Hooked on Phonics “Learn to Read” Buying Guide

BUYING A USED PROGRAM

Editions 1998 - 2005

The Hooked on Phonics “Learn to Read” program was released by Gateway Educational Products, Ltd., in 1987. Extensive television and radio advertising, during the 90s, with the memorable 1-800-ABCDEFG phone number and the "Hooked on Phonics worked for me!" tagline made Hooked on Phonics a household name. Educate, Inc. acquired the company in 2005 and is now known as HOP LLC.

Phonics is the association between letter and letter combinations in our written alphabet and the sounds in our spoken language. For example, by combining the letter sounds of c, a, t, a child can read cat. When a child learns to recognize these letter sounds and combine them to read words, he is developing the skills he will need for learning to read. Hooked on Phonics programs use musical songs and repetition to teach a child the basic phonetic skills that he will need to learn to read.

A few things to consider:

If you are looking for a used Hooked on Phonics "Learn to Read" program, the 1998-2005 edition would be my recomendation. The original program was completely revamped in 1998, adding more graphics, stories and games to an already wonderful program. But, the best addition to the prorgam is the inclusion of a set of 30 reading books, some by award winning authors.

If you want to buy one of the 1998-2005 edition programs, don't pay more than $80 for it, including the shipping and handling fee. BE PATIENT. On any given day, there are over 300 ads for Hooked on Phonics items. Set your price and don't get so attached to a particular auction that you overpay. I saw two people bid a used program up to $122 plus shipping, when the very next auction to close went for $32. BE PATIENT. If you are in a hurry to get started, buy from a reputable seller that has a reasonable BUY IT NOW price.

The biggest problem with buying a used program on eBay is that many are not complete programs. Even if the ad says the program is complete, the casual seller often doesn't know the correct components to the different editions. ASK QUESTIONS. Most parents use the first or second level of the program, and when the child starts to read well they relax and let the school take it from there. Very few children complete the entire program through 2nd grade. So, what happens is the early parts of the programs are the most likely to be the parts that are broken, lost or used up. Look at the ads on eBay for Hooked on Phonics and you'll see countless programs that say the first part is used, but the later levels are untouched. Don't assume that the casual seller knows that the program is complete, even if the ad says so. Many sellers simply copy the components from the program box without looking in it to see if the parts are all there. ASK QUESTIONS. Ask if there are two yellow tapes in the level one box.The level one cassettes are the parts most often missing from this edition of the prorgam, and they are the hardest, and most expensive, parts to locate if your program is missing them. Use the component lists below to check out a program.

Hooked on Phonics "Learn to Read" 1998 - 2005 edition

This completely new series was created in 1998 and followed the 1993, 6th edition, that was sold until 1999. The program was updated and each of the levels was given its own separate box. It contains 6 boxes:

PARENT'S BOX

Quick Start Guide

Parent's Guide Book

Introduction Video

3 Achievement Posters

2 Sheets of Stickers

1 Audio-cassette, "Alphabet"

1 Pack of "Alphabet" Flash Cards

LEVEL 1 BOX

Level 1 Workbook (Yellow, 138 pages)

1 Pack of "Word Play" Flash Cards

1 Pack of "Alphabet" Flash Cards

1 Pack of "Helper" Words Flash Cards

2 Audio-cassettes

Reading Books 1-14

LEVEL 2 BOX

Level 2 Workbook (Orange, 72 Pages)

1 Pack of "Helper Words" Flash Cards

1 Pack of "Phonics" Flash Cards

2 Audio-cassettes

Reading Books 15-18

LEVEL 3 BOX

Level 3 Workbook (Red, 61 Pages)

1 Pack of "Helper Words" Flash Cards

1 Pack of "Phonics" Flash Cards

2 Audio-cassettes

Reading Books 19-23

LEVEL 4 BOX

Level 4 Workbook (Green, 64 Pages)

1 Pack of "Helper Words" Flash Cards

1 Pack of "Phonics" Flash Cards

2 Audio-cassettes

Reading Books 23-26

LEVEL 5 BOX

Level 5 Workbook (Blue, 46 Pages)

1 Pack of "Phonics" Flash Cards

1 Audio-cassette

Reading Books 27-30

Changes in 2001:

The 2001 edition is the same program as the 1998 edition. The only changes were in the packaging and the addition of more reading books and the CD-ROM of phonics games. The parent's box was discontinued and its contents were placed in the Level l box, except for the video instruction tape, which was dropped from the program. The 10 "companion books", the 10 "chapter books" and the CD-ROM, which were available for a while in a "deluxe" 1998 version, were added to the basic 2001 edition.

Changes in 2005:

When Gateway was acquired by Educate Inc., a new focus on product expansion took place and the first introduction of retail editions of the "Learn to Read" program. The contents of the "Learn to Read" program can vary depending on the retailer. When these prorgams make their way to eBay, you will need to pay particular attention to the contents listed on the box, in order to get the items that you are interested in. Pictured below is the same audio-cassette program as the 2001 edition, except that it has 30 reading books as in the 1998 edition. The CD-ROM is included. This is a "retail box" version of the program.

Pictured below is the 2005 audio-CD version of the program. It has the same content as the 2001 edition, except that it has 30 reading books as in the 1998 edition and has audio-CDs instead of audio-cassettes and for some reason, DOES NOT have the CD-ROM inclded. This is a "retail box" version of the program.

Last Word

I have two phrases for you that will work with any eBay auction or purchase; BE PATIENT and ASK QUESTIONS. But also with your child, BE PATIENT and ASK QUESTIONS. Hooked on Phonics doesn't teach by itself. You will need to work with the child about 20 minutes a day to get great results. Good luck and please read my other Hooked on Phonics guides and visit my store, PHONICS AND MORE. We try to carry a complete selection of replacement parts for the Hooked on Phonics family of programs.  

Thanks, George Withers (eBay ID - edandsophie)