Building Confident Readers Through Structured Literacy: A Reading Eggs Success Story

Student focused on a literacy activity on laptop in a primary school classroom.

When Jade Slobodian and her colleagues at Niji Mahkwa School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, began searching for a digital literacy program, alignment mattered most.

They needed something that reinforced the same foundational skills they were already teaching – not a program that would take students in a different direction.

Reading Eggs, our online reading program for schools, checked that box. But it also did something else: it made students genuinely excited about literacy practice.

Jade, a Learning Support Teacher who currently supports Grades 3–5 (and has worked with Grades 1–6), has been using Reading Eggs for over two years and has seen its impact firsthand.

Teacher supporting primary school students using tablets during a classroom learning activity.

Aligned with structured literacy instruction

"It really aligned with what we'd been teaching in class – incorporating many of the literacy components we were covering in our small groups," Jade explains.

That consistency matters. Unlike programs that run parallel to classroom instruction, Reading Eggs follows a clear scope and sequence that mirrors structured literacy – so students are always reinforcing, never contradicting, what their teacher has taught.

"It starts with the very basics – letters, letter sounds, letter recognition – then builds into decoding and blending. It's very similar to what we're teaching."

Primary school students celebrating success while learning on a laptop in the classroom

When engagement builds confidence

While alignment drew the team in, student engagement quickly reinforced their decision.

“When children use Reading Eggs, we see their engagement increase – they're just really excited to use it," Jade says.

That excitement often shows up in small but meaningful ways in the classroom. Students become eager to demonstrate what they’ve learned and proud to share their progress.

One student in particular stood out.

"Seeing him use the tools we were teaching him in group and in class, and then applying them – and seeing his confidence grow – he was so excited to show us all the points he'd earned."

It's a feeling shared across the class.

“I don’t know how many times a student has come running over to show me how many eggs they’ve earned.”

Teacher reviewing literacy learning progress on laptop at classroom desk

Data that drives decisions

For Jade, one feature stands out above the rest.

"My favourite part is the beginning assessment – the option to place students or have them take the test. We have a lot of students who come in late, and being able to test them straight away gives us the data we need from day one.”

The built-in assessment allows teachers to:

Identify starting points quickly
Place students accurately, even mid-year
Track growth over time
Adjust instruction based on real progress.

Diverse students sharing moment of success and confidence in classroom

Supporting older students with Reading Eggspress

For older students still building foundational skills, age-appropriate support matters.

Working with Grades 3–5, Jade incorporates Reading Eggspress – part of the Reading Eggs suite – to extend comprehension, vocabulary and fluency in a format that feels right for the age group.

"There are so many options for teachers to match their curriculum – you can select reading or an assignment based on exactly what you're currently teaching."

That structured flexibility extends to how students move through the program too.

"It blocks off what they're working on and requires them to finish an assignment first. And the teacher resources – whether you look at them online or print them – make the job that little bit easier."

Primary school students practising maths on laptops during a classroom lesson

The same structured approach in maths

Niji Mahkwa School has also implemented Mathseeds, our online maths program for schools, which mirrors the same engaging, scaffolded structure that makes Reading Eggs successful.

“One of our teachers saw it was available and was really interested because it was so similar to Reading Eggs. She absolutely loved it.”

Like Reading Eggs, Mathseeds:

Meets students at their level
Scaffolds learning systematically
Builds early foundational skills
Uses interactive elements to sustain engagement.

“It starts where students are and scaffolds their learning, gradually moving them forward,” Jade explains.

But structure alone isn’t what drives momentum.

“They’re engaged without almost knowing that they’re learning,” Jade says. “It encourages them to play more and to engage in numeracy concepts. And the teachers love it. They love seeing their students move forward. It’s been great for everyone!”

Primary school students raising their hands during a digital reading lesson using a tablet.

Why Reading Eggs work at Niji Mahkwa School

For Jade and her colleagues, Reading Eggs works because it reinforces – rather than replaces – structured classroom instruction.

It aligns with their scope and sequence, provides practical assessment data, supports differentiation across Grades 1–6, and keeps students genuinely motivated.

Most importantly, it reinforces what teachers are already doing: strengthening foundational skills, building independence and helping students experience real success.

As Jade reflects on the students she supports, one thing stands out above everything else.