommended:
■ Browser, such as Netscape Navigator 4.0
or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or
higher
■ 28.8 Kbps modem
■ Printer (color preferred)

Recommended:
■ Browser, such as Netscape® Navigator®
4.0 or Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 4.0
or higher
■ 28.8 Kbps modem
■ Printer (color preferred)

*An additional 7 MB of disk space may be required to install Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.
**If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must have administrative privileges to install
this program correctly.

SETTING UP AND STARTING THE
PROGRAM
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics runs from your CD-ROM drive.
However, you need 100 MB of free hard disk space to store some program files.

Installing the Program
Some program files for Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics will be
installed on your computer. If needed, the TLC Learning Launcher will also be
installed on your computer. (See Using the TLC Learning Launcher.)

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Windows®
AutoPlay is usually enabled when you install Windows on your computer. (See
your Windows documentation for more information.)
To install the program with AutoPlay on:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process. Once you’ve
completed the setup, the program will run automatically any time you insert
the program CD into the CD-ROM drive.
To install the program with AutoPlay off:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click My Computer.
3. Double-click on the CD-ROM icon.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.

Macintosh®
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click on the Reader Rabbit Learn To Read icon in the open window.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.

STARTING THE PROGRAM
Windows®
To startl the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. At the TLC Learning Launcher, click Play.

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There are two ways to start the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
You can choose to follow either set of instructions
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click on My Computer.
3. Double-click on the CD-ROM icon.
4. Double-click on Play.
5. At the TLC Learning Launcher, click on Play.
To start the program with AutoPlay off (Option 2):
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click on the Start button. Then choose Programs, The Learning Company,
Reader Rabbit, and Learn To Read in that order.
3. At the TLC Learning Launcher, click on Play.

Macintosh®
To start the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. At the TLC Learning Launcher, click on Play.
To start the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Double-click on the program icon.
3. At the TLC Learning Launcher, click on Play.
Click here to turn
background music on
or off.
Click here to turn
sound effects on
or off.

Click here to
play Road to
Reading.
Click here to play
Word Factory.

Click here to exit
the program.

Click here to
access this
program’s
user’s guide.

Click here to
go to the TLC
Home area

Click here to
uninstall this
product.

Click here
to go to the New!
area.
Click here to get
technical support.

Click here to learn about other programs from
The Learning Company.

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USING THE TLC LEARNING LAUNCHER
The TLC Learning Launcher is your gateway to Reader Rabbit Learn To Read and other
programs from The Learning Company.
If you are not yet ready to begin playing Reader Rabbit Learn To Read, take some time to
explore the other areas of the TLC Learning Launcher. The TLC Learning Launcher
provides an innovative interface with convenient tools to update and organize your
Learning Company educational software through The Learning Company’s secure server.
On the Automatic setting, the launcher will ask if you would like to receive an update. On
the Manual setting, you can click on the New! button any time you want to receive the
latest updates.
Note: The online services advertised as part of this product may be changed or
discontinued at any time.

Click here to go
to the Parents
area.

Click here to
go to the My
CD-ROMs
area.

Click here to
visit
TLCKids.com
on the Web.

MY CD-ROMS AREA
If you have purchased and installed other products from The Learning Company, you may be
able to access those products in the My CD-ROMs area.

PARENTS AREA
Go to the Parents area to learn more information about the TLC Learning Launcher. Here you
can change the Launcher setting to manual. You can also find out which products from The
Learning Company are appropriate for different age groups.

TLC KIDS.COM
In the TLC Kids.com area, be on the lookout for fun movies and demos of new products. You
may also find updates that you can download for your program.

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Road to Reading
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS
Welcome to Reader Rabbit Road to Reading! Depending on your child’s age and
maturity, you can use this delightful program to help your child acquire important
reading readiness skills or actually learn to read. Experts recognize that children
need certain skills in order to become successful readers. This program teaches
these skills in carefully sequenced lessons that culminate in engaging books that
reinforce these skills.

Keys to Reading Success
Today’s researchers say that there are four basic ingredients that enable children to
become successful readers:
• Explicit instruction in letters and their sounds
• Instruction in phonemic awareness—the conscious awareness of the sounds in
spoken words
• Practice with “sight” words—those high frequency words such as “the” and
“what” that are important but often unpredictable
• Exposure to a wide variety of engaging texts written at the child’s own reading
level
Reader Rabbit Road to Reading provides these ingredients. Here is what the
program accomplishes:
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Develops letter-pattern recognition and letter-sound association.
Develops letter formation skills.
Helps children sound out words and put sounds together to make new words.
Meets a young reader’s need to manipulate words.
Develops a basic sight word vocabulary.
Gives children immediate success and builds confidence in reading.
Gives children books they can read independently.
Helps children appreciate books in a variety of genres.

Here are the primary skills that are taught in the program:
Phonemic Awareness
• rhyming words
• blending sounds to create words
• identifying initial sounds in words
• identifying final sounds in words
• identifying middle sounds in threeletter short vowel words

Phonics and Decoding
• letter recognition
• initial and final consonant sounds
• short vowel sounds
• high-utility phonograms (onsets and
rhymes)

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Road to Reading

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Concepts about Print
• matching spoken words to print
• tracking print from left to right
• distinguishing between letter, word,
and sentence
• recognizing where words and
sentences begin and end
• recognizing end punctuation

Comprehension
• reading for meaning
• reading for information
• noting details
• recognizing sequence
• making predictions
• recognizing cause and effect
• following directions
• differentiating between real and
make-believe
• using context to complete sentences

Vocabulary
• recognizing key high frequency
sight words
Spelling
• early spelling/completing threeletter short vowel words

Reader Rabbit Road to Reading teaches phonemic awareness, letter names and
sounds, blending sounds to form words, words in word families, and sight
words. The program also contains 26 interactive, easy-to-read storybooks as
well as creativity projects, periodic assessments, a progress chart, and reward
certificates.

THE READER RABBIT READING
READINESS TOOL: EVALUATING
YOUR CHILD’S MATURITY LEVEL
As a parent, you know that different children mature at different rates. Before
you begin using Reader Rabbit Road to Reading with your child, use the
guidelines below to evaluate your child’s maturity level. These guidelines
describe what research tells us about what is generally seen with children
between the ages of three and seven. Once you’ve evaluated your child, use
Reader Rabbit Road to Reading in the suggested way.

Group 1: Pre-Readers
• Know that alphabet letters are not just pictures, but are a separate category of
graphics with individual names.
• Know that the print is what is read in stories.
• Can identify 10 alphabet letters, usually including those from his or her own
name.
• Pay attention to language sounds that can be separated and repeated, such as
those in Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater.
• Can follow oral directions.
• Show an interest in books and reading.
• “Write”(scribble) messages.
• May begin to pay attention to beginning or rhyming sounds.
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Road to Reading

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Group 2: Ready to Read
• Recognize and can name all uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Can write most letters when they are dictated.
• Recognize a few words by sight, including some very common ones, such as “I,”
“the,” and “is.”
• Given a word, can produce another word that rhymes with it.
• Given a set of words such as “pat, pat, pet,” can tell that the first two are the same
and the third is different.
• Given a set of words such as “pat, map, fed,” can tell that the first two share a
sound.
• Can write many uppercase and lowercase letters independently.
• Know the functions of different parts of a book.
• Begin to track the words when listening to a known text being read or when
reading his or her own writing.
• Recognize that the order of letters in a written word represents the order of sounds
in the spoken word.

Group 3: Active Readers
• Move from emergent to “real” reading.
• Can accurately sound out one-syllable real and nonsense words (for example,
“quot” or “zot”) that contain regular letter-sound correspondences.
• Can use letter-sound correspondences to sound out words that have not previously
been seen.
• Recognize high frequency sight words, such as “the,” “is,” “have,” and “two.”
• Have a reading vocabulary of between 300 and 500 words.
• Write own materials to be read by others.
• Can read and follow simple written instructions.
• Can correctly spell simple three- and four-letter, short vowel words.
• Can recognize and self-correct for errors in reading by noticing when a word does
not match letter-sound cues or does not fit into the surrounding context.
Why doesn’t Reader Rabbit Road to Reading present the letters in
alphabetical order? A goal of this program is to launch children into reading real
books as early as possible. Nothing motivates a child more than being able to read
an entire book on his or her own.
Certain letters, such as m, a, p, o, t, and n appear very often in the words early
readers are likely to meet. Other letters, such as v, y, x, q(u), and z appear far less
often. The program begins with those letters that occur most often and quickly
teaches children how to sound out words containing their sounds. By the second
Letter Land, for example, children have learned the sounds of a and m and are
sounding out the word am. By the sixth Letter Land, they have learned the sounds
of short a, m, p, short o, t and n and are sounding out the words am, an, ant, map,
mat, pat, tap, tan, man, pan, Nan, on, mom, pop, top, mop, not, pot, and tot and
reading them in stories. The sounds for the letters v, y, x, q(u), and z are taught
only toward the end of the program.

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Road to Reading

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See the appendix The Road to Reading for additional information on using the
program with your child, and also see Reader Rabbit’s Reading Tips for
suggestions on extending the learning away from the computer.

Using Reader Rabbit
Road to Reading
THE OPENING MOVIE
Once players start the program, they discover that Mat the Mouse has a problem.
She needs to read maps and signs at the carnival to get around—but she can’t
read! Overcome by frustration, she makes a fateful wish: she wishes that there
were no more words to read in all of Wordville. When Mat’s wish comes true,
Mat learns that she must collect all the letters of the alphabet to complete a
secret message and undo her wish.

SIGNING IN
To start playing the program, the child needs to sign in by entering his or her
name. The sign-in screen lists all players who have already entered their names.

Click on the
arrows to find
your name.

Click here
to delete
a letter.

Click on the
letters to spell
your name, or
use the
keyboard.

Click here to put
a space between
letters.
Click here to
leave the
program.

Click here to
start a new
player.

Click here to
start playing.

To play Reader Rabbit Road to Reading, you’ll need to sign in by entering your
name. The sign-in screen lists all players who have already entered their names.
First, click on NEW PLAYER. Type your name in the name box, and then click on
START GAME. You can use up to 16 letters. If you’ve played Reader Rabbit Road
to Reading before, your name will already be in the player list. If you don’t see
your name in the name box, click on the arrows to scroll through the list. Then
click on START GAME to continue on your way. (If you complete the program
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Road to Reading

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and want to start over at the beginning, sign in using a different name or add a
number or letter to the end of your sign-in name.)
When the sign-in list has 99 names, you’ll need to remove a name before you
can add a new one. Removing a name will permanently erase that player’s name
and game information from the hard disk. Click on the name you want to
remove. Then press Ctrl+R (Windows) or control+R (Macintosh).

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Road to Reading

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TWO MODES OF PLAY
Once players click to start the game, they are given a choice of ways to play—
Road to Reading or Pick and Play.

The child who chooses Road to Reading will join Reader Rabbit, Mat the
Mouse, and four hilarious hamsters on their quest to bring all the words back to
Wordville. During this journey, the child will learn to read, one step at a time, by
accruing more and more reading skills. As they proceed down the Road to
Reading, children add letters to the secret message and are periodically rewarded
with songs and certificates marking their progress.
Pick and Play contains the same books, songs, and kinds of activities found in
Road to Reading. However, in Pick and Play, these items can be chosen from a
menu screen and explored in any order. Here are other differences:
• The content of the activities is slightly different.
• New letters and words appear as long as the child continues playing.
• Once a child completes all the material for an activity at one level, the
program automatically moves the child to the next level.

ALONG THE ROAD TO READING
Along the Road to Reading, children will find 26 Letter Lands. Each Letter Land
has a different letter to play with, new words to learn, and a new book to read.

Using the Road to Reading Map
Once children click on Road to Reading, they see a map showing the 26 Letter
Lands. Sparkles around a Letter Land indicate the child’s current Letter Land.
Letter Lands turn green as they are completed, and the map gives children access
to any Letter Land they have already been through.
Children can return to a Letter Land via the map at any time. However, they
must complete a Letter Land before moving on to the next one. (See the section
called Using the Program Options Pad (POP) and the Teach1 Option for
information about how to allow children to visit Letter Lands in any order.)
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Road to Reading

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Click here to
access the
Program Options
Pad (POP).

The sparkle
shows your
current
Letter Land.

Click on the
hamsters to
repeat reward
sequences.

Letter Lands
turn green
upon
completion.

Pictures of the hamster characters from the program appear in six places on the
map. These pictures show the intervals at which children are rewarded with
songs and certificates. (See the section Songs and Certificates for more
information about these rewards.) Once children have heard a song and received
a certificate during their journey, they can repeat the experience by clicking on
the picture on the map.

Working with LETTER SOUNDS
Letter Screens. Each Letter Land opens with a letter screen introducing a
consonant or vowel and its sound. Each screen contains five objects beginning
(or in the case of the letter x, ending) with the letter’s sound, and children can
click on the objects to see them come to life. These often surprising discoveries
motivate children to explore the letter screens and associate words with their
beginning (or ending) letter sounds. Letter screen explorations also expand
children’s vocabularies as they associate pictures with the new words they hear.
Click on the
letters to
hear more
words with
the letter’s
sound.

Click on the
balloon icon for
the map,
program
options, and
information.

Click on a
hamster
when it
appears.

Click on things
that begin (or
with x, end)
with the Letter
Land letter to
make them
come to life.

Click on the
road to go
to the
previous or
next Letter
Land.

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Click on the
storybook to read it.

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Road to Reading

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Working with PHONICS AND
WORD FAMILIES
Bubble Blend. By the second Letter Land (Letter Land A), children know the
sounds of the letters a and m. Now they are ready to blend the sounds of these
letters to form the word am. The child’s first experience with blending occurs in
this Letter Land. In later Letter Lands, Bubble Blend activities focus children on
blending initial consonant sounds with two- and three-letter ending
phonograms* such as -ad and -est. Words with the target phonogram then play
an important part in the book for that Letter Land.
Starting with Letter Land T, Bubble Blend activities have two parts. In Part 1,
children focus on blending. In Part 2, they discriminate among similar-looking
words by identifying the word Nellie the hamster says.

* Phonograms are
series of letters
that occur with the
same sounds in
several words.
This program
focuses heavily on
phonograms
because vowel
sounds within
phonograms tend
to be stable and
reliable, making
phonograms an
ideal object for
the beginning
reader to study. In
addition, almost
500 primary grade
words can be
derived from just
37 phonograms.
All of the
phonograms in
this list of 37—
made up of short
vowels plus
individual final
consonants or the
final consonants
ll—are taught in
this program.
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Part 1

Part 2

Say the word parts that appear on the bubbles.
Then click on them to make a word.

Click on each word that Nellie
says and see the bubbles grow.

Sorter Magic. Children often use known words and word parts to figure out new
words. For example, a child might use the known word “fill” to figure out the
new word “hill.” This is often referred to as learning new words by analogy. This
approach underlies Bubble Blend and is the focus of Sorter Magic, which first
appears in Letter Land N and then alternates with Bubble Blend. Our hamster
friend Nellie shows phonograms and words and asks the child to sort the words
by their endings. If words have the matching ending, they should go into the
magic box. If not, they should go into the trash can. Words from Sorter Magic
are emphasized in the book for the Letter Land.

Move the word to the magic box if it has
the ending shown on the sign. Move it to
the trash can if it doesn’t.

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Road to Reading

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Working with SIGHT WORDS
Costume Creator. The Costume Creator activity in each Letter Land introduces
three to five sight words. Children learn two kinds of sight words: (1) high
frequency words that are irregular or contain sound elements not yet taught and
(2) content words that are important in the book that follows and contain sound
elements not yet taught. All sight words taught in a Letter Land appear in the
book.
Costume Creator activities have two parts. In Part 1, our hamster friend Calhoun
introduces words. Part 2 varies. In the first sixteen Letter Lands, Calhoun has
children click three times on the word he says. In the remaining eight Letter
Lands, he asks children to use some of the new words to complete sentences.
Part 1

Say the word that Calhoun says. Then click on
the word. Help a hamster get into costume.
Part 2 (Letter Lands 1–16)

Part 2 (Letter Lands 17–20)

Click on the three doors that show
the word Calhoun says. Help
three hamsters get dressed.

Click on the word that best
completes the sentence.
Use the picture as a clue.

Working with EARLY SPELLING
Music Labeler. Starting in the fifth Letter Land (Letter Land T), Lefty, the
hamster with the attitude, asks children to use their knowledge of letter sounds
to complete words. Children need to move letters to complete words that label
decorative pictures on the organ.

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Road to Reading

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Drag the letter to the correct space. If you want to hear a
picture’s name, click on the picture. If you want to hear
a letter’s sound, click on the letter.

Reading the Storybooks
A book pops out of the ground in a letter screen once the child has completed the
phonics, sight word, and early spelling activities. The child must click on the
book to open it. The book will automatically be read aloud unless the Automatic
Book Reading setting is turned off. (See Using the Program Options Pad (POP):
Settings.)

Read about the
program’s
educational
content.

All book pages contain one or more interactivities. The child must click on at
least one interactivity in order to move to the next page in a book.
Click on the button to hear the whole page.
Click on a
word to
hear it.
Click here to
go to the
next page.

Click here to
record
yourself
reading the
page.

Click on the
journey
button to
close the
book.

Click here to
go back a
page.
Click here to listen to
your recording.

The bar shows the time you
spend recording or listening.

Record and Playback is available on each book page. Children can record
themselves as they read the book. To do so, they just click on the microphone
icon and start reading. A time bar shows how much time they are using as they
record and how much time they have left.

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Road to Reading

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When they are finished recording, children just click on the earphone icon to hear
what they have recorded. The bar shows the time that has been spent listening. To
stop recording or listening, the child just clicks anywhere outside the buttons. Note
that only one whole book can be recorded at one time. Each time a child records a
page of a new book, the recording of the corresponding page of the previous book is
erased.
Creativity Pages appear at the end of six of the storybooks. These pages give
children opportunities to extend the reading experience by creating their own
versions of items from the stories. Children have the opportunity, for example, to
decide what to feed an alien, to decorate cookies, and to design a story quilt.
Creativity pages are based on a simple drawing tool.
Click on a
color. Then
press down
on the
mouse as
you use the
paintbrush to
draw with
that color.

Move
stickers into
your work.

Click here to
erase your
work.

Click here to
print your
work.

Click here
to go back
through the
book.
Click here to record and
play back your ideas.

Click here to
finish the book.

Click here to go back to
the letter screen.

A key goal of Reader Rabbit Road to Reading is to support children’s interest inand
capacity for independent reading. Toward creating a solid foundation in reading,
once a small number of basic sight words have been introduced early in the program,
all the subsequent books in the program are “decodable books;” all are made up
mainly of words containing previously taught sound-letter correspondences.
However, in addition, children should be able to read all the books in the program
independently because all book words can either (1) be decoded, or sounded out, on
the basis of known letter-sound elements or (2) be read because they have been
previously presented as sight vocabulary. The book that appears at the end of a
Letter Land focuses on words with the target letter/sound and the target phonogram
of that Letter Land as well as the new sight words.

Each book in the program is also interactive. Unlike the books in many other
multimedia programs, the interactivities in the books in Reader Rabbit Road to
Reading support comprehension. The child must understand what is in the text in
order to interact appropriately with the graphics.

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Road to Reading

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Because children need opportunities to practice reading with many types of
books, the 26 books in the program include both fiction and nonfiction. Some of
the books tell stories. Some call on children to follow directions or locate
objects. Still others present information. Some books include rhymes. One leads
to a tongue twister. Each book provides a unique, interactive experience.

Assessment
The Great Race. At the end of every fourth Letter Land (Letter Lands O, D, H,
B, and J) and the last Letter Land (Letter Land Z), the child participates in a
“race” that tests progress up to that point. A hamster named Milton has his three
hamster friends race to the finish line as children identify the words the hamsters
are carrying. These races include words taught in the previous four Letter Lands,
or in the case of Letter Land 26, the previous two Letter Lands. You can use the
results of the Great Race to evaluate how well your child is doing in the program
because the percentage of correct Great Race responses is recorded in the
Progress Report.

Click on the word Milton says to make the hamsters move.
Who will be the winner?

Progress Report
The Progress Report lists the results of the last Road to Reading Great Race
activity the child completed. To reach the Progress Report, click on the balloon
icon that appears on all “Road to Reading” letter screens, the map, and on other
screens. Children can retake a Great Race at any time to improve a score; the
Progress Report score for each Great Race reflects only the latest time the child
attempted that Great Race activity.

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Road to Reading

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The report
includes
scores and
dates.

Click on
the Great
Race
you’re
interested
in.

Click here to print the
Progress Report.

Click here to
return to the
Program
Options Pad
(POP).

Click here to go to the Study Words for
the highlighted Great Race.

Study Words. The Progress Report includes a Study Words page for each Great
Race. These pages list the words tested in the Great Races. Words that have been
missed are marked with asterisks. The asterisks disappear when the child retakes
the Great Race activity and identifies these words correctly. Study Words lists
can be printed out and used for independent word study.

Asterisks
mark words
that were
missed.
Click here to
go back to the
Progress
Report.
Click here to print
the Study Words.

Click here for more information about Great
Races, Study Words, “You-Can-Read Words,”
and “Sight Words.”

Study Words lists include two categories of words: “You-Can-Read
Words” and “Sight Words.” “You-Can-Read Words” are words
containing sounds that children have been taught. Children should be
able to “decode” these words. They should be able to sound them out.
The sight words in the Study Words lists are words that either do not
follow regular letter-sound rules or contain sounds that have not yet been
taught in the program. Children need to learn them “by sight.” There is
overlap between these sight words and the “100 most frequently used
words in written English;” however, the overlap is not complete.

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Road to Reading

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Songs and Certificates
After completing a Great Race, children are rewarded with a song and a
certificate. The songs explain the value of reading and give background
information about Mat the Mouse and the hamsters she travels with. The
certificates, which can be printed out, list many of the words introduced in the
previous Letter Lands.

Listen to the songs, and find out why
it’s important to know how to read.

Print out the certificate, and put it
on the refrigerator. Use it to
practice your words.

IN PICK AND PLAY
Pick and Play includes the same letter screens, books, songs, and kinds of
activities found along the Road to Reading. However, in Pick and Play, these
items can be chosen from a menu screen and explored in any order.
Click here to go
back to the
Program Options
Pad (POP).

Click on a button to go to
books, songs, or activities.

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Road to Reading

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Letter Screens. Children can click on Letters and Sounds and then pick any
letter to explore.

Click here to go
back to the Menu.

Click on a letter to go
to a letter screen.

Books. Children can click on Books and then choose a book level and an
individual book to read.

Click on a button
to pick a level.

Click on a book
to read that book.

Click here to go
back to the Menu.

Books are leveled as follows:
Level 1 (8 books) Each book page contains 1–2 sentences. Sentences are
between one and five words long.
Level 2 (4 books) Each book page contains 1–3 sentences. Most sentences are
between three and six words long.
Level 3 (4 books) Each book page contains 1–4 sentences. Most sentences are
between three and seven words long.
Level 4 (4 books) Each book page contains 1–4 sentences. Sentences are longer,
and vocabulary is more complex.
Level 5 (6 books) Each book page contains 2–5 sentences. Sentences are longer,
and vocabulary is more complex.
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Road to Reading

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Click on a button
to pick a level.
Click here to go
back to the Menu.

Activities. Children can click on Music Labeler, Sorter Magic, Bubble Blend,
Costume Creator, or The Great Race, choose one of five challenge levels, and
play the game. Activities in Pick and Play differ from their Road to Reading
counterparts in the following general ways:
• New letters and words appear in the activities as long as the child continues
playing.
• Activities are auto-leveled. Once a child completes all the material for an
activity at one level, the program automatically moves the child to the next
level.
Apart from these differences, Bubble Blend, Sorter Magic, and Music Labeler
contain the same content found along the Road to Reading. The remaining
activities differ in these specific ways:
• Costume Creator. Calhoun presents the 100 most frequently used words in
written English. These are words children should learn to recognize by sight
in order to become fluent readers. Twenty new words are presented at each
level. Some of these words are decodable; that is, they follow regular soundletter rules. However, many are not. Many, but not all, of the words presented
at a particular level appear in the books for that level.
• The Great Race. Instead of acting as an assessment, The Great Race provides
practice with story words for the books on the same level.
Songs. Children can choose to hear any of the program’s seven songs.

Click on a song to
hear it.
Click here to go
back to the Menu.

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Road to Reading

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•

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USING THE PROGRAM OPTIONS
PAD (POP) AND THE TEACH1
OPTION
The Program Options Pad
A balloon icon appears on many screens throughout the program. Clicking on
this icon takes players to the Program Options Pad (POP), which gives access to
program information and program options.

Click on any button to
choose it.
Click anywhere outside of
POP to close POP and return
to your previous screen.

POP Buttons
Road to Reading. This button takes you to the Road to Reading map.
Pick and Play. This button takes you to the Pick and Play Main Menu.
Quit Game. This button lets you leave Reader Rabbit Road to Reading and
automatically saves your game.
Progress Report. This button brings up the Progress Report, which displays the
scores on the latest Great Race assessments. See the earlier section called
Progress Report for additional information about the Progress Report and the
Study Words screens.
Education. This button takes you to information about recent research in
reading, how the program approaches reading, and what you as a parent can do
to turn your child into a successful reader.
Settings. This button takes you to options for book reading and sounds.

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Road to Reading

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Automatic Book Reading lets you choose whether or not the
storybooks are read aloud automatically. Choose On for automatic
reading or Off to turn off this feature. Either way, players can still
click on the red button on any book page to have all the text on that
page read. They can also click on individual words to hear them
read.
Background Music lets you choose whether or not the music
plays.
Credits. This button shows you a listing of the people who helped create the
program.
Sign-in. This button returns you to the sign-in screen.

The Teach1 Option
The Teach1 Option gives parents an additional customization option. It allows
parents access to a choice screen that leads directly to any of the program’s 26
Letter Lands. A child can be placed in any Letter Land and play through the
sound-picture matching activity, the hamster games, and then the book for that
Letter Land.
To use the Teach1 option, parents or children need to type Teach1 in the name
box at the sign-in screen. When they click on START GAME, a listing of all 26
Letter Lands appears on the screen. Players can then click on any Letter Land to
go directly to that Letter Land.
The Open States button at the bottom of the screen also allows players to access
all Letter Lands via the map. In addition, clicking on Open States lets players
duplicate the situation they find when they have completed a Letter Land. The
book is immediately available, and all hamster activities for the Letter Land
become simultaneously available once Reader Rabbit has completed his opening
speech.

Click on any
Letter Land
to go directly
to that Letter
Land.

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Click here for
open access to
all Letter Lands
through the map
and to make all
play options
immediately
available.

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Road to Reading

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Word Factory
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS
There are many ingredients in learning how to read. Phonics instruction is one of
them. Phonics instruction provides training in associating letters and groups of
letters with the sounds that they make. It exposes youngsters to common spelling
patterns and word syllables, and it develops word-recognition skills to help
children become fluent readers.
Reader Rabbit Word Factory gives children a playful, multisensory way to
practice important phonics reading skills. Using more than 200 three-letter
words, along with speech and sound effects and delightful color graphics, the
program’s four activities help children
• improve visual and auditory discrimination,
• associate letters with sounds,
• increase vocabulary,
• improve spelling, and
• sharpen memory and concentration skills.
The words in the activities are clearly pronounced so that each letter can be
heard distinctly. Clarity in speech helps children isolate letter sounds and
recognize letter patterns in the words they see—skills that help them become
better readers. And because the young, lively voices of Reader Rabbit and Mat
the Mouse sound like those of other children, players feel that they are learning
from a friend!
In the first activity, Matchup, children learn to associate pictures with words,
identify letters, and associate letters with letter sounds. By matching pictures
with pictures, words, or parts of words, children have an opportunity to name
pictures, which increases their vocabulary and ultimately their reading
comprehension. In Matchup, they also get a chance to apply their visual and
auditory discrimination skills while they improve their memory and
concentration skills.
In the second activity, Sorter, children practice recognizing letters and letter
sounds and their locations in consonant-vowel-consonant (C-V-C) words with
short vowels. Since quick identification of letters is an important skill in
differentiating words, the speed of the game can be increased to further improve
reading fluency.
In the third activity, Labeler, children work with beginning, middle, and ending
letters to spell words. Since children become better spellers and more confident
writers when they can isolate letter sounds and recognize letter patterns, Levels 1
through 3 focus on individual components of words. Level 4 challenges children
to identify and locate all three letters of a word, spelling the word completely on

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Word Factory

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their own. Like Matchup, Labeler gives children an opportunity to name
pictures, helping to build their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
In the fourth activity, Word Train, children use simple logic and spelling pattern
recognition to put words in a given sequence using the beginning, middle, and
ending letters of words. Here they identify similarities and differences between
words using more complex visual discrimination skills than the other activities
require. And their use of logic, a critical-thinking skill, is a basic building block
to developing reading proficiency.
Throughout the activities, Reader Rabbit provides appropriate and important
instructional feedback. The child may click on Reader Rabbit at any time during
an activity to hear helpful hints that will encourage independent learning.
Children respond best to short, simple verbal instructions and inflection in voice.
This is the developmentally appropriate way in which both Reader Rabbit and
Mat the Mouse speak.
Each of the activities can be played at different levels of difficulty, allowing
children to learn one concept at a time—at their own pace—and use the skills
they learn to master new ones. As children progress through an activity, the
program automatically moves the child to the next highest skill level for that
activity. You can manually change the skill level of an activity at any time by
clicking on POP.
The number on Ernest the Engine at the bottom of every screen in each activity
tells players at which level they are currently playing. It also “keeps score” for
the player: Every time the child completes a turn, a word crate is loaded onto
Ernest the Engine. When Ernest is full, the player automatically moves up to the
next challenge level.
The activities in Reader Rabbit Word Factory help both visual and auditory
learners because children see and hear the letters and words. For slower readers
and children whose native language is not English, Reader Rabbit Word Factory
offers a safe environment in which they can work with individual phonics
sounds and words without the distraction of attending to context. It also puts
children in the driver’s seat on the road to reading. By choosing their own level
of play, and in some cases the speed and picture and word sets, children are in
charge of their own learning experience. What better way to build reading
skills—and self-esteem—at the same time?
See the appendix Reader Rabbit’s Reading Tips for suggestions on extending the
learning away from the computer. See the appendix Word Factory Word List for
a list of the words used in the program.

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Word Factory

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GETTING STARTED
Signing In
To start playing the program, the child needs to sign in by entering his or her
name. The sign-in screen lists all players who have already entered their names.
Click on the
arrows to find
your name.

Click here to put
a space between
letters.

Click on the
letters to spell
your name, or
use the
keyboard.

Click here to
delete a
letter.

Click here to
start a new
player.

Click here
to start
playing.

Click here
to leave the
program.

To play Reader Rabbit Word Factory, you’ll need to sign in by entering your
name. The sign-in screen lists all players who have already entered their names.
First, click on NEW PLAYER. Type your name in the name box, and then click on
START. You can use up to 16 letters. If you’ve played Reader Rabbit Word
Factory before, your name will already be in the player list. If you don’t see
your name in the name box, click on the arrows to scroll through the list. Then
click on START to continue on your way. (If you complete the program and want
to start over at the beginning, sign in using a different name or add a number or
letter to the end of your sign-in name.)
When the sign-in list has 99 names, you’ll need to remove a name before you
can add a new one. Removing a name will permanently erase that player’s name
and game information from the hard disk. Click on the name you want to
remove. Then press Ctrl+R (Windows) or control+R (Macintosh).

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Word Factory

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Choosing an Activity
After you sign in, you’ll see Reader Rabbit at the Main Menu inside the Word
Factory. This is where you choose an activity. To play an activity, click on the
activity you want to play.
The first time you choose an activity, and each time you start a new level,
Reader Rabbit will tell you how to play. To skip his explanation, click the
mouse.

Click here to load
the train with words
that have special
letter patterns.

Click here to
spell words.
Click here to
match pictures,
words, or parts
of words.

Click here to sort
words by their
first, middle, or
last letter.

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Word Factory

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Using the Program Options Pad
(POP)
From the Main Menu or any activity, you can access POP, the Program Options
Pad. POP contains program information and program options that let you see the
educational benefits of the program, set the challenge levels, go to the Sign-In
screen, return to the Main Menu, and exit the program. Depending on where you
are in the program, different buttons may be available to you.
■ To open POP, press Ctrl+P (Windows) or control+P (Macintosh).
■ To close POP, click on POP’s eyes or anywhere on the screen outside of
POP.
■ To choose a button, click on it.
Turn the music, sound effects,
and speech off or on.
Read about the program’s
educational content.

Return to the
Main Menu.

Control the amount of
time it takes a word to
fall into the trash can
in Sorter.

Decide whether
Reader Rabbit
picks the letter to
use in Sorter (I
Pick) or you do
(You Pick).

Change the
difficulty level of
an activity.

Leave the program.

THE WORD FACTORY ACTIVITIES
Take a trip through the fabulous Word Factory with Reader Rabbit and Mat the
Mouse. Along the way, you’ll meet their friends Sam the Lion and Mit the
Monkey. In the Matchup room, help Reader Rabbit match words, letters, and
pictures on crates. Then sort words with the Sorter machine. Stop by the Labeler
room to label the crates for shipping. Then move to the loading dock to load
Ernest the Engine with the words you made.
Before you play an activity for the first time, Reader Rabbit will tell you how to
play. If you get stuck while you’re playing, click on Reader Rabbit for a hint.
Each activity begins at Level 1. The picture of Ernest the Engine at the bottom of
the screen in each activity tells you which level you are currently playing. When
Ernest is loaded up with word crates, you move on to the next challenge level.

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Word Factory

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Matchup
What’s inside the crates upstairs in the Word Factory? Go to the Matchup room
to find out!
Here your job is to find all the crates that match. Open the crates to match
pictures, words, or parts of words. Listen to Reader Rabbit say the words and
letter sounds.
To change the pictures and words on the crates for your next round, click on
Categories in POP and select the kinds of pictures or words you want.
Click on Mat to
open POP.
Click on Reader
Rabbit to get a
hint.

Click on a crate
to see what’s
inside.

Sorter
Help Reader Rabbit run the Sorter machine and put words where they belong.
Your job is to sort words that have the same letter in the same place as the letter
shown on the small screen at the top of the machine. Put words that match on the
shelves. Throw away words that don’t match. Fill all five shelves with words
that match.
The first time you play Sorter, Reader Rabbit picks the letters for you to match.
The machine speed is set to off, so you have to throw away the words yourself.
To change these two options, click on You Pick or Machine Speed in POP.

Click on GO to
start playing.

Click on Mat to
open POP.

Click on Reader
Rabbit to get a
hint.

Click on the letter
to hear its sound.

Click on a shelf to
put a word on the
shelf.

Click here to
throw a word
away.

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Word Factory

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Labeler
No crate can leave the Word Factory without a label, so go to the Labeler room
to name those crates!
Your job is to label crates to match the pictures inside them. Click the mouse to
move the letters from the paint cans to the blank spaces on the labels. When all
of the letters are in the correct places, the labels will spell the names of the
pictures.
To change the pictures and words on the crates for your next round, click on
Categories in POP and select the kinds of pictures or words you want.
Click on a picture
to hear its name.

Click on Mat to
open POP.

Click on a space
to place a letter.

Click on Reader
Rabbit to get a
hint.

Click on a paint
can to pick that
letter.

Word Train
Hurry to the loading dock! Ernest the Engine is waiting there for you to fill his
cars with words. Your job is to load the train with special words. Each word you
put on a train car must have two of the same letters in the same places as the
word on the sign. Fill the train with words so Ernest can be on his way to
Wordville.
Click on Mat to
open POP.
Click on Reader
Rabbit to get a
hint.

Click on a crate
to load it onto
the train.

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Word Factory

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Dreamship Tales™ CD
The Dreamship Tales CD features 104 printable activities that can be done away
from the computer. The CD also offers additional Reader Rabbit games to play,
and music videos to watch. These songs from the adventures of Reader Rabbit and
friends can also be played on an audio CD player.
Click here to print
activities to do
away from the
computer!

Click here to
watch music
videos!

Click here to play
additional activities!

Click on a song to watch a music video!

Choose a group of printable activities themed to
each adventure!
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Word Factory

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Choose a game activity to play from each adventure.

Accessing the Songs on the
Dreamship Tales CD
The songs on the Dreamship Tales™ CD can be played on an audio CD player or on a
computer. It may be necessary to advance the CD to Track 2 if the audio CD player does not
do so automatically.
To play the songs on a computer:

Windows®
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the Start button. Then choose Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, and CD Player in
that order.
3. At the CD Player, click Play.

Macintosh®
1. Insert the program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Choose the Apple CDAudio Player in the Apple menu if it is not already visible.
3. At the CD Player, click Play.

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Word Factory

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TROUBLESHOOTING
Try this first! If you have problems running the program, try cleaning the CD.
Gently remove any fingerprints and dust using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth
dampened with water or a CD-cleaning solution. Avoid using materials such as
tissue, which may scratch the CD.

Windows®
1. The Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics program icon does not
appear on the desktop or in the Start menu.
• Reinstall the program.
2. You get a message telling you that there is not enough available space
on the hard disk.
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics requires 100 MB of available
hard disk space for the program’s data and executable files.
• Compress some files on your disk, or remove some files after backing
them up.
• Adjust the Windows Virtual Memory setting to take up less hard disk
space. (See your Windows documentation for information.)
3. You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run
the program.
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics needs at least 32 MB of installed
memory (RAM) to run. Your computer’s memory may be filled with other
programs that are running in the background. Try to increase available
memory and then start the program again.
• Close any other applications that are running.
4. The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be
interrupted. You will see the hourglass cursor on the screen, and any key
presses or mouse clicks will be ignored.
• Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor returns.
Then try pressing the keys or clicking the mouse again.
5. Program speed is very slow.
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics needs at least a Pentium
166 MHz computer with a 4X CD-ROM drive for basic performance.
• Close any other applications that are running.
• Make sure that you have the latest Windows video drivers for your
graphics card. (Contact the manufacturer to obtain the latest drivers.)
• If your computer has a turbo switch to increase speed, make sure the
switch is on. (See the documentation that came with your computer.)
6. You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
• Check that the speakers are properly connected to your computer.

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Be sure they are getting power and are turned on, and that the volume is
turned up.
• Make sure that your sound card is Windows compatible and is properly
installed for Windows. Be sure that the sound card is specifically designed
to work with the version of Windows you are using. Also check that the
volume is properly set. (See the manufacturer’s documentation for more
information relating to your sound card.)
• Check for IRQ or DMA conflicts between your sound card and other addon peripherals. (See the documentation for your sound card, CD-ROM
drive, and other add-on peripherals.)
• Make sure the mixer level setting is correct.
Click on the Start button. Choose Programs from the Start menu. Next
choose Accessories. Then choose Multimedia (Windows 95) or
Entertainment (Windows 98), and choose Volume Control. Make sure that
the sliders on the mixer control panel are all the way up and that no mute
buttons are selected.
7. Strange graphics appear onscreen; the game action stops unexpectedly.
• Try using the 800 x 600, 16-bit-color display mode driver that came with
your video card. (See your Windows documentation for more
information.)
• Make sure you have the latest Windows video drivers installed. (Contact
your video card manufacturer for more information.)
8. Colors don’t look right.
• Adjust your monitor’s color and brightness.
• Make sure the color display is set to 16-bit.
• Turn off your screensaver.
• Close any other applications that are running.
• Make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed.
(Contact your video card manufacturer for more information.)
9. The program window is too small.
The program window will not fill the entire screen.
• For maximum window size, make sure that the display mode is set to
800 x 600. (See your Windows documentation for more information.)
10. You are not able to connect to our online Web sites.
This feature requires a browser.
• Make sure that you have a browser properly installed. See your
browser and Windows documentation for more information.

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Macintosh
1. You do not see the Reader Rabbit Road to Reading or Word Factory
program icons.
• Make sure the CD is inserted in the CD tray, printed side up.
• Try restarting your computer and/or rebuilding your desktop.
• Make sure that the CD-ROM drivers are correctly installed.
2. You get a message that there is not enough space on the hard disk.
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics requires 100 MB of available
hard disk space for program data files.
• Compress some files on your hard disk, or remove some files after
backing them up.
• Adjust the Virtual Memory setting to use less hard disk space. (See your
Macintosh documentation for more information.)
3. You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run
the program.
Reader Rabbit Learn to Read With Phonics requires 32 MB of installed
memory (RAM) to run. If you are running OS 8.x, you will need 16 MB or
more. Try to increase available memory and then start the program again.
(Depending on what Internet browser you use, you may not be able to run
your browser and the program in 16 MB).
• Quit any programs that you may be running.
• Turn off or remove from the System Folder all non-Apple® control panels and
extensions. (Leave the CD-ROM drivers.) Restart your computer.
• Reduce the size of the disk cache in the Memory control panel. (See your
Macintosh documentation for more information.)
• Turn off AppleTalk®.
4. The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be
interrupted. You will see the watch cursor on the screen, and any key presses
or mouse clicks will be ignored.
• Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor returns.
Then try pressing the keys or clicking the mouse again.
5. The music and voice in the game are too loud or too soft.
• Choose Sound from Control Panels. Select the Volumes setting and adjust the
system’s speaker volume as needed.
6. You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
• Make sure that the Volumes setting in the Sound control panel is not set to
zero. (See your Macintosh documentation for more information.)
• Make sure that Music is turned on in POP.
• If you have external speakers, be sure they are turned on and getting
power and that they are properly connected to your computer. Also check
the speaker volume.
• Turn off or remove from the System Folder all non-Apple control panels
and extensions. (Leave the CD-ROM drivers.) Restart your computer.

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CONTACTING RIVERDEEP – THE LEARNING
COMPANY
If you have questions about your Reader Rabbit Learn To Read program, please
refer to the Troubleshooting section. If you do not find an answer to your
question, visit our Web site at: http://www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany/
support. Click Product Support. Select the product name from the alphabetical
list and check to see if the problem you are experiencing is listed among the
FAQs. If you need to speak to a technical support representative, click Contact
Us and scroll down to the Technical Support area for the appropriate number.
You may be asked to provide the following information:
Your contact information (name and email address, plus phone or mailing
address if you wish)
Description of the problem you’re having
Product name and version number (The version number is often printed on
the CD label.)
Brand of computer
Operating system (for example, Windows 98 or Mac® OS 8.6)
Processor type and speed
RAM memory (in MB or megabytes)
Video card manufacturer
Sound card manufacturer
Printer type
Hard disk space remaining
Background programs (antivirus programs or screensavers)

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•
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•
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SMILES GUARANTEED!
If you are not completely satisfied with this product, Riverdeep – The Learning
Company will gladly refund your purchase price. Return the complete package to
us at The Learning Company, Dock Door #9, 120 Hidden Lake Circle, Duncan,
SC 29334, within 30 days of purchase. Include a copy of the sales receipt,
packing slip, or invoice showing the store name and location. Please enclose an
explanation for the return. Allow 4-6 weeks for refund. Limit 1 per household.
Dealers, wholesalers, and their immediate families are not eligible.

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Appendices
THE ROAD TO READING
Before beginning a Letter Land, have your child:
• Match the uppercase and lowercase letter partners.
• Spell the sound-out words together. Have your child say the sounds for each
letter alone and then blend the sounds.
Letter Land Letter
Mm
Aa
Pp
Oo
Tt
Nn
Ss
Dd
Ii
Cc
Ll
Hh
Uu
Gg
Ff
Bb
Ee
Rr
Ww
Jj
Vv
Kk
Yy
Xx
QU qu
Zz

Sound-Out Words
am
map, Pam
mop, Mom
at, mat, pat, tap
man, tan, pan, ant
pot, not, spot
mad, Dad, pad, sad
sip, Pip, pin, tin
cast, past
lot, pot
hand, land, sand, stand
cut, hut, nut, Tut
hug, Pug, mug, dug
fun, sun, gun
bump, dump, hump, lump
hen, men, ten, pen
red, bed, Ned, fed
wet, set, get, net
best, pest, nest, rest
vent, went, bent, sent, tent
kid, rid, lid, hid
yet, yes
ax, sax, six, mix, ox, box
quit, fit, pit, quilt
zip, rip, dip, flip

Then, have your child:
• Practice the sight words. Have your child repeat the words after you.

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Letter Land Letter
Mm
Aa
Pp
Oo
Tt
Nn
Ss
Dd
Ii
Cc
Ll
Hh
Uu
Gg
Ff
Bb
Ee
Rr
Ww
Jj
Vv
Kk
Yy
Xx
QU qu
Zz

High Frequency Sight Words
is, that
who, I, is, that
find, on, the
what, will, this
a, the, this, not
at, an, you, can, there
do, you, can, have, see
find, the, is, why, has
in, it, the, will, that
my, it, on, that, and
of, be, will, this, what
for, did, not, see, find
out, make, like, for, can
up, are, my, why, this
to, up, see, find, are
but, and, what, this, like
no, little, then, for, make
if, or, make, there, that
we, with, so, my, what
one, two, just, do, see
his, make, not, then, for
down, water, have, as, my
he, him, out, little, are
she, from, these, make, with
was, now, when, about, make
them, they, now, have, like

Have your child go to the Letter Land in Reader Rabbit Road to Reading for the
letter he or she has reached. While in that Letter Land, here is what your child
will do:
• Listen to Reader Rabbit’s introduction to the letter and its sound.
• Follow Reader Rabbit’s directions to click on four things that start with the
sound of the letter.
• Play games that focus on blending sounds, identifying sight words,
identifying decodable words, and completing simple words.
• Read and interact with a book.
• Move a new letter into the secret message.
At the end of certain Letter Lands, your child will also listen to songs that give
some of the reasons why reading is important and earn certificates that can be
printed out and placed on your refrigerator.
○

○

READER RABBIT’S READING TIPS
Children learn to read in a variety of ways. Here are tips and activities that you
can use to extend and encourage your child’s learning while away from the
computer.
Read books aloud to your child every day.
Read other things aloud—cartoons, signs, labels, cereal boxes—
anything at all.
Model reading behavior. Make sure your child sees you reading and
understands how important this activity is in your life.
Talk with your child. Talk about activities, about funny things, about
television shows. Listen closely. Talking helps children learn to use
language.
Invite your child to make up stories from pictures in storybooks and
elsewhere.
Take your child to the local library often. Take advantage of reading
hours with the librarian. Have your child pick out books even if he or
she can’t read them.
Tape-record favorite stories so your child can listen to them over and
over.
Put letter magnets on your refrigerator, and encourage your child to
practice naming letters, identifying sounds, and putting letters together
to form words.
Have your child write letters in all kinds of ways and places—for
example, in the sand, with their fingers on your back, or by using his or
her body to create the shapes.
Make an alphabet book. Have your child dedicate one page to each
letter, and create a book that shows letters and pictures of things that
start with the letter’s sound.
Encourage your child to draw pictures that tell stories and to “read” the
pictures.
Help your child make up silly songs and poems that use a specific letter
or letter sound.
Play with rhyming words and non-words. Say a word such as cat and
ask your child to come with rhyming words, both real and imaginary.
Write down the words, or have your child write them down.

○

Play letter games with your child, such as finding objects with names
that begin with specific letters, or guessing games where you try to
guess a word from its beginning letter.
Encourage your child to name letters and read words out in the world.
You’ll see your child gaining confidence and recognizing the
importance of reading in daily life.

○

WORD FACTORY WORD LIST
These are the words used in the Word Factory activities. Many words have
pictures associated with them.
bad
bin
but

bag
bit

ban
bog

bat
bop

bed
box

beg
bud

bet
bug

bib
bum

bid
bun

big
bus

cab
cud

can
cup

cap
cut

cat

cob

cod

cog

cop

cot

cub

dab
don

dad
dot

dam
dub

den
dug

did

dig

dim

din

dip

dog

fad
fox

fan
fun

fat

fed

fib

fig

fin

fit

fix

fog

gab

gag

gap

gas

get

gig

gob

got

gum

gut

had
hit

ham
hog

has
hop

hat
hot

hem
hub

hen
hug

hid
hum

him
hut

hip

his

jab

jam

jet

jig

job

jog

jot

jug

jut

keg

kid

kin

kit

lab
lit

lad
lob

lag
log

lap
lop

lax
lot

led
lug

leg

let

lid

lip

mad
mop

man
mud

map
mug

mat

men

met

mid

mix

mob

mom

nab

nag

nap

net

nib

nip

nit

nod

not

nut

pad
pod

pan
pop

pat
pot

peg
pun

pen
pup

pep
put

pet

pig

pit

rag
rip

ram
rob

ran
rod

rap
rot

rat
rub

red
rug

rib
run

rid
rut

rig

rim

sad
sop

sag
sub

sap
sum

sat
sun

set
sup

sip

sit

six

sob

sod

tab
tot

tag
tub

tan
tug

tap

tat

tax

ten

tin

tip

top

van

vat

vet

vim

wag

wax

web

wed

wet

wig

win

wit

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Learn to Read with Phonics for Preschool & Kindergarten V1.3;
based on LTR7AE–MAN and RTT7GE–TXT, 000508

○

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