For the last few years at Rock ‘N Learn, we’ve had requests from our retailers and customers for a DVD to help children learn to read sight words. Because sight words are the most common words used in the English language, knowing them automatically can improve reading skills.
I’m pleased that last month we introduced the new Rock ‘N Learn Sight Words DVD that covers over 60 sight words. It’s been our most successful new product launch ever.
To create Sight Words DVD, we consulted with a team of four teachers, collectively having over 50 years classroom experience (both with regular students as well as students with remedial and special needs). These teachers have discovered what works and doesn’t, and they’ve had the benefit of many hours of workshop training in effective reading instruction.
Our education specialty retailers also provided suggestions on what they and their customers wanted to see in a sight words DVD, including flaws they saw with existing DVDs. The two recommendations we heard most were: 1) don’t make it boring, and 2) don’t make it confusing.
Addressing the first recommendation, we wrote fun songs and humorous dialogue combined with fun, engaging characters. It’s some of our best music and animation ever. We tested sections with children to make certain the DVD would hold interest and encourage kids to read along. We also ran scripts and video past our educational consultants and listened their suggestions for improvement.
Now, about their advice, “Don’t make it confusing,” our retailers said that the top complaint with some sight words DVDs is that the words are arranged to picture objects that have nothing to do with the words being taught. That may help kids attend to the shape of the word, but it’s also highly confusing. Learning to read is similar to learning a new language. Imagine if you were learning a new language and the word for “table” looked like a fish.
Rock ‘N Learn Sight Words presents the words in a way that makes sense in context. For example, if students are learning “up” and “down,” they see the characters going up and down.
Below is a video example of Rock ‘N Learn Sight Words DVD:
What do you think about Rock ‘N Learn’s new Sight Words DVD?
I really like your products and having a 5 year old son who will be entering kindergarten in August – these are super age appropriate right now.
Thank you, Trish. Best wishes to you and your son as he starts kindergarten. An exciting time!
I love it! I won it from a blog contest I entered, I’m just dying with anticipation to get it! Hope it comes VERY SOON!
They look interesting, haven’t seen these before.
Coming from a teacher, videos is a great tool to teach kids from a different angle.
When Rock ‘N Learn attended the National Conference on Differentiated Instruction last month, teachers were quite interested in our videos. They liked the chapter points accessible from the menu to use videos to introduce a lesson, and they also liked the ability to show one group a video while working more individually with another group having different needs. Kids learn in a variety of ways, and we’ve heard success stories where our videos helped get through to kids when other methods had failed. Thanks for your comment!
Way to go on the success of: Rock ‘N Learn Sight Words DVD! I’d love to try it out on my 5 year old that going into kindergarten!
My daughter is only 8 months old, but I think she would enjoy the nursery rhymes. Never too early!
For the audio version of Nursery Rhymes, I would agree with you. We’ve been hesitant to recommend starting kids too early with DVDs. I’ve softened my position a little. My oldest daughter was reluctant to let my grandson watch any videos before he was 24 months, and I tended to agree. But, she changed her mind when he was 18 months. I was pleased that of the 20+ videos they owned, his very favorite was Rock ‘N Learn Dance With the Animals. This was the ONLY one he would watch all the way through. And it got him out of his seat moving with the child actors. Now at age two, he likes Nursery Rhymes; Alphabet Circus; Colors, Shapes & Counting; and even Sight Words. He may not be learning to read the sight words, but he loves the songs and animation. Sight Words seems really good for the language development of young children. He could care less that it’s his granddad’s company; he genuinely loves our videos. Thanks for your interest in Rock ‘N Learn!
I have never seen the dvd, but i would assume that with children learning sight words in school now, it would probably be awesome =)
I just listed this DVD at twingle mommmy!
look forward to learning about your products & thanks for letting Twingle mommy host a giveaway with your product!
I don’t currently have any of y’alls products, but I’ve heard a ton of great reviews! And I can’t wait to purchase some for my two year old son.
What a fun product! I think my 6 year old would love to learn his sight words using one of you fun dvds!
I really want to get the Sight Words DVD! I have the Getting Ready for Kindergarten and my son loves it!!
This is the most awesome DVD to get a child! (Especially one that has a short attention span). My son can’t take his eyes off the TV once he hears the music and sees all the colors at the begining of the DVD. He sometimes will want to watch it over and over.
super excited to buy this dvd. I have a 3-year-old and this will be right up his alley!
I like the concept. It helps to show the kids what the word means by seeing it in action. Great job!
Looks like a great way for a child to learn to read new words!
My grandson could really use this DVD! It’s one I keep seeing on the internet as being highly rated and very useful!
As an elementary school teacher, I think this DVD is a wonderful idea. What a fun way for kids to learn sight words!
Keep up the good work. My little girl has really enjoyed the letter sounds DVD. [=
Wow what an amazing product this is!
Congrats on the success of this DVD! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
I love the advice “Don’t make it confusing.” I think that’s so important!
GREAT movies
Really looking forward to trying this program with my 5 year old daughter!
this looks like a great tool for my daughter. she is only 3, but it’s not too early to learn! we are working on names right now… she knows how to spell her name, mom, dad and bubby. we should work on sight words next!
Sounds great. I have a 4 yr. old grandson who could use this!
Great products! Really looking forward to a future purchase.
looks like a great educational tool
Ive been seeing a lot of Rock N Learn products out there lately. Im really excited to hoepfully win some of these items through the giveaways. Id love to get my daughter on a jumpstart for school!
Money Saving Secrets Blog sent me.
With a 6 year old and two 4 year olds, this dvd sounds like something we could use.
My 3 1/2 year old loves this DVD and is already beginning to read thanks to your fantastic teaching methods!
My grandson loves the preview clip for this DVD, especially the Look, See, Find segment!
I LOVE Rock n’ Learn DVDs because my son LOVES AND LEARNS from Rock n’ Learn DVDs!!! I started early on another well known series of DVDs for little ones. At one year old, I discovered Rock n’ Learn when visiting a local teacher’s store. My son loved the first DVD so I purchased more… “Alphabet”, “Colors, Shapes, & Counting”, “Letter Sounds”, “Getting Ready for Kindergarten”… He picked them up so quick… I had to take a break. He is now 32 months… he not only recognizes uppercase and lowercase letters, he not only counts even beyond the Rock n’ Learn DVDs (cuz I’m trying to keep up with him now), he not only knows ALL of the letter sounds… he can READ at least 100 words. I did purchase the “Sight Words” DVD and showed it to him a few times. Between that and the other DVD he previously had, I have felt guilty and slowed down a little bit.
People think I am pushing him but I am trying to keep up!!! These DVDs laid such a firm foundation. I recommend that everyone try Rock n’ Learn!!! With all of the firm foundation set, my son could focus more on writing… he just last week moved from just tracing letters to writing letters on his own… and I DID NOT ASK HIM TO!!!
This dvd sounds great!
My daughter’s only 2, but I can’t wait until she’s ready for this!
My son, who is in kindergarten, really needs extra help with his sight words. He would really benefit from the Sight Words DVD!