At phonics.org, we assess phonics programs for children, enabling you to make well-informed decisions about which apps are suitable for your child.

Take a look at this educational review for the LetterSchool: Learn to Write app.  

Learning Goals

LetterSchool is a comprehensive educational app designed to facilitate early literacy and numeracy skills for children aged 3 to 8. Priced at $59.99 annually, the app offers a 7-day free trial to introduce users to its interactive features. 

The app focuses on foundational phonics skills, including printing upper and lowercase letters, learning letter names and sounds, spelling, and the introduction of essential vocabulary. 

Gameplay in the LetterSchool App 

Similar to other literacy education apps, LetterSchool has a few features and games.

Customization

The LetterSchool app provides a straightforward user experience with its main page offering nine distinct areas of play. These areas cover various activities including:

• Making shapes
• Proper letter formation
• Printing of numbers
• Spelling exercises

The app also includes a “Grown-Ups Only” section for customization, allowing users to select the level (1, 2, 3), preferred typeface, and options to select the preferred menu language and learning language. Notably, the app supports 13 languages, accommodating a diverse user base and ensuring a personalized educational experience.

Letter, Number, and Shape Formation

The LetterSchool app uses the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRRM) to guide users through the process of forming letters, numbers, and shapes. The model consists of three distinct stages:

1. First, modeling the correct formation, providing a visual reference for the child. 
2. Next, the child is guided through the process of tracing lines to reinforce the correct movements. 
3. Finally, the child is encouraged to practice the formation independently. If the user struggles with this step, traced lines are reintroduced to scaffold the child to complete the task. 

Each step in this process is accompanied by clever and colorful animations that highlight the correct formation for each letter enhancing engagement and interest in the learning. 

This structured approach follows the “I do, we do, you do” framework, progressively transitioning the responsibility for letter formation from the app to the child, fostering a gradual systematic and scaffolded learning experience. This is a helpful routine for learning how to print letters. 

Spelling

The spelling section of the LetterSchool app is organized by ‘word family.’ However, the actual game practice does use synthetic phonics (individual letters and sounds), which is ideal. 

The spelling section also repeats the three-step learning process that is also in the letter formation section:

1. First, users are asked to drag individual letters into a box. The app models how these letters make a word and shows a picture to model the meaning of the word. 
2. Next, users can digitally ‘flip’ letter cards in a flip book to make the word the app suggests. 
3. Finally, the user is shown a picture and needs to spell the corresponding word by selecting from individual letters and placing them in order. 

Best Features of the LetterSchool App

Every app has its pros and cons. Here’s what LetterSchool is doing well!

Letter Names 

The LetterSchool App states the letter name before a child attempts to form the letter. This supports the association with letters and their names which is an important foundational skill for new readers. 

Accurate Letter Formation 

The LetterSchool App has options for the formation of letters in printing and cursive which are both important skills for children to master. The app does model accurate letter formation so that kids can learn to form letters correctly. The ability to quickly and accurately form letters is a foundational skill for spelling and writing development. 

Language Options

The multiple languages options are helpful and interesting adaptations in the LetterSchool app. The ability to keep the app language in your primary language while changing the instructional language is a clever way to learn a written system while still being able to navigate the app easily. 

What LetterSchool Needs to Improve

Here are the features and setbacks LetterSchool can improve to deliver a quality literacy app for kids.

Inaccurate Letter Sounds 

Unfortunately, the letter sounds in the app often have an additional sound (a schwa) attached. For example, the letter <b> makes the sounds /b/ and /uh/. Learning an inaccurate sound association with a letter prevents kids from being able to spell accurately. 

For example, if a child is trying to spell the word ‘bat’ and they think the first sound is ‘buh’ they could spell the first sound in bat as ‘bu’. The final attempt at spelling this simple word would be ‘buat’. Teaching accurate letter sounds can easily prevent this. 

Lacks Verbal Instructions

LetterSchool does not use verbal instructions to explain or teach concepts or games. It claims it doesn’t need instructions as the app can guide children through “visual and auditory feedback”. 

A common practice for teaching letter formation is to use a consistent “verbal path.” This means that while modeling letter formation, consistent language is used to describe the actions of forming the letter. This consistency in practice helps kids learn how to print letters and would be a beneficial addition to the LetterSchool app. 

Omissions in Spelling Practice

While there are some helpful practices in the spelling aspect of LetterSchool there are a few ways this section can be improved. The spelling practice in the app does not have words with beginning consonant blends such as ‘stop’ or ‘dream’. This can be a tricky place where some children get stuck on spelling, so it would be advantageous to include this practice in the app. 

Letter Formation Without a Writing Utensil

How a child holds a writing utensil is incredibly important for learning to print. Pencil grasp isn’t mentioned or modeled in this app, but parents should carefully monitor how children hold writing utensils. 

Effectiveness Study

LetterSchool has an effectiveness study on its website. The study found that students who used LetterSchool had improved manual dexterity and printing ability. It’s important to note that the children in this study used a stylus for writing practice when using the app. 

Additionally, 80% of the printing time was a pencil and paper method, while only 20% of the printing time was spent with LetterSchool. While LetterSchool does seem to be a valuable tool for learning letter formation, pencil-to-paper tasks are still a valuable part of this learning process. 

LetterSchool: Review and Recommendations

LetterSchool proves to be an engaging app for early letter and number formation in children. With a user-friendly interface and customizable features, it effectively teaches foundational skills such as letter formation, letter naming, and spelling through a three-step learning process. The app excels in supporting letter names and accurate formation of letters while offering diverse language options. 

However, having inaccurate letter sounds is a big mistake for an educational app. Using accurate letter sounds, incorporating verbal instructions, and enhancing spelling practices to include beginning consonant blends would improve this app’s usefulness.

Despite these considerations, the app showcases positive outcomes in an effectiveness study, emphasizing improved manual dexterity and printing ability among users. While valuable, it’s best suited as a supplementary tool alongside traditional pencil and paper tasks for a well-rounded learning experience.

Looking for a helpful phonics app for children? Explore our recommended phonics programs at phonics.org!

LetterSchool App Rating

• Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2 / 5
• Usability: 4 / 5
• Engagement: 4 / 5