4.0
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I purchased the program back in the 90s, PHENOMINAL outcome, and it has always been used in our household with tremendous success, UNTIL NOW! Our cassette player finally died, can't find another one and, while last year someone gave me a link that worked great, the link is now useless and I cannot get ANYONE (including the person that I worked with) to even acknowledge my email :-(
My son started hook on phonics at 4yrs old he is now 5 and has been reading for months now. We absolutely love this program! Customer service has been great! Especially with Heather F. from Senior Customer Care Specialist
Escalations & Training Team! Thank you so much for all your help!
Worth every penny!! Communication was only when needed and included very helpful tips on what my child should spend more time on. Books are so well done and activities are creative. My 4 yo knew all her letters and sounds right away after using this program, she’s already sounding out words! The app is engaging and smart, with just the right amount of repetition. I highly recommend this subscription.
I really like this program but sometimes it gets stuck and all the letters or words are jumbled up on top of each other and it often freezes. I was advised that downloading the lesson first would help. My child has fun reading the books that mirror the lessons and I think it has improved his confidence.
At Hooked on Phonics, we believe that every child loves to learn, so we focus on nurturing that thirst for knowledge with products that are fun, effective, and easy to use. We also support families and teachers as they help children improve reading skills. We celebrate every success so learning becomes a positive cycle that kids will love to repeat again and again. We meet all children at their level, engage their imaginations, and help them climb to the next level step by step. Every achievement ends in a celebration of success, an elevation of confidence, and an increase in self-esteem. Because as children master reading skills, they also lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning.
United States
4.0
1K reviews
I purchased the program back in the 90s, PHENOMINAL outcome, and it has always been used in our household with tremendous success, UNTIL NOW! Our cassette player finally died, can't find another one and, while last year someone gave me a link that worked great, the link is now useless and I cannot get ANYONE (including the person that I worked with) to even acknowledge my email :-(
Date of experience: March 12, 2025
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Grace,
We're so sorry you've had this experience. Our Customer Care Team would never intentionally ignore an email that was received, and we'd love to hear from you if you'd be willing to reach out to us once more. Unfortunately, we're not able to capture your information with this review. Please use the following link to contact us via Live Chat, and we'll to look into this for you ASAP: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
We look forward to hearing from you!
My son started hook on phonics at 4yrs old he is now 5 and has been reading for months now. We absolutely love this program! Customer service has been great! Especially with Heather F. from Senior Customer Care Specialist
Escalations & Training Team! Thank you so much for all your help!
Date of experience: September 24, 2024
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Clarisse,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're thrilled to know that our program has made a positive impact on your son's reading journey. Hooray!
We also appreciate your kudos to the Customer Care Team and have shared your message with the Director. Your support means the world to us, and we're here to help if you need our assistance in the future. Happy learning!
- Your Hooked & Co. Customer Care Team
Beware the "Easy Cancellation".
I just received the program this week and discovered I will not be tutoring my nephew after all. I have been completely unable to cancel through the company.
They don't offer cancellation as an option, so you have to go to Customer help. Then you have to deal with the bots where you're offered a menu of articles you can read. When you indicate you want to interact (not "speak") with an agent in online chat they say they will EMAIL me when an agent is available & online. LOLOLOLOL! Thank goodness I signed up through Paypal where I can manage my autopays without Hooked on Phonics' interaction because it is clear they will try to delay or avoid any cancellation.
Date of experience: February 19, 2024
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Mary,
We are so sorry and understand your frustration with these occurrences. The option to cancel is available via the online Dashboard 24/7, so we're uncertain as to what issues you encountered whilst attempting to manage your subscription. Though our business was closed for yesterday's holiday, we've located your email request and have followed up to confirm that your request was completed as of this morning.
Please reach out to us here if you have any questions or need additional assistance: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
I love Hooked on Phonics! My 4 year old son was interested in reading when he was 3, so we bought the entire Hooked on Phonics curriculum and he's on level 4 and readings so well! No other 4 year old in his Sunday School or co-op is reading as well as he is and it's incredible! He homeschool for many reasons but one reason was because I was public schooled and learned to read by word memorization not phonics and even today as an adult I fine it hard to pronounce words I haven't seen before. We actually ended up losing our Level 4 box somehow and so I had to reorder it. I accidentally had it sent to a former apartment of ours and when I emailed customer service, Heather F. Told me, "We have gone ahead and reshipped your package to the correct address at no additional cost. You are not required to return the package that was sent incorrectly. This can be disposed of or donated as you please." How wonderful is that! I love this company and am so pleased with how well both of my kids are reading now! Definitely buy it and tell you friends!
Date of experience: February 15, 2024
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Katherine,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're delighted to hear that our products have made a positive impact on your son's reading journey. Way to go!
We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and are thrilled to hear that we've exceeded your expectations in that regard, as well. We're here to support your family on your learning journey, so please feel free to reach out to us at any time. Thank you for learning with us!
- Your Hooked & Co. Customer Care Team
My kids are not interested. It’s not very interactive. It keeps repeating the same pattern. I also tried to cancel it, it shows inactive and I was still charged. Anyhow, I went in again and see, it is active in different access and when I try to cancel it, it says you signed up through the app blah blah, which I tried looking in all places there isn’t any subscription. So this isn’t a simple cancel anytime. Just so you know, it’s more of a headache than a help.
Date of experience: December 10, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Vicki,
We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience you've experienced with managing your subscription. Upon locating your account, we see that you successfully cancelled your App + Practice Pack subscription via your Dashboard since writing this review. Please contact our Customer Care Team if additional assistance is needed, or if you have specific feedback you'd like to share with our Team. We're always trying to improve the user experience and welcome your feedback!
Link to contact: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
I got hooked on phonics for my 6 year old nephew and he didn’t like it, wouldn’t even get into it. It didn’t work out at all. He wanted nothing to do with it.
Date of experience: December 01, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi KD,
We're sorry to hear the program may not be the best fit for your nephew. If you're not seeing the results you hoped for after using the program consistently, reach out and we'll gladly assist you in adjusting your strategies with additional tips and suggestions. As always, we'd also love to hear any specific feedback you have to share! Please reach out to our Customer Care Team and we'll pass it on to our Team: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
Thank you in advance.
I just want to say how funny and awesome hooked on phonics commercials are!!! They’re the best!!!
Date of experience: November 05, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Jalissa,
We appreciate your feedback and will share your message with our Marketing Team. Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review!
- Hooked & Co. Customer Care Team
I can’t believe this is actually working. I felt my so was falling behind in 1st grade reading so I tried to find a solution to boost his reading confidence. I hyped this app as a special reading game that only him and mommy would do together. I told him that I want him to be able to read everything in his Roblox game, so it’d be more fun to play, and I told him that mommy was going to help him get there every step of the way. He was super engaged with it and looks forward to our time doing the reading game together. In fact if we miss out on our reading game time, he gets upset. Definitely the way you present this to your child will determine success. I’ve given him similar learning apps in the past with little to no enthusiasm behind it and he quickly became bored with them. He has made exceptional improvements and no longer just shuts down when he encounters a difficult word. We did pre-reader as a review and are now half way through learn to read. We are only using the app. I did not want to make this experience feel like school to him so we only play the games and read the electronic books. We love it.
Date of experience: October 01, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Jenna,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're thrilled to hear that our App has been making a positive impact on your son's reading journey, and that he's enjoying it. Long distance high fives for your motivational strategies, as well! Keep up the great work!
- Your Hooked & Co. Customer Care Team
Tried to purchase hooked on phonics for my 4 year old, and my order was rejected. Apparently, I had signed up with their sister company, early moments, and "contested" their subscription.
After going back through my emails, I found an email from 2019 asking how I can cancel my subscription. I received a response that it was canceled and no concerns or issues were presented in that email. I don't quite understand the issue nor do I understand why I can't purchase hooked on phonics. The person in the email did not mention any issues with me canceling. That was 4 years ago so I don't recall this company at all. I'm assuming I tried a free trial, and it was not the right fit for my then 4 month old.
Either way, I contacted hooked on phonics right away for additional details. Over a month later, still no response.
Date of experience: August 16, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello CT,
We're so sorry you've had this experience. Our Customer Care Team would never intentionally ignore an email that was received, and we'd love to hear from you if you'd be willing to reach out to us once more. Unfortunately, we're not able to capture your information with this review. Please use the following link to contact us via Live Chat, and we'll to look into this for you ASAP: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
We look forward to hearing from you!
Great experience. My grandchildren enjoy reading the books. I see a change in their reading.
Date of experience: September 01, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Regina,
We're thrilled to hear your grandchildren are enjoying the program. Thank you for your review, and for including us on your family's learning journey!
If you have a moment, please don't forget to rate the App in your App Store. We appreciate your feedback and willingness to share your experience with others. Keep up the great work!
Android https://bit.ly/2HSOjLm
Apple https://apple.co/2HMpuAv
My almost 5 yo daughter loves it. She’s always asking if she can do “schoolwork.” Hooked on Phonics has helped her with remembering her letters and the sounds they make.
Date of experience: August 31, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Kimberly,
Thank you for your review of the Hooked on Phonics program. We're delighted to hear your daughter has seen some progress! If there's anything we can do to improve your learning experience, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Customer Care Team: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
Keep up the great work, and thank you for learning with us.
Date of experience: August 31, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Christine,
We appreciate your feedback, and we are thrilled to hear your son is enjoying our program. Thank you for learning with us!
If you have a moment, we would love it if you could review us in the App Store, too. This helps us share the power of reading with even more children!
Android https://bit.ly/2HSOjLm
Apple https://apple.co/2HMpuAv
We love the lessons! The price is too expensive.
Date of experience: August 31, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for this review. We're delighted to hear that your family is loving the Hooked on Phonics program!
Please know that, as a subscriber, you can make the program work for you by adjusting your shipment frequency, or pausing shipments at any time. We'd also encourage you to check out our App + Practice Pack bundles available at shop.hookedonphonics.com, which typically allow users to capture additional savings over the month-to-month option.
Our Customer Care Team is here to help if you have any questions at all, so please do not hesitate to reach out: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
The app is extremely uninteresting. The animal characters are ugly and strange looking, you can barely tell what they're supposed to be. The games are so repetitive it makes it extremely boring for children. My daughter is 5 and she gets bored after about 5 minutes, 10 minutes max. The work books they send are short and boring also. The activities they say to do are also boring, I can come up with better ways to do crafts with letters myself. Shape a lower case letter a with apple pieces? Right... Then the songs on the app are startling and pointless. They're supposed to teach the sound of the letter but there's so much going on you can't even tell what sound they're saying the letter makes! Then it also uses different objects to make the letter sound. Please tell me why they chose a ghost for the letter "g"? That is scary for a young child that may not even know what a ghost is. What happened to using a goat or a goose? Very strange. And last but not least, the reading books they send are not appropriate for a beginner reader and not interesting and barely make sense. I believe we got to step 4 before I just cancelled the subscription because it's not getting any better. They sent the book called The Cereal Box. The book has hideous art and the story barely makes sense. Supposedly the kid is using his imagination but it's just really off the wall. No thanks!! I'm extremely disappointed with this company. I really had high hopes and my child has not an inkling how to read yet after almost two months. This is total bummer especially since I decided to homeschool and I thought this would be my base curriculum. Who designed the app? They did a horrible job. Takes a long time to load, the characters are ugly and it is so slow and repetitive. Then there is the math app. Once again the songs are pointless and confusing.
Date of experience: July 14, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Stephanie, Thank you for your valued feedback. We're so sorry to hear that our program didn't meet your expectations. As we continuously strive to improve our product and service, we've shared your comments with our Product Development Team for review and consideration.
Please email us at contact@hookedandcompany.com if you have any additional comments you'd like to share, or if you ever need assistance. We're here to help!
Hooked on Phonics has been great so far. We are able to take our time, and all of the material (app & book) are exciting. It has made learning fun for my son
Date of experience: July 30, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi Anjelica,
Thank you for your 5-Star review. We're thrilled to hear that our program has been successful for your family.
If you have a moment, please don't forget to rate the App in your App Store. We appreciate your feedback and willingness to share your experience with others. Keep up the great work!
Android https://bit.ly/2HSOjLm
Apple https://apple.co/2HMpuAv
I was a primary school teacher before homeschooling my children these past few years. My specialty is actually teaching kids to read. It’s a super power. Except with my youngest. I was struggling so much. We read every night for a year and we started with phonics a year before that. I was starting to think there might be a learning disability. Well…. Within a month and a half of hooked on phonics my daughter is at grade level (grade 1) and I am just so happy for her. She wanted to read very much. I wanted to be a good teacher for her. I was and am very patient when it comes to teaching children how to read - something I have done countless, literally countless times, so I know it can take time, but there is something in the way hooked on phonics builds each lesson that made it FUN and easy for my daughter. We still read each night (not a lot- just a few pages a day typically) and she’s progressing well. I highly recommend. And I also recommend this tool to people I talk to. It doesn’t replace one on one attention and most of all kindness and patience with your child, but it does put things in an order of lessons so they can retain the information. Definitely give this a try!
Date of experience: July 30, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
We're celebrating along with you, Joanna! Congratulations to your daughter, and thank you so much for sharing this meaningful review.
If you have a moment, we'd love it if you'd consider reviewing us in the App Store, as well.
Android https://bit.ly/2HSOjLm
Apple https://apple.co/2HMpuA
We're thrilled to support your family on your learning journey!
I signed up for Hooked on Phonics and used only two weeks and cancelled. I was charged $1 and should have not been charged any more. They charged me an additional $15.98 and will not refund my money. This company is not honest. They do not care about their customers.
Date of experience: July 21, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi there, we're so sorry to hear this. Can you please contact us directly with your email address so we can assist you with cancellation and a refund: http://www.hookedandcompany.com/contact
My daughter purchased hooked on phonics. I liked the program however when we finished level 1 tried to find level 2 and couldn't find in the package.
My husband ordered level 2 and paid almost $30.00 after a few days we received level 4, called many times over the phone to no avail, so I tried online and finally chatted with someone who stated we ordered the wrong level. I checked my order and sent her the picture of the order which states level 2, but to make it short she refused to exchange. I should have the level 2 for free because it was missing in the package to begin with. Now my granddaughter and I are stuck and can not continue. The error is on the Hooked on Phonics not me. Very poor customer service.
Date of experience: July 14, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello there,
We’re distressed to hear you have not had a good experience and we want to make this right for you. This review does not provide us with your contact info, so please email us at contact@hookedandcompany.com and include "TrustPilot" in the subject line for a speedy resolution. We look forward to hearing from you, and thank you in advance!
Back to basics. The program is not over-built like many programs are today. It is easy to follow, understand and has really helped my son learn to read.
Date of experience: May 30, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hi John,
Thank you for your review. We are delighted to hear that your son is seeing success with our program.
If you have a moment, we'd love it if you could review us in the App Store, too.
Android https://bit.ly/2HSOjLm
Apple https://apple.co/2HMpuA
Thank you for learning with us!
We really enjoy the reading and math packets!
Date of experience: March 30, 2023
Reply from Hooked on Phonics
Hello Alyse,
We're pleased to hear that you're enjoying the Phonics & Math Practice Packs. Thank you for your 5-star review!
- Your Hooked & Co. Customer Care Team
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