Articles by Jaymi Thiessen - Literacy and Phonics App Reviews

ABC Spelling Magic App Review

Jaymi Thiessen on October 31, 2024

Preschool University Takes On Spelling Practice

Read more literacy app reviews on phonics.org to make informed choices about your child’s education.

Continue reading to learn more about the ABC Spelling Magic apps available through Preschool University.

What is ABC Spelling Magic?

ABC Spelling Magic is a group of four spelling apps developed by Preschool University. Each app Spelling Magic app is numbered from 1-4 and has its own spelling phonics focus:

Working with CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like ‘fed’
Working with CCVC/CVCC words
Words with words with multiple syllables
Silent final e rules like ‘bake’ or ‘bite’

With over 50 educational apps, Preschool University has an abundance of digital options for literacy learning. These vast app options allow for more individual choices for educators and parents.

However, this volume of app choices can also be overwhelming for adults to choose from. Finding and matching specific apps to the next literacy skill to be learned can be trickier than using one app that encompasses all of these literacy skills in a sequential format.

This review focuses on usability, engagement, and quality of literacy instruction for the four Spelling Magic Apps created by Preschool University.

Is ABC Spelling Magic Easy to Use?

The following factors impact the usability of the ABC Magic Spelling apps.

Navigation

The ABC Spelling Magic app offers a user-friendly experience with easy sign-in and no login requirements. It features two main play areas:

Word Building: players spell specific words with a limited selection of letters
Movable Alphabet: players spell specific words with the entire alphabet to choose from

An added benefit is the Spelling Magic 4 game, which introduces a section for transitioning from long to short spelling, enhancing phonetic understanding (e.g., changing “can” to “cane”).

Once a user starts a session, they must complete it without the option to exit. This ensures a focused learning experience but may be challenging for users with shorter attention spans. Words are thoughtfully organized by vowel sound or a language theme to allow for more focused practice.

*The ABC Spelling Magic apps are easy to navigate*

Gameplay and Instructions

ABC Spelling Magic offers an engaging and user-friendly experience, making it easy for kids to play and interact with the various games. The word-building game is designed with scaffolding in mind, allowing children to select from a limited set of letters, which simplifies the learning process. For those ready for a challenge, the movable alphabet option requires children to choose from the entire alphabet, providing a more advanced gameplay experience.

To maintain a consistent learning environment, all four apps feature two different routines, with variations only in phonics focus and difficulty. This consistency not only aids learners but also helps educators and parents easily pick up and engage with any game, regardless of the child’s level. While the game instructions may be a bit verbose, they contain tips for parents and educators willing to navigate through the text, ensuring that everyone can support the child’s learning journey.

*Movable alphabet mode in ABC Spelling Magic – the word to build is ‘lesson’*

Engagement in ABC Spelling Magic

The following factors may impact the engagement of users playing ABC Spelling Magic.

Simple Appearance

User engagement in ABC Spelling Magic can be influenced by several key factors. The app features a simple and uncluttered design, which is beneficial for both older and younger students. This straightforward appearance minimizes distractions, making it easier for children with attentional or auditory difficulties to focus on their learning. The absence of excessive animations, sounds, and rewards allows for a more direct and effective educational experience.

Additionally, the use of actual photographs to represent words helps bridge the interests of younger and older children, reinforcing vocabulary concepts in an engaging way. However, this simplification may also lead to feelings of boredom for some users who might prefer more dynamic elements in their learning tools. Additionally, the layout and presentation of the app feel slightly outdated. Overall, while the app’s simplicity enhances accessibility and focus, it may not cater to every child’s preferences for engagement.

*Thematic organization of words in the ABC Spelling Magic App with real photographs*

Literacy Learning With ABC Spelling Magic

The following factors impact the quality of literacy learning in the ABC Spelling Magic apps.

Direct and Explicit Instruction

ABC Spelling Magic is specifically designed for children who already have a grasp of letter sounds and understand that words are formed by combining these sounds. Literacy experts emphasize the importance of direct and explicit instruction in spelling, and the app encourages interaction between learners and guiding adults. However, the effectiveness of this approach heavily depends on the knowledge and willingness of the adult to support the child, which may vary in different circumstances.

While the app offers a structured learning experience, it lacks essential spelling tips and explanations that could further benefit children. For instance, the first app in the series includes words that end with “ll,” but it does not explain the rule behind doubling letters. This could be addressed by introducing concepts like the Floss or FLSZ rule, which states that single-syllable words ending in the letters f, l, s, or z are often doubled. Providing clearer explanations of such spelling patterns would significantly enhance the app’s instructional effectiveness.

Sequential Learning

ABC Spelling Magic features four versions, each designed with increasing levels of difficulty in phonics knowledge. This progressive structure aligns well with the educational recommendation to build phonics skills sequentially, starting with simpler patterns and gradually introducing more complex ones. However, there are some important phonics concepts that are not included in the app’s scope and sequence.

For instance, digraphs—two letters that represent a single sound—are notably absent from the phonics plan. This would include words like ‘chat’ or ‘shut’. Given that digraphs are a common and essential phonics pattern, their omission may limit the app’s comprehensiveness in teaching foundational spelling skills. Addressing this gap could further enhance the app’s effectiveness in supporting sequential learning in phonics.

Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin boxes are a common teaching strategy for showing learners how to segment words into their individual sounds. Each sound box represents one sound in a word. ABC Spelling Magic uses Elkonin boxes to teach segmentation skills for both the Word Building and Movable Alphabet games, which is a solid instructional strategy for teaching foundational spelling skills.

Unfortunately, the ABC Spelling Magic apps make a slight mistake when using these boxes. Words that have double letters (two letters representing one sound) like ‘fill’ use two sound boxes for the letter <L>s instead of one. This is a confusing and mistaken use of sound boxes that are intended to emphasize the connection between sounds and letters in words.

*Ideally, the two <L> letters would fit in one sound box for this word*

Are the ABC Spelling Magic Apps Good For Learning to Spell?

The ABC Spelling Magic apps from Preschool University offer a structured and user-friendly approach to early literacy development. With a clear focus on phonics progression and accessible gameplay, these apps offer some basic spelling skills and practice for learners who already know their letter sounds.

However, while the simplicity of the apps keeps the focus on learning, it may not capture the attention of all learners. Additionally, certain prevalent phonics concepts, such as digraphs are missing from the sequential learning plan for spelling in these apps. While some instructions are available in the app, they do not cover the explicit instruction of common spelling rules and patterns such as those involved in double letters at the ends of words. Finally, while the use of Elkonin boxes is commendable for spelling instruction, there are mistakes in the execution of this instructional tool that let down the app.

ABC Spelling Magic: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2 / 5

Usability: 3 / 5

Engagement: 2.5 / 5

Reading Magic App 1 – Learning to Read Review

Jaymi Thiessen on October 15, 2024

A Closer Look at Preschool University

Want to read honest, expert reviews on literacy apps? Check out the Phonics.org library where our literacy experts share their insights!

In this article, we explore the quality of instruction within the Reading Magic: Learning to Read app.

What is Reading Magic?

Reading Magic is a literacy app developed by Preschool University. This app is the first in a five-part series of educational apps, each designed to teach progressively more challenging phonics skills to kids.

This review focuses on Reading Magic 1, specifically the reading of CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like ‘leg’ or ‘bed.’

Reading Magic is designed for children ages four and up. The expectation is that players already understand common letter-sound correspondences before interacting with this app. The app offers a free version, with an optional paid upgrade. Reading Magic instructional targets include three key skills:

Blending
Segmenting
Reading words

Is the Reading Magic App Easy to Use?

The following factors impact the usability of the Reading Magic app.

Navigation

The Reading Magic app offers an easy-to-navigate interface. Young children can easily move between the three main practice areas in the app. While players can be added or deleted without the need for logins, switching between users may be a little tricky for young children and would likely require adult support.

The app features an admin area for parents or educators to track lesson completion. However, accessing this area involves answering unnecessarily complicated skill-testing math questions. Simplifying this process could enhance the overall experience for families.

App Settings

The app includes customizable settings, which are simple to change in any place in the game. One setting option is to choose a specific color for the vowels. Notably, the color of the letters is not crucial for literacy learning and the goal should be to quickly move vowels and consonant graphemes to the same color.

Additionally, the app features a “tile effect” that displays the letter within each tile. Parents and educators should always choose the tile effect that shows the letter. This kind of phonemic awareness training has been shown to be twice as effective when done alongside the visual letters.

Instructions

The app provides comprehensive instructions that, while somewhat verbose, are easy to locate and offer valuable guidance for parents and educators on how to support their children’s learning. An instructional video clearly outlines blending techniques and various activities within the app, making it simple for users to understand and utilize the available features effectively.

Engagement in Reading Magic

The following aspects impact learner engagement with the app.

Bells & Whistles

Engagement in the app is shaped by its intentional design choices, avoiding “bells and whistles” like excessive sound effects that could distract from phonics learning. This no-nonsense approach creates a clear learning environment, although it may slightly reduce overall engagement.

While the app serves as a focused practice tool rather than a traditional game, it does include a small song and a sun icon to celebrate when a child completes a “set.” This feature may appeal to younger users. Learners of all ages may appreciate the use of real images and photographs throughout the app.

Passive Participation

The first activity in Reading Magic doesn’t necessarily require active participation. The app models the sounds for three sequential letters and then states the word that is represented by blending those sounds.

Although Reading Magic is designed to promote independent segmenting and reading skills, it’s easy for players to bypass this critical thinking process. Parent or educator involvement with the learner in Reading Magic is recommended to ensure the child is actively applying their skills. This collaborative approach can help children deepen their understanding and make the learning experience more interactive.

Literacy Learning With Reading Magic

The following factors influence the quality of literacy learning in the Reading Magic app.

Sequential Learning

The app features a clear sequence for learning, yet it lacks transparency regarding the specific letter sounds included in each “set.” This may leave educators unclear about the overall phonics plan and progression within the app.

Furthermore, the instructions in the app suggest that all blending and segmenting skills should be mastered before moving on to the reading section. However, this advice isn’t necessarily accurate. In fact, practicing segmenting skills can be beneficial for spelling and does not need to be mastered before a child learns to read words.

Phonemic Awareness

The app focuses on teaching phonemic awareness skills (blending and segmenting) which are important for decoding (word-reading) and encoding (spelling). The voices in the app provide accurate and clear letter sounds delivered by both male and female voices in American English.

*First, learners blend sounds to read a word. Then they can reveal the connected image.*

Reading Magic currently only represents final blending. Final blending is when each sound is stated with a pause in between. For example /b/ /e/ /d/ sounds would combine to make the word ‘bed.’ Incorporating continuous blending or connected phonation (blending sounds without pauses in between) would be helpful for many new readers as it is considered the easiest method for learning to blend.

Is Reading Magic a Good Literacy App?

In short, Reading Magic 1 has some useful skill-building activities for new readers. It’s designed to help young learners master reading CVC words through blending. Its user-friendly interface facilitates easy start-up and navigation, although some features—like user switching and admin access—could be simplified.

While the app prioritizes a clear learning environment by avoiding distractions, this simplified approach may sacrifice some engagement for younger users. Overall, the app provides valuable phonemic awareness training. However, incorporating continuous blending methods could enhance its effectiveness for emerging readers.

Reading Magic: Learning to Read – Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 3 / 5

Usability: 3 / 5

Engagement: 3 / 5

Hairy Letters App Review

Jaymi Thiessen on October 4, 2024

“Hairies” Helping Kids Learn to Read!

Curious how the most popular literacy apps measure up? Check out our latest review of the Hairy Letters app and browse the complete list of reviews at phonics.org.

What is the Hairy Letters App?

Hairy Letters is a literacy app developed by Nessy Learning Limited. This app is specifically designed for children ages 4-6 as one part of a suite of seven educational apps designed to support young learners in learning to read.

The Hairy Letters app features likable characters, including a yeti and other delightful “Hairies”—small creatures that entertain and encourage players as they navigate the learning process.

Hairy Letters focuses on several key literacy goals:

It helps children with letter identification
It teaches students the sounds associated with each letter
It guides learners through proper letter formation

Additionally, the app enhances phonemic awareness through activities that involve blending and segmenting sounds, as well as decoding simple words.

Usability of the Hairy Letters App

The following factors impact the usability of the Hairy Letters app for kids ages 4-6.

Navigation

The app features two primary areas for navigation:

The Alphabet Page: This area focuses on teaching a letter’s name, sound, and formation.
Release the Hairies: This area focuses on combining letter sounds to read words and rebuilding these sounds to build (spell) words. Players ‘release’ the Hairies from their ice blocks by completing reading and word-building tasks.

Transitioning between these sections is seamless. Users can easily move back and forth between the two main areas.

For added guidance, a helpful yeti hand points out the next steps for players who may feel uncertain, ensuring a smooth and supportive learning experience.

*The main alphabet page in Hairy Letters*

Accessibility Features

The Hairy Letters app does not have background music. This is helpful for new readers.

The silent design choice allows users to concentrate on learning letter sounds without unnecessary distractions. Additionally, tapping the yeti in the game results in a repetition of the keyword in the game which is helpful and engaging for new readers, especially those who may have concerns with memory or attention.

The minimal use of verbal instructions further contributes to a focused learning environment. By avoiding overwhelming dialogue, the app maintains the user’s attention on the material at hand.

Overall, the straightforward start-up process and user-friendly game mechanics make for an enjoyable and accessible experience for all players.

Players Engagement in the Hairy Letters App

These factors influence how engaging the app is for new players.

Rewards

Hairy Letters intentionally avoids relying on an elaborate external reward system, instead fostering intrinsic motivation in players. The interactions with the Hairies are designed to be rewarding and engaging, yet they remain focused on promoting learning rather than detracting from it.

This thoughtful approach ensures that users are encouraged to explore and learn without being sidetracked by excessive distractions or rewards, creating a more meaningful educational experience.

Appearance

The app is visually appealing. It features cute imagery and smooth animations. Each letter comes with clear animations that are appropriately brief, ensuring that they engage without overwhelming young learners.

Additionally, the gameplay and overall design of the app are developmentally appropriate for young players. Overall, Hairy Letters is an attractive and well-made literacy app.

Literacy Learning With Hairy Letters

The following components impact the quality of literacy instruction in Hairy Letters.

Sequential Learning

The app employs a thoughtful approach to sequential learning by introducing letters in groups of four. This method allows players to first learn the letter names, sounds, and formations before moving on to a second session focused on blending and segmenting those letters into reading and spelling words.

Once users have mastered these words, they can return to learn additional letter sounds, creating a well-structured progression. This planned sequence of learning is particularly effective, as it builds upon previously acquired knowledge.

Phonemic Awareness

Hairy Letters emphasizes phonemic awareness skills, such as blending and segmenting, which are modeled and practiced throughout the gameplay. This focus on teaching children how to sound out words equips them with essential decoding skills, enhancing their overall reading abilities.

Letter Sounds

The app provides accurate and clear letter sounds, delivered in an American English accent. An engaging animated character, such as a snake for the letter “s,” helps reinforce memory and create strong associations between sounds and letters.

Both the letter name and sound are introduced one after the other, which is a good method to reinforce the association between the two. The focus on lowercase letters is particularly beneficial, as they are used more frequently in everyday reading and writing.

Additionally, the option to tap the “ABC” button at the top of the alphabet page to view uppercase letters is a nice touch, allowing users to learn the uppercase letter names without overwhelming them. This thoughtful design enriches the learning experience and supports a well-rounded understanding of letter names and their sounds.

*Letter sound learning activities in Hairy Phonics*

Letter Formation

The inclusion of letter formation in the app is excellent as it models correct writing techniques, particularly for letters like “b” and “d” which can often be confusing for young learners. This focus is crucial for developing proper handwriting skills.

However, there is a notable issue with the letter formation feature: as long as users start and end their strokes in the correct places, they are rewarded even if their overall letter formation is incorrect.

This could lead to the development of bad habits, as children may not learn the correct techniques. To mitigate this, it would be beneficial for parents to monitor this aspect of the app, ensuring that children practice letter formation accurately and effectively.

*Many letter formations may be considered correct*

Is Hairy Letters a Good Literacy App?

Yes! The Hairy Letters app offers a well-rounded and engaging literacy experience for children ages 4-6. With its focus on letter-sound correspondences, phonemic awareness, and modeling of proper letter formation, the app creates a structured learning environment that supports young readers.

The user-friendly navigation, appealing visuals, and thoughtful design enhance its accessibility and engagement, while the emphasis on intrinsic motivation ensures that learning remains the primary focus. Overall, Hairy Letters stands out as an effective tool for fostering early literacy skills in a fun and interactive way.

While Hairy Letters does well in following through on its educational goals, it is not a comprehensive literacy program (nor is it intended to be).

Eventually, new readers will want to move on to learning more complex phonics patterns, and learning how to combine words in sentences to read connected text fluently.

See additional literacy app reviews at phonics.org and learn what other educational apps have to offer.

Hairy Letters: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 4 / 5

Usability: 4.5 / 5

Engagement: 4 / 5

Chimp Fu Syllables: App Review

Jaymi Thiessen on September 27, 2024

Chopping Chimp Champions Syllable Division

Phonics.org literacy experts regularly review literacy apps on their usability, learner engagement, and quality of literacy instruction. Check out this review where we go over the Chimp Fu literacy app!

What is the Chimp Fu Syllables App?

Chimp Fu Syllables, developed by Nessy Learning Limited, is one of seven literacy apps offered by this developer. This app is specifically designed to teach syllable division and blending for reading polysyllabic words.

Syllable division and blending are both crucial for developing reading and spelling abilities. Before engaging with the app, children should have a foundational understanding of letter sounds and the ability to blend simple monosyllabic words.

With nine different levels to master, the app provides a structured and engaging way for kids to enhance their literacy skills progressively.

Is the Chimp Fu Syllables App Easy to Use?

The following factors influence the usability of the Chimp Fu Syllables game.

Getting Started

The Chimp Fu Syllables app is remarkably user-friendly, making it easy for children (ages 4+) to get started.

It features a small one-time fee with no in-app purchases or ads, ensuring an uninterrupted learning experience. There’s no need for sign-ins or sign-ups, allowing kids to dive right in.

Additionally, children can create and name their monkey characters to assist with syllable chopping, adding a fun and personalized touch to the practical startup process. Overall, the app’s straightforward setup contributes to a seamless and enjoyable learning experience.

Navigation and Settings

The Chimp Fu Syllables app boasts an intuitive navigation system across three main screens. One standout feature is the absence of distracting background music or sounds during direct instruction, allowing children to focus entirely on learning. If users wish to revisit a lesson, they can simply exit and re-enter the game to repeat it.

There are no specific setting options, which might benefit educators or parents wanting to customize syllable types. This is a minor detail given the short duration of the games. Overall, the app is well-designed, easy to navigate, and offers clear instructions, making it accessible and enjoyable for young learners.

Engagement in the Kung Fu Syllables App

The following factors influence player engagement in playing the Chimp Fu Syllables app.

Rewards

Engagement in the Chimp Fu Syllables app is created through several means. After completing levels, players are treated to a short and enjoyable Gorilla Challenge game that complements the learning experience without detracting from it. Also, as players progress, they earn colorful bandanas for each level they complete, adding a visual element of achievement.

Finally, players receive bronze, silver, or gold stars based on the number of correct answers in each game, further incentivizing them to improve their performance. This balance of simple, focused learning with rewarding elements keeps players engaged and encourages them to persist in their literacy journey, making the app both educational and enjoyable.

*The Gorilla Challenge game is rewarding and fun but doesn’t detract from the learning goals.*

Gameplay

The gameplay of the Chimp Fu Syllables app features a kung fu theme with animated monkeys. This is both fun and engaging for young learners. The animations are vibrant and well-crafted, appealing to children across a range of ages.

Each game is designed to be easy to play, allowing kids to practice essential literacy skills in a developmentally appropriate manner for ages 4 and up. This combination of charming visuals and accessible gameplay ensures that children remain entertained while effectively enhancing their reading abilities.

*Chimp Fu games are fun and easy to play*

Literacy Learning With Kung Fu Syllables

The following aspects of the Kung Fu Syllables app contribute to the overall quality of its literacy instruction.

Direct and Explicit Instruction

The Chimp Fu Syllables app excels in providing high-quality literacy instruction through direct and explicit teaching methods. Each of the nine levels starts with a clear and straightforward lesson focused on breaking up a specific syllable type. The player then immediately applies this new learning with repeated practice.

This approach, endorsed by literacy experts, is practical and effective for children learning to read longer words. By incorporating this direct instruction, the app ensures that young learners have a solid foundation to develop their reading skills, making it a valuable tool in their literacy journey.

*Direct instruction in how to syllabicate is a strength of the Chimp Fu app*

Learning Structure

The Chimp Fu Syllables app features a clear and well-communicated learning structure that guides children through a gradual progression of skills. Beginning with simple CVC-CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as “helmet,” the app steadily introduces more complex syllable division patterns, including vowel teams and open syllables, ultimately leading to three-syllable words.

This thoughtfully designed progression aligns with recommendations from literacy experts, ensuring that children build their skills effectively and confidently as they advance through the levels.

*The Chimp Fu learning structure is logical and clearly shared*

Letter Sounds

In the Chimp Fu Syllables app, a player decides where to split a word into its syllables and then the game effectively models how to blend each syllable and ultimately how to combine them to read the entire word. The app generally provides accurate representations of letter sounds, enhancing the learning experience.

However, it does fall short of addressing the schwa vowel sound present in many multisyllabic words. For example, the second syllable in “signal” is pronounced with a schwa sound rather than a short <a> sound. While this may not pose a significant issue, it could potentially confuse some new readers who are still grappling with vowel sounds.

*Some words have sounds that don’t exactly match the common letter sounds*

Vocabulary

While the Chimp Fu Syllables app effectively focuses on teaching syllable division and blending, it does not address the meanings of the words being practiced. This aspect is important, as understanding word meanings serves as additional reinforcement for reading and spelling.

Incorporating features such as example sentences or pictures representing the words could enhance the learning experience and support vocabulary building.

Is the Chimp Fu App Good At Building Literacy Skills?

The Chimp Fu Syllables app offers a fun and effective approach to teaching young learners essential literacy skills. With its engaging gameplay, clear instructional design, and progressive learning structure, it empowers children to master syllable division and blending in an enjoyable way.

While there are areas for improvement such as vocabulary development and addressing schwa sounds, the overall experience remains highly beneficial for budding readers. We recommend giving it a try!

For more reviews like this of related literacy apps for kids, explore more Phonics.org resources and subscribe today.

Chimp Fu Syllables: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 4 / 5

Usability: 4 / 5

Engagement: 5 / 5

ABC Kids: Tracing & Phonics App Review

Jaymi Thiessen on September 20, 2024

A Well-Made App That Needs Improvement in Literacy Fundamentals

Find valuable insights and informed opinions on other literacy apps at phonics.org.

Continue reading to learn more about the quality of the ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics app.

What is ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics?

ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics is a literacy app created by parent and app developer Dave at RV AppStudios LLC. The app is entirely free of in-app purchases and ads, which is a commendable feature that makes the app more accessible to young children who are learning to read. ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics is one of 15 free apps created by the team at RV AppStudios.

The app features Lucas, an animated lion who guides young learners through the literacy content. It is designed for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. The games focus on teaching the alphabet, including letter names, sounds, and printing. ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics offers seven different games, along with printable worksheets and coloring pages to enhance the learning experiences.

Is the ABC Kids App Easy to Use?

The following factors impact the usability of the ABC Kids app.

Getting Started

Getting started with ABC Kids is straightforward. The app is free and does not require a sign-up or login, which makes it incredibly easy to begin.

Navigation is user-friendly with seven game choices available directly on the main page. While exiting a game to return to the main menu can be slightly tricky for young children, parents can easily assist with this process.

*The home page is easy to navigate and find all the games*

Sound Settings

The settings in ABC Kids offer some flexibility in choosing which educational games and which letters to begin learning. However, the app lacks customization for turning background music off. This lack of control can be problematic for children who need a quiet environment to focus or those with auditory processing concerns. If the volume is turned completely off, users will not hear instructions or the sounds and names of letters.

While the app provides simple instructions, there’s no option to replay them. Even with prolonged waiting, the instructions do not repeat instructions—which may be a drawback for users who need additional guidance or benefit from repetition.

Engagement in ABC Kids

App appearance, rewards, and gameplay all influence the engagement young players may experience when playing ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics.

Appearance

The app has a visually appealing design that caters well to its young audience. It features cute characters and high-quality graphics and animations. The transitions between different games are smooth, and the loading times are brief and entertaining, ensuring that young children remain engaged even while switching between various parts of the app.

Rewards

The ABC Kids app includes various rewards such as toys, stickers, stamps, and certificates. While not strictly educational, children can interact with Lucas the Lion’s family and friends or drive a car with him. For some young children, these additions to the game may encourage engagement, others may find that it distracts from the app’s primary educational goals.

*Additional interactive content is available in ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics*

Gameplay

ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics offers developmentally appropriate and accessible gameplay for young children. Even young children will be able to meaningfully participate in the simple games that are available.

However, there are some challenges in determining whether a child’s answer is correct or incorrect. Kids may select all options without meaningful feedback on accuracy, which means they might not need to learn letter names or letter identification actively and can simply choose all options without reinforcing their learning.

*Some games make it difficult to distinguish between correct and incorrect answers*

Literacy Learning With ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics

The following factors influence the quality of the literacy instruction in ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics.

Letter Sounds

The app has inaccuracies in letter sounds. Stop sounds (sounds that cannot be stretched) are the most imprecise, often modeling an extra schwa sound. For example, in the app, the sound for <B> isn’t /b/ — it’s ‘buh’. The sound for /q/ is also incorrect. Accurate letter sounds are crucial because they form the foundation for later skills in sounding out and spelling words. Mispronunciations can hinder a child’s ability to read and spell words correctly and impact their overall literacy development.

The game does not explicitly and directly teach letter sounds but rather provides practice and reinforcement. Parents should be involved in their children’s interactions with the app to help address these issues and support accurate learning.

Letter Identification Games

Most of the literacy games in the app focus on the worthy educational goal of letter identification. This is accomplished by having children tap a certain letter in a bubble, match uppercase and lowercase letters, match letters with a memory game, and fill in blanks of missing letters in alphabetical order.

*Repeatable instructions would enhance this simple alphabet game*

Most of the games repeat the name of the letter, its sound, and a keyword associated with the letter. These practices are helpful, although they would be better if the letter sounds were accurate. Also, sometimes the keywords could be improved. For example, using <G> to represent the soft sound in ‘giraffe’ isn’t as common at this stage of learning. Promoting the hard sound as in ‘grapes’ would be more useful.

Letter Formation

The app allows either parents or children to choose between uppercase and lowercase letters and select which letter to start with, which is a useful feature. A tip for adults is to choose lowercase letters first, as these are encountered more frequently in everyday reading.

*The app allows users to choose their preferred letter to practice*

The game provides an easy-to-play experience. However, there are issues with incorrect letter formation being taught, particularly for trickier letters like lowercase <b> and <d>.

The tracing practices encouraged in this app do not align with recommendations from occupational therapists or common usage by educators. Practicing these incorrect formations can make it harder for children to distinguish between these easily-confused letters and may negatively impact their printing and writing skills in the future.

*Inaccurate practice of tracing the lowercase letter <d>*

Is the ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics App a Good Literacy App?

ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics offers a fun and engaging way for young children to practice literacy skills through its colorful design and interactive games. The app’s lack of in-app purchases and ads, along with its user-friendly interface, make it accessible and appealing to its target audience.

However, there are notable areas for improvement. Increasing options for sound settings and repeatable instructions would be helpful for young learners. Most importantly, inaccurate letter sounds and letter formations are significant errors that do not support the literacy learning of young new readers.

Curious if other available literacy apps will be a good fit for you and your child? Check out the full scope of reviews at phonics.org!

ABC Kids Tracing & Phonics: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2 / 5

Usability: 3 / 5

Engagement: 4 / 5

1. Reading.com

Reading.com is an educational app designed to teach early literacy skills through a research-based approach. It uses the efficient synthetic phonics method to teach children to blend individual letter sounds to read words.

The Reading.com app also excels in providing a structured, sequential learning path for kids with the 99 lessons moving from easiest to most difficult. The app emphasizes interactive and engaging methods, including games, songs, and visual aids to maintain motivation. It features unique tools such as a sliding bar for blending sounds and delayed picture reveals in books to encourage word reading over guessing.

Reading.com scores highly on all review criteria including usability, engagement, and quality of literacy instruction. It’s also highly rated by parents of early readers. Overall, it’s an effective and fun learning tool to use with your child as they learn how to read!

2. Jolly Phonics App

The Jolly Phonics app focuses on teaching letter names, letter sounds, letter formation, phonemic awareness, decoding, and encoding. It features well-organized lessons and games that emphasize phonics skills through a sequential, structured approach.

The app offers customizable settings, although some features may not always function consistently. Jolly Phonics provides engaging content through positive reinforcement, stories, actions, and songs.

Watch out, though. While Jolly Phonics is initially engaging, the games can become a little repetitive. The app also doesn’t include practice with reading phrases or sentences for fluency and comprehension.

3. HOMER Learn & Grow App

HOMER is an educational app designed for children ages 2 to 8, offering a wide range of activities aimed at developing reading, math, social-emotional skills, creativity, and critical thinking.

The app provides a personalized learning path, starting with an introductory quiz to tailor the content to each child’s developmental level. It features systematic instruction, progressing from simpler to more complex skills, although it could improve in transparency with parents and educators about the plan for phonics instruction.

The HOMER app excels in phonemic awareness instruction, introducing letter sounds accurately and providing practice with short vowels and sound articulation exercises. However, the letter formation instruction could be improved. While in-app texts are available to practice reading fluency some of the texts could be more easily read by early readers.

Overall, HOMER Learn & Grow is a valuable tool for early literacy development. However, it could benefit from improvements in letter formation accuracy and early reading material.

4. Readiculous App

Readiculous is a literacy app that focuses on foundational literacy skills through a research-based approach.The app is user-friendly, featuring intuitive navigation and gameplay, though it has limitations such as a lack of repeatable instructions and customizable sound effects, which could be problematic for some users.

The Readiculous app excels in visual appeal with delightful animations and engaging rewards. It effectively uses direct instruction for teaching letter names and sounds, uses a systematic approach to phonics, and incorporates phonemic awareness through blending activities.

Overall, Readiculous provides a strong foundation in literacy skills but may benefit from enhancements in active engagement and instructional clarity.

5. Duolingo ABC App

Duolingo ABC is a cost-free and ad-free app designed for children aged 3-8. It’s aimed to build language and literacy skills in American English.

It offers ten themed levels with clear lesson goals and a digital library of books that can be accessed anytime. The app is exceptionally user-friendly and engages young learners through charming graphics, interactive stories, and motivating rewards.

The app employs systematic and sequential instruction, focusing on letter sounds, letter formation, and word reading. It uses various methods for spelling and enhances language comprehension with interactive features.

However, this app could improve—especially in areas such as voice recognition accuracy, continuous blending practice, and the alignment of word-building activities with a child’s current skills. Additionally, incorporating more decodable books for early readers could enhance the app’s effectiveness. Overall, Learn to Read: Duolingo ABC offers a solid foundation for literacy development with room for refinement.

Final Thoughts: The Top 5 Reading Apps Rated by Phonics.org

Every child’s literacy education will set them up for life. Early reading education has an ongoing impact on their future social, emotional, and physical health! This is why choosing a quality literacy app for supplemental practice at home is so important.

Choosing an effective literacy app can be challenging, though. There’s an overwhelming variety of reading apps on the market today. Look for apps that are easy to play and developmentally appropriate for your child. You also want to look for apps with a high level of quality instruction that is backed by research.

Reading.com, Jolly Phonics, HOMER, Readiculous, and Duolingo ABC are all great apps to start with. Each app is engaging, easy to use, and implements high-quality literacy strategies with various degrees of success.

If you’re looking for an app for your child, begin your search with these apps and start your child off on the right foot. See how other literacy apps compare with the other reviews at phonics.org.

ABC Pocket Phonics Review

Jaymi Thiessen on September 6, 2024

ABC Pocket Phonics: Hits and Misses in Literacy Instruction

Have you ever wondered how literacy apps stand up when evaluated by experts? Explore the reviews at phonics.org to make more informed choices for the beginning reader in your life.

This review takes a detailed look at the ABC Pocket Phonics app and evaluates how effective the literacy program is.

What is ABC Pocket Phonics?

ABC Pocket Phonics was originally launched in 2008 by “Apps in My Pocket Ltd.” It’s an educational app tailored for children aged 4 to 7. Through the app, children learn letter sounds and letter formation as well as read storybooks. The app offers a teaching reading guide for parents. It also has special features for teachers to create multiple student accounts and receive detailed progress reports for each individual.

Usability of the Pocket Phonics App

The following features contribute to the app’s overall usability for kids and adults.

Accessibility and Individual Player Settings

Pocket Phonics offers easy and straightforward signup and login processes, ensuring accessibility for users. You can customize individual player settings to cater to each child or student’s preferences, including options for:

Sound effects
Font type
Right or left-handedness
Inclusion of letter names
Speech recognition

These customizable features enhance user experience and accommodate diverse learning needs.

Some areas of the user experience could use improvement. Placing students at a specific place in the sequence of lessons doesn’t appear to be an option. There is a skills assessment placement test to help learners find a good starting point, but it could easily be missed in the sign-up process.

There also isn’t an option for student sign-in at home, limiting its accessibility for connecting between school and home settings. Incorporating this feature would expand the app’s usability and convenience for students and parents alike.

Student Progress

The Pocket Phonics app tracks student skills and progress in the teacher account on the Apps In My Pocket website. Adults can see specific data on how well their student/child is performing and where they may need additional instruction and practice. This data tracking system provides helpful information and is relatively easy to navigate.

Instructions

The app repeats instructions every few seconds, which can be demanding and causes unnecessary interruptions. Instead, there should be an option for users to request repetition when needed. This would allow for quiet thinking time when necessary and repetition as the player is ready for it.

Furthermore, sometimes instructions are provided in written form but are not shared audibly. For instance, instructions on shaking the iPad to erase answers should be accompanied by spoken prompts to ensure new readers know the user settings in the games. Incorporating verbal instructions alongside written ones would enhance clarity and usability for all users.

Pocket Phonics User Engagement

These factors influence the engagement of new readers playing the Pocket Phonics app.

Instructor Voice

The Pocket Phonics app uses a monotone robotic voice for instructions. This voice may not engage young learners well. Additionally, the audio quality varies, with some recordings sounding unclear or as if they were recorded in a tunnel. This inconsistent quality can detract from the overall learning experience for children using the app.

Rewards

Players receive words of encouragement and are rewarded with coins in the app. Upon completing activities, kids receive a score out of 3 stars based on their performance, providing positive reinforcement and valuable feedback. These rewards serve to motivate users without detracting from their overall gaming experience.

Visuals

The visuals in the app appear somewhat outdated and lack animation, which can pose challenges when illustrating more complex word meanings. While simple nouns can be adequately represented, more difficult words like “it” become complicated and potentially misleading due to the simplicity of the graphics. Updating the animations could more effectively demonstrate verbs and improve player engagement.

*The word associated with this visual is ‘it’*

Learning to Read With Pocket Phonics

These factors contribute to the overall quality of literacy instruction in Pocket Phonics.

Letter Learning

Pocket Phonics provides accurate and clear instruction on letter sounds. Users can choose between US or UK accents. The app emphasizes letter sounds and letter formation (printing) practice through repetition.

Pocket Phonics offers clear and simple instructions on letter formation and gives practical feedback to learners. The app could improve on letter formation practice by including a verbal path for letter formation. These are consistent verbal directions that can be given as children learn and practice new letter formations.

*Pocket Phonics teaches letter formation clearly and accurately*

Letter Names

One notable drawback is the app’s stance against teaching letter names alongside letter sounds. The free literacy learning guide from Pocket Phonics states, “If a system teaches letter names and letter sounds together, this can often be a sign that it doesn’t follow other principles of synthetic phonics.” This is inaccurate information. There is debate among reading educators about whether to teach letter names or letter sounds first. Research suggests that teaching letter names alongside letter sounds is valuable — children’s knowledge of both is important!

That said, you can adjust the app’s settings to include letter names. Including letter names also makes the app’s instructions grammatically correct. It’s confusing and grammatically incorrect when the app says “/s/ say /s/” only using the letter sounds.

*Pocket Phonics discourages letter name learning at the same time as letter sound learning*

Type of Phonics Instruction

The Pocket Phonics app uses individual letter sounds to teach children to read and spell words. This type of phonics, “synthetic phonics,” refers to the synthesis of combining individual speech sounds. Some research points to synthetic phonics as the most efficient and effective method of teaching children to read words.

Furthermore, phonics skills are taught sequentially and systematically. This means that children are first taught the simplest phonics skills and patterns and these skills slowly increase in difficulty with practice. Using synthetic phonics sequentially and systematically is an asset to the literacy instruction in the Pocket Phonics app.

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness refers to the manipulation of speech sounds in language. Pocket Phonics models blending and segmenting to help kids read and spell words. This is an effective literacy practice. While new learners observe these skills in practice, they’re not often asked to actively practice these skills themselves.

Phoneme blending is a skill that’s necessary when learning to read. Pocket Phonics does a great job of modeling final blending in its gameplay. It would be helpful if Pocket Phonics also included modeling of continuous blending, which is the easiest method of blending to use when learning to read words.

*The Pocket Phonics method of teaching word building (reading and spelling)*

Type of Texts

There are 43 decodable books in the Pocket Phonics app. Decodable books include words that children have been explicitly taught how to sound out and read. These types of texts discourage word guessing and promote decoding skills which are recommended for new readers.

When reading these texts, there are three options to choose from:

Read to Self: A child attempts to read the words and sentences themselves. If a child is stuck on a word they can tap the word and a model of how to sound out the word is shared.
Read Aloud: A child can choose to have the story read out loud to them. Unfortunately, the story is read to the child in a dysfluent and robotic voice. This is not recommended as it sidesteps the important practice children need in sentence-level reading. It doesn’t model fluent reading.
Voice Detection: In this option, the app tracks the words the child reads out loud. Unfortunately, this option is not very accurate and adult supervision is recommended to ensure children are reading accurately.

Difficult words in these texts are presented in red. However, these texts include words that readers haven’t been explicitly taught yet. Tapping on these words reveals what the word is, however, an explanation of how the word is irregular is not included. Furthermore, some of the books have many difficult words which defeats the purpose of having decodable texts in the first place.

Finally, comprehension of texts is not included in the decodable books. Adding comprehension questions to the books would be valuable for getting kids to think about the story.

*Many words in this decodable text are difficult for a new reader*

Pros and Cons of the ABC Pocket Phonics App

It’s generally easy to sign up and navigate the Pocket Phonics app. Many customizable settings within the app allow it to be more approachable to new readers. Student progress is shared with involved adults who can pinpoint areas in which their new reader needs extra support. Connecting usability between school and home—plus easier app access to the players’ starting point—could improve the app.

The Pocket Phonics app does many things well when it comes to literacy instruction. It uses the evidence-based synthetic approach to word reading and spelling. It also models phonemic awareness skills such as blending sounds to read words and segmenting words for spelling. The letter sounds are accurate and represented, as are the letter formation (printing) activities.

ABC Pocket Phonics could improve the quality of literacy instruction by encouraging letter name learning, modeling continuous blending of phonemes, and increasing the decodability and fluency in their storybooks.

Interested in learning about other literacy apps? Explore other phonics program reviews on the phonics.org website today.

ABC Pocket Phonics Rating

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 3 / 5

Usability: 3.5 / 5

Engagement: 3 / 5

SplashLearn App Review for Reading Education

Jaymi Thiessen on August 30, 2024

A Well-Made App With Unfortunate Phonics Errors

At Phonics.org, we review all kinds of educational literacy apps so that you can choose the one that sounds right for your students. In this article, we share our SplashLearn app review based on quality of instruction, usability, and engagement.

Continue reading to learn more about what SplashLearn has to offer for literacy learning!

What is SplashLearn?

SplashLearn is an educational app and website designed for children ages 2 to 11, covering the Pre-K through Grade 5 common core curriculum. It offers a game-based, curriculum-aligned learning experience for Math and Reading. With over 8,000 games, activities, and printable worksheets, it provides a deep resource for both parents and teachers. The online reading curriculum is only available to teachers in the United States, but the parent curriculum is more widely available.

This review focuses on the literacy learning activities available through the SplashLearn app.

Is the SplashLearn App Easy to Use?

The following section focuses on the usability of the SplashLearn app.

App Sign-Up

Signing up for SplashLearn is relatively straightforward, with access available through a paid subscription or a 7-day free trial. The app allows for personalized learning tailored to each child’s abilities and needs, with easy-to-follow setup questions for parents and educators.

Navigation

Navigating SplashLearn can be overwhelming due to the vast number of educational options available. First, users can access main pages:

Home
Curriculum
Game Zone
Live Classes (gamified lessons taught by educators)

If you have personalized the learning path for your child or student, the simplest approach is to use the “Learning Path” on the home page to focus on the next recommended lesson for Math or English.

Some people may prefer the flexible option of choosing the next game that would interest their young child or student. In this scenario it is advisable to stay with your young child and support with the navigation, as it can become quite complex.

*Many navigation options are available in the SplashLearn app*

Settings

There are a few customizable sound settings available in the SplashLearn app. It is advisable to turn off the music, as it can be distracting and complicate the learning of letter sounds and reading.

Some games benefit from having the sound entirely off due to additional beeps and dings that interfere with letter sound clarity. This complicates learning for kids with attention or auditory processing issues, but even fully literate adults may have difficulty with some of the sounds interfering with activities.

Fortunately, all instructions can be repeated on demand in the games, which is a great option for all learners.

Engagement in SplashLearn

The following factors influence how engaged kids may be when playing SplashLearn.

Gameplay

The gameplay on SplashLearn features creative and engaging activities that are developmentally appropriate, making it accessible even for younger children who can easily understand how to play. The app also has a visually appealing design that is well-crafted to engage young learners. However, there can be occasional long wait times between games, which may cause some kids to lose interest.

Rewards

SplashLearn uses a three-star system for rewarding game and activity completion. Players can advance through levels and collect coins to purchase “Super Splashies” or animals in the jungle or aquarium-themed reward games. These additional games are simple and unlikely to distract from the learning goals in the app.

*Kids can use reward coins to purchase animals for this dance party*

Literacy Learning With SplashLearn

The following factors influence the quality of literacy learning within the SplashLearn app.

Sequential Learning

Literacy experts recommend teaching children with a phonics plan—or scope and sequence—that outlines which skills are taught in order. Unfortunately, SplashLearn doesn’t appear to have a publicly available scope and sequence, although it does share the curriculum topics.

It’s unclear if this curriculum outline is linear. It says letters are taught and practiced alphabetically, which isn’t what happens in the word reading part of the game. The games generally progress from easier to more complex concepts. However, having a clearer, publicly available phonics plan would enhance understanding and support for both educators and parents.

Letter Formation

SplashLearn employs a creative and engaging method for teaching letter formation, making the process interesting and accessible. However, there are some inaccuracies in these games particularly with lowercase ‘b’ and ‘d’. It is crucial to get these formations right due to their common reversals. This oversight is unfortunate, as accurate letter formation is important for preventing these reversals.

*Unfortunately, this is not the standard way of printing the letter <d>*

“Learn to Read Words”

An important learning area in SplashLearn is called “Learn to Read Words”. In the beginning stages of this section, the app models how to blend individual sounds together to read words. The games start with two sounds and gradually introduce more sounds. This is an excellent practice for new readers and builds competence in learning how to sound out words.

Unfortunately, as the learning in this area progresses, there are increasing errors. For example, the game asks learners to “find the beginning sound” in the word ‘fluff’, and the expected answer is ‘fl-’. This is a consonant blend that actually has two sounds. The provided isolated sound for this consonant blend is also inaccurate. Unfortunately, this seems to be the pattern for most consonant blends in the game.

*The <t> and <r> should have their own bubble to represent each sound in ‘trap’*

Spelling

SplashLearn offers a creative and engaging method for teaching spelling, using a gamified approach where characters capture magic ‘spells’ by correctly spelling words. The app uses synthetic phonics by focusing on individual letters and sounds to build words.

However, SplashLearn struggles with more advanced phonics concepts like vowel teams. For instance, in building the word ‘frail,’ the app gives the letter <a> the short /a/ sound as in apple, instead of combining <a> and <i> to make the long ‘a’ sound in that word. Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide the meaning of words after they are built.

*The letters <a> and <i> should be teamed up to spell ‘frail’ in this aspect of the game*

Books

SplashLearn has a digital library with a wide variety of books to choose from. Books are organized by the following categories:

Read Alouds (listen to a book)
Leveled Books (books with random phonics patterns)
Decodable Books (books with learned phonics patterns)
Fun with Oddbods (quirky animated characters)

Because leveled books do not use specific phonics patterns, the words can be impossible for early readers to sound out. Therefore, a new reader will have to resort to using ineffective strategies like guessing based on the picture in the book to figure out a word.

*Leveled books have words that are tricky to sound out for new readers*

The decodable books are a much better option for new readers as they contain sounds and words that new readers have already practiced. SplashLearn has a slider bar and recorder to encourage new readers to sound out words in continuous texts. However, the slider bar and recording combination are tricky to use in the app and will likely frustrate children who are trying to learn to read.

Should My Child Use SplashLearn to Learn to Read?

The SplashLearn app is generally well put together. The process of getting started with the app is straightforward, and following the learning path provided in the app is simple and logical. Furthermore, the animations and games in the app are visually appealing and interesting for kids to interact with.

SplashLearn also has many literacy games and activities that would likely help a child learn to read. They teach letter names, sounds, and formation as well as important skills in blending sounds to read words.

However, SplashLearn also has many mistakes in the phonics instruction which are not ideal. The SplashLearn app doesn’t have a publicly available phonics scope and sequence. Also, the letter formation for tricky and important letters is inaccurate, as are some of the letter-sound correspondences in the reading and spelling games. Finally, the slider bar and audio recordings in the decodable books can be difficult to use.

Some aspects of the SplashLearn app could be helpful for new readers, but grown-ups should pay close attention and try to help their children avoid learning some skills inaccurately.

If you’re curious about other literacy apps that may be more effective for your child, check out the additional reviews on phonics.org.

SplashLearn: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2.5 / 5

Usability: 3 / 5

Engagement: 3 / 5

Wonster Words App Review

Jaymi Thiessen on August 22, 2024

Worn-Out Word Instruction That’s Not Worthwhile

Wonster Words is an educational app designed for children ages 2 and up. Cute, animated monster characters in the app guide children through various games designed to build literacy skills. The app focuses on teaching pre-reading and early literacy skills including:

Letter identification
Letter names
Letter sounds
Building vocabulary skills

Continue reading to see what a reading specialist shares about the quality of this app for literacy instruction.

Is Wonster Words Easy to Use?

There are pros and cons to the overall usability of this app for kids. The following factors contribute to the ease of use as well as the user experience of the Wonster Words app.

App Navigation

The sign-up process for Wonster Words is straightforward and user-friendly. The app offers a 7-day free trial followed by a subscription fee. The app allows for the easy addition of multiple players under the same email account, which is convenient for educators or families with more than one learner. The main menu of the app is categorized by game type and is well-organized which makes it easy to navigate the app. A player can easily exit any game at any time by tapping the back button at the top left of any screen.

*The main menu in the Wonster Words app*

Game Settings

The app provides clear instructions in American English. These instructions can be repeated on demand in any game, making it easy for young learners to follow along. Parents have the option to turn off the background music, which is advisable as it can be distracting. However, it’s worth noting that while the music can be disabled in the general menu, it remains active during mini-games. Some children, particularly those with auditory processing difficulties, may find this to be an ongoing distraction from learning.

Player Engagement in Wonster Words

The following factors contribute to a child’s engagement while playing the Wonster Words app.

Rewards

The Wonster Words app primarily uses intrinsic motivation to engage learners, which is ideal. Characters offer words of praise to encourage kids to keep playing and there are no elaborate material rewards to distract from the process of learning.

Gameplay

There are various game types and themes that are visually appealing in the Wonster Words app. These games feature cute characters that capture children’s attention. Instructions are easy to follow and provide helpful clues so that young players don’t get stuck, encouraging independent gameplay. This design ensures that children can maintain their attention and successfully complete the games.

However, Wonster Words does not start teaching easier concepts before building to more complex ones. Any game can be played at any time in the app. Therefore, many of the games in the app would be challenging for a new reader to understand and apply. There needs to be more structure—ideally, a reliable scope and sequence.

Quality of Literacy Learning in Wonster Words

Let’s consider the main success and downfall of phonics instruction in the Wonster Words app.

Sequential Learning

Literacy experts advocate for sequential learning. This means that basic phonics concepts are introduced first and gradually build towards more complex ideas. Wonster Words incorporates a bit of this approach in its “Words” mini-game, which begins with simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like “hop” before advancing to more phonetically complex words like “beach.”

However, this sequential structure is not consistently applied throughout the app. Other games may start with more complex words from the outset. Additionally, all games are accessible at any time without a required order and there is no publicly-available phonics plan or scope and sequence for Wonster Words. This suggests that it does not follow a structured phonics progression, which could be detrimental to children’s literacy development.

Letter Sounds

Multiple games in the Wonster Words app focus on teaching or practicing letter sounds. In the “Letter Sound” game, the letter sounds are generally represented clearly and accurately for an American English accent.

Unfortunately, the representation of letter sounds breaks down in the “Early Phonics” and most other mini-games. A common game in the app is to start with a word that the player needs to find or collect letters to ‘build’ the given word. Most of the chosen words in the game would be very difficult for a new reader to build on their own.

For example, the first word, ‘acrobat’ has three syllables. As the letters are found by the player and ‘held’, the letter makes its sound. The issue is that most of the sounds are not entirely accurate and have another sound or ‘schwa’ added to them. For example, the letter <T> makes ‘ti ti ti ti ti’ sounds when it should simply sound like /t/. When children learn letter sounds inaccurately like this, it can cause difficulties with reading and spelling later on.

*New readers are expected to build complex polysyllabic words like ‘acrobat’*

Confusingly, the consonant blends in the game are treated as one unit with the letters moving as a whole connected chunk. This is unhelpful as consonant blends have two sounds and should be treated as such.

On occasion, an entirely incorrect sound is given for the letter in the word. For example, the <G> in the word ‘giftwrap’ has a /j/ sound (also, gift wrap should be two separate words). Again, learning letter sounds inaccurately can hinder a child’s literacy development, so these mistakes in the app are significant and worth mentioning.

*There are many phonics errors in the mini-games in Wonster Words*

Phonemic Awareness

Wonster Words lacks direct instruction in phonemic awareness, which is crucial for developing early reading skills. Essential phonemic awareness skills, such as blending sounds to read a word and segmenting sounds to spell a word, are not specifically targeted by the app.

While the app does name the letters in the correct order when a word is successfully built, this feature is less effective than practicing blending sounds together to read words, which is a more critical component for early readers.

Digital Books

Wonster Words includes a books section including these categories of texts:

Wonster Books
Songs
Introductory Books
Level A

The app offers the option to the child to read the books themselves or have them read aloud. If new readers are interested in these books they would likely not have much luck reading the books to themselves. This is because the books are not decodable. Decodable books contain sounds and words that children are familiar with and can sound out on their own.

The books in Wonster Words contain many phonetically challenging words that are not taught in the app and that any new reader would have difficulty reading. These books are not suitable for beginning readers as they are not decodable. Decodable books have words that have been previously learned and practiced.

While the books are decent for listening, they do not stand out as exceptional in terms of supporting early reading skills like decoding (word-reading).

Should I Let My Child Play Wonster Words?

The Wonster Words app offers a visually appealing and user-friendly platform for young children to engage in early literacy activities. While the app’s cute characters and engaging games can capture kids’ attention and provide some valuable literacy practice, it falls short in several key areas.

The app’s inconsistent phonics progression and inaccurate representation of letter sounds could impede effective literacy learning. Additionally, the lack of focused phonemic awareness instruction and the use of non-decodable books limit its effectiveness for beginning readers. Although the app is easy to navigate and provides a fun learning environment, it may not be the most reliable tool for building foundational reading skills.

For a more comprehensive literacy experience, explore other phonics apps for your child from our expert reviews at phonics.org.

Wonster Words App: Overall Ratings

Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2 / 5

Usability: 4 / 5

Engagement: 3 / 5

What is the Best Type of Reading Instruction?

The International Dyslexia Association recommends Structured Literacy as an effective approach for teaching people—particularly those with a specific learning disability—how to read.

Structured literacy techniques are supported by research-based practices that are shown to be effective. Notably, these approaches involve explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics. While not a quick fix, this approach has been found to build foundational literacy skills for anyone learning to read.

What Doesn’t Work in Reading Instruction?

In reading instruction, certain techniques are ineffective, particularly those focusing on visual aspects that do not address the underlying issues of reading difficulties.

According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), methods such as relying on the overall shape of a word to read are, “completely useless for promoting growth in reading.”

Additionally, The American Academy of Pediatrics has emphasized that visual problems are rarely responsible for reading difficulties, noting that eye exercises, vision therapy, or special tinted lenses lack scientific evidence for improving long-term educational performance in cases of dyslexia or similar conditions. Research consistently shows that reading disabilities are not caused by visual function issues, but rather by more complex neurocognitive factors. Therefore, techniques that attempt to alter visual representations of words are generally ineffective and should be avoided in favor of more evidence-based approaches to literacy instruction.

Most Ineffective Reading Education Apps (and Why You Should Avoid Them)

When choosing a phonics or reading app to help your students learn, it’s crucial to avoid ones that mainly rely on changing the visual presentation of words.

Instead, prioritize apps that are based on evidence-based approaches, such as the science of reading and synthetic phonics. This is essential to ensure that time and resources are used productively to genuinely help struggling children learn to read. This way, you instill necessary literacy concepts in your child gradually, making sure they receive the foundational skills and knowledge to grow into confident, capable readers.

That said, let’s highlight some of the most ineffective (albeit seemingly innovative) types of apps that don’t foster reading development—or worse, could negatively impact children’s literacy instruction.

1. Bionic Reading App

Bionic Reading is an example of an app that primarily focuses on changing the visual presentation of words. Bionic reading strategies claim to deliver a type of “reading aid” by bolding the first few letters of every word in a text. The Bionic Reading website claims that it “guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly.”

This app relies on the myth that reading is primarily a visual task. Debunking this myth, extensive studies have not found visual strategies like Bionic reading to be effective. A small sample of people who tried reading with this method actually ended up reading more slowly than usual, finding the “unusual appearance” of the Bionic Reading format distracting.

2. BeeLine Reader

BeeLine Reader is a paid app and browser extension that can replace plain black font with an “eye-guiding color gradient.” The app claims that this service improves reading speed and ability for “all ages and skill levels” and that it’s particularly useful for people with dyslexia.

However, two reading experiments found that kids who read with this format actually had a slower reading pace compared to a plain black font. The experiments found that using the app hindered reading comprehension for third-grade readers. From a science of reading perspective, it would be best to avoid using this app, particularly for kids with learning disabilities, as changing the visual appearance of words in this way has not been shown to improve reading ability.

3. Dyslexia Fonts

Multiple apps focus on changing the font of a text to improve reading ability, particularly for people with dyslexia. OpenDyslexic and Open Dyslexic font Aa are apps that will convert digital reading materials to the ‘OpenDyslexic’ font. This font features letters that are thicker at the bottom. The app claims that people with dyslexia will be better able to read better with this font.

However, multiple studies have found that special “dyslexia fonts” do not help people with dyslexia—or anyone else—read better or faster. Given that “the font Dyslexic was not preferred by the children with dyslexia or by the children with normal reading development” (2017), there does not appear to be any reason to use apps that have this feature.

The Issue With Ineffective Reading Apps

Many ‘reading’ apps on the market can mislead well-intentioned educators and parents, often preying on their desperation to support a child who struggles with reading. Some of these apps promote techniques that lack research support and are ineffective. In some cases, these apps actually hinder reading abilities.

The real danger here lies in the potential for these unproven methods to not only fail to improve reading skills but to inevitably discourage learners from further practice. When ineffective strategies are used, children might begin to think of themselves as incompetent or “dumb” for not being able to grasp the concepts being presented. This can undermine a child’s self-esteem and confidence, making it even harder for them to believe in their ability to succeed. In reality, children may simply need the proper guidance and instruction that equip them to finally begin reading with confidence.

Overall, visual-based reading apps and techniques can detract from effective practices that actually do help people learn to read. It’s crucial to carefully evaluate apps and choose those that have practices backed by credible research to ensure that efforts to support literacy are both effective and encouraging.

How to Make Informed Decisions When Choosing a Literacy Program

A good rule of thumb in choosing a reading app is to avoid any program or technology that promises a quick fix by changing the visual appearance of words. This includes bolding certain letters, changing text color, or using specialized ‘dyslexia’ fonts.

To help you find reading apps and phonics programs that are effective and enjoyable for kids, Phonics.org has a library of informative articles and program reviews. Our goal is to support parents and teachers as they help kids learn to read through systematic, direct guidance. To discover proven apps for literacy instruction, explore the articles at phonics.org.