Learn from anywhere
Bear Phonics Academy Online
Teach your child to read at home with Mrs. Bear and Claudia, wherever you live. A whole online preschool, with reading, writing, cursive, math, shapes, colors, days, months, weather and confidence, all taught by Mrs. Bear.
Start free with our day in song, then choose the full preschool day or just the classes your child needs. Everything is prepaid by the lesson, week, month or year, with no subscription. Lessons open one at a time, and your child's place is saved whenever you take a break.
Our promise to families
A prepaid mini preschool university
You pay only for what you use. This is not a site that keeps charging you. We know how much a parent has to remember, so there are no subscriptions here.
Pay for what you choose
Pick a lesson, a week, a month or a year. Your child's time starts when you start, and it is all prepaid.
A gentle reminder
When your child's time is almost up, we will kindly ask if you would like to add more. If not, thank you for the time you spent with us.
We never keep your card
You never type a card into our lessons, and we never save one. You pay only at a secure shop, for exactly what you chose.
A mini preschool university
Pick your child's subjects
Bear Confidence is always free, and the first lesson of every course is a free trial. Choose the courses your child needs and add more anytime. Every course works the same simple way: Mrs. Bear shows it, your child tries it, and the rewards keep it fun. Want everything? The Full Day plan includes every class. Want just one subject? Take that class on its own.
Start here
Bear Confidence: positive affirmations
"Let confidence be every child's first lesson."
Before any other course, children learn to say kind, true things about themselves, out loud: I am smart. I can do it. I am loved. I was born to win. Then the Affirmation Alphabet with Mrs. Bear and Claudia, A is for Amazing all the way to Z is for Zoom Toward Your Dreams. The I Am Amazing song plays right on the course page.
Always free, for every childTry Bear ConfidenceBear Phonics Reading
35 lessons, one BEAR Phonics book each. Every lesson comes with the storybook read aloud by Mrs. Bear, the on-screen workbook, the printable Student Workbook, the Teacher and Parent Guide, Sound Wall Cards and Story Scene Cards. Self-paced: repeat any lesson 2 or 3 times. $7.99 a lesson.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a reading lesson
Bear Phonics Writing
Every letter a to z and A to Z on the Bear Phonics Writing Mat. Mrs. Bear shows each part, then your child writes it. Printable Writing Workbook, Teacher Guide and the Writing Mat. $4.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99 a year.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a writing lesson
Bear Phonics Cursive
The next step after print, on the same Writing Mat. Little letters a to z in 4 families, then capitals A to Z, then words from BEAR Phonics Books 1 to 35 in book order, so children write the words they are learning to read. Printable Cursive Workbook and Teacher Guide. $4.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99 a year.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a cursive lesson
Bear Math: the 8 Bear Tracks
Follow the paw prints, one small step at a time: count it, match it, compare it, pattern it, shape it, measure it, join it (adding) and split it (taking away). Mrs. Bear teaches each step, your child plays with it, and every lesson reviews what came before. Printable Bear Math Workbook and Teacher Guide. $4.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99 a year.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a math lesson
Bear Shapes
One lesson for each of the 8 shapes from our Little Besties songs: count the sides and corners, find it, spot it in real life, and review the shape before. Sing along with Shape Bounce! $24 for 1 month of access.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a shapes lesson
Bear Colors
One lesson for each of 10 colors, including black and grey, and the things that wear them: an apple is red, an elephant is grey. Each lesson reviews the color before. Red through brown match BEAR Phonics Books 1 to 8. Sing along with Color Pop! $24 for 1 month of access.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a colors lesson
Bear Days of the Week
One lesson for each day: its first letter and sound, what we do that day, and what comes before and after it. Then the whole week together, today and tomorrow, and school days vs. the weekend. Sing along with Seven Days. $24 for 1 month of access.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a days lesson
Bear Months of the Year
One lesson for each month: its number, first letter and sound, season, and what happens that month. Then before and after, the 4 seasons, and your child's birthday month. $24 for 1 month of access.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a months lesson
Bear Weather
One lesson for each kind of weather: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, snowy and stormy. What we see, what we wear and what we do. Sing along with What's the Weather? $24 for 1 month of access.
Available✅ Included in Full DayTry a weather lessonMeet your teacher
Hi, we are Mrs. Bear and Claudia
Shanika "Mrs. Bear" Preston is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a mom of four, together with her husband, William. She has spent seven years running preschools in Central Florida.
Along the way she saw too many bright kids reach kindergarten without the reading foundation they deserved. So she created BEAR Phonics, a sound-by-sound method children love, wrote the books, filmed the lessons, and now teaches it to your child at home.
Claudia is Mrs. Bear's sidekick and the first child to learn this way. She is curious about everything and never stops asking "why?" Just like your little one.
What Mrs. Bear has built
Books, guides, workbooks and wall cards, all by Mrs. Bear
Everything in the academy comes from one teacher. Mrs. Bear wrote and made the whole BEAR Phonics program, so what your child reads, writes and sees on the wall all fits together.
books by Mrs. Bear
Over 50 books written for early childhood education, including the 35 BEAR Phonics books, the Your Feelings Matter books and the shapes books.
BEAR Phonics books
The reading program at the heart of the academy. Each book follows Claudia and Mrs. Bear, one new sound at a time.
Teacher guides
A teacher guide for each lesson, so a parent or teacher knows exactly what to say, show and practice.
Student workbooks
Workbooks for reading, writing, cursive and math, so children practice what they learn right on the page.
Wall cards and sound cards
Colorful BEAR Phonics wall cards and sound cards that keep every letter, sound and word in front of your child all day.
Free lessons on YouTube
Mrs. Bear teaches BEAR Phonics lessons on her free YouTube channel. Kids say the sounds, sing, move and read along.
Songs and cartoons
Claudia and the Little Besties sing songs and star in stories that make every sound and number easy to remember.
Teddy Bear Talk podcast
Mrs. Bear also hosts a podcast for families about raising curious, confident kids.
Mrs. Bear believes young children can do far more than we expect, when we teach them clearly and believe in them. Every lesson in the academy is built on that belief.
Mrs. Bear believes
"It's not a job, it's an honor. But it does take work."
"Let confidence be every child's first lesson."
Mrs. Bear
A real teacher, here for your family
Shanika "Mrs. Bear" Preston
U.S. Air Force veteran, mom of four, and wife to William. Author of 50+ books and creator of BEAR Phonics. Every lesson here is taught by her.
How it works
Three simple steps
Pick your plan
Start free, then choose the Full Day, Learning Only or single classes, by the lesson, week, month or year. All prepaid: no subscription and nothing renews on its own.
Get your family PIN
Right after checkout, we email a private PIN to your family portal. Start today, any week of the year.
Learn 15–20 minutes a day
Follow the 5-day plan with your child. Each week they hear, say, trace and read new sounds.
Every reading lesson includes
See exactly what you get
These are real pages from Lesson 1, The Listening Adventure. Tap any page to see it up close.
Student Workbook
Printable pages where your child hears, says, traces and finds each new sound.
Sample: 2 of the workbook pagesParent & Teacher Guide
A 5-day plan that tells you what to say and do each day. No teaching experience needed.
Sample: the 5-Day Lesson Plan pageThe storybook
A real book your child reads with sounds they already know.
Sample: a page from Book 1Sound Wall Card
Hang it on the fridge. A picture and a motion help your child remember each sound.
Sample: the /m/ card
Videos and songs
Sing-alongs with Claudia and the Little Besties Crew, plus each week's lesson video.
Sample: tap to watch the Good Morning SongA full year of learning
The 52-week path
35 BEAR Phonics books, a "Read It Again" review week after every 5 books, 8 Little Besties shape weeks for early math, and 2 holiday weeks. Tap any week to see what's inside.
Guided
One lesson at a time, in order. Best for steady, everyday progress. Each new lesson opens when your child finishes the last one.
Self-paced
Move as fast or as slow as your child needs. Some children take 1 week to learn a new concept, and some take 3. That's okay. Repeat any lesson 2 or 3 times.
How children move forward
Progress your child can see
Online families follow the same steps our teachers use in the classroom. Your child is never rushed and never left behind.
Five short days each week. Check off each day in the portal as you finish it.
On day 5, your child reads the week's words and sentence to you. It feels like a game, not a test.
Got it? The next book opens and a certificate prints. Not quite yet? Stay on the same book and practice a little more.
Every sound learned lights up on your child's map, with stickers and a certificate for each book.
Two ways to learn
Print it, or learn on screen with Mrs. Bear
Every lesson, you choose. Teach it yourself with the printed storybook, workbook and Mrs. Bear's 5-Day Lesson Plan. Or let your child learn on screen, at their own pace.
- Story time: Mrs. Bear reads the book aloud, one page at a time. Your child taps to turn the page.
- On-screen workbook: for every sound, your child hunts for hidden letters in the story picture, listens to each picture and taps ✓ or ✗, and writes each letter one stroke at a time, following Mrs. Bear and a dotted path. Mrs. Bear explains first, shows an example, then says "Your turn!"
- Gentle help: two misses are free. On a third, Mrs. Bear shows the answer and moves on, so no one gets stuck.
- Writing, Cursive and Bear Math: their own classes on the Bear Phonics Writing Mat, each with a printable Student Workbook and Teacher Guide.
- The full preschool day: circle time, small groups, move and play, Bear Math, quiet time, centers and goodbye, with the songs and the lessons for each part.
- Rewards: honey pots, stars, a paw print on the Bear Trail, a sticker for every book, and a certificate to print.
Sample family portal
Try the family portal
This is a preview with a sample child. Check off the days, then tap "I Can Read!" to see how the next book opens.
Sample only. The real portal opens with your family's private PIN.
Join from anywhere
Start your child's reading journey
Start free, then choose what fits your family. Everything is prepaid: there is no subscription, so you are never charged again unless you choose to buy more. We never save your card: you pay at a secure shop, only for what you choose. Read our promise. Adding a brother or sister? Each child gets their own plan for the same amount of time, at 25% off (Reading lessons are $5.99 each for siblings).
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineFree · $0 with email sign-up
A day in song
The whole school day with our free songs and videos, the 6 free YouTube BEAR Phonics lessons, Bear Confidence, and the first lesson of every class as a free trial.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineFull Day · $11.99 week · $39.99 month · $349 year, prepaid
The full preschool day
The same day, with Mrs. Bear's full lessons inside it. Your child can take every class, but each lesson unlocks the next one, so the lessons open one at a time, in order.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineBEAR Phonics Reading · $7.99 per lesson
35 lessons, at your child's pace
Buy one lesson at a time. Every lesson comes with all of this, and your child can repeat it 2 or 3 times at no extra cost.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineWriting, Cursive or Bear Math · $4.99 week · $14.99 month · $99 year, prepaid
Each class on its own
Every class comes with its own supplemental items. Each lesson unlocks the next one, and your child can go through as many lessons as they can in the time you choose.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineLearning Only · $7.99 week · $24.99 month · $199 year, prepaid
The reading, writing and cursive bundle
For families who want all three together, at a better price. Take all three classes as much as you like during your time; each lesson unlocks the next one.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineSingle courses · $24 each for 1 month of access
Pick one course for a month
Every lesson, game and review in that course, open for 30 days from the day you start. Replay as much as you like.
Bear Phonics Academy OnlineFor teachers, schools and co-ops · Annual · Inquire for pricing
Classroom and School Packages
The entire Bear Phonics curriculum for a full year. Teachers print a set for each child in their class and follow Mrs. Bear's lesson plans, one lesson at a time, just like in our classrooms.
🍎 Classroom package: one class, one teacher, everything for the year.
🏫 School package: every classroom in one school, for one annual fee.
Pricing depends on how many classrooms and children you have. Fill out the short form and Mrs. Bear's team will send your pricing.
Families with 2, 3 or 4 children
- One family login. After the grown-up logs in, each child taps their name on the "Who is learning today?" screen.
- Every child has their own profile: their own plan, their own lessons, stars, honey pots, certificates and progress. Lessons unlock one at a time for each child, so brothers and sisters can each go at their own pace.
- Sibling price: each brother or sister gets their own plan for the same amount of time at 25% off. For example, Full Day is about $30 a month and Learning Only is about $18.75 a month for a sibling. Reading lessons are $5.99 each for siblings.
- Family rules: up to 4 children in the same household. One child learns at a time on the family login, and each child's profile stays theirs and can't be given to another child.
Self-paced, because we want progress
- Every child learns at their own pace. Some children take 1 week to learn a new concept, and some take 3. That's okay.
- Repeat as many times as your preschooler needs. If your child needs to do a lesson 2 or 3 times, they can, at no extra cost.
- Lessons open one at a time. Nothing unlocks all at once. Your child finishes each lesson before the next one opens, just like in our classrooms.
- How weekly, monthly and yearly work. The time you buy is how long you have, not how much opens at once. With a week, a month or a year, your child can take as many classes and lessons as they can in that time. Each finished lesson unlocks the next one, so the program is never all open at one time. For 4 weeks or more, a month is the better deal, and a year saves the most.
- Printables come with each lesson as your child reaches it, not all at once.
Join the list below for updates, new lessons and news from Mrs. Bear.