Discover the love of reading through these educational apps. Learn to start reading by read-to-me stories and phonics, decoding letters and words. Open up their world to all the possibilities a book can offer.

Why Reading and Phonics Apps?

This past school year, we used different apps to help support our son's Kindergarten learning through interactive and fun techniques. We have found that these educational apps helped engage our son through customization, increasing difficulty levels, and reward-based systems. Some of the apps we had previously downloaded and enjoyed, some were newly found apps that we had just started using.

Below is a list of the apps we like based on Reading, Phonics, and Writing.

Most of these apps are free, but some are subscription-base or purchase-base. An excellent way to lower the cost is by being gifted with these as presents. Great not only for your child’s education but helps create a minimal lifestyle.

What do we do before clicking download?

1. We understand our son’s learning style.
2. We do our research on the app and the seller.
3. We play the apps with our son to engage and reflect on activities.
4. We try to see what supports our school’s curriculum and supplement additional learning opportunities.

Reading

Epic

Cost: 60-day Free, $7.99/month Ages: 12 and under

Epic! is a leading digital library that includes over 40,000 of the best children’s books and learning videos. Your child can explore their interests through a read-to-me setting or independent reading. There are picture books, early readers, graphic novels, chapter books, audiobooks, and more. Leading publishers that feature books on this app include Scholastic, National Geographic, HarperCollins, MacMillan, Smithsonian, and more.

Reading IQ

Cost: 30-day Free, $7.99/month Ages: 2-12

Reading IQ is a digital learning library experience designed to match your child’s reading ability and grade level. It has over 7,000 digital books from publishers, including National Geographic, Whitman, Charlesbridge, Highlights, as well as the entire ABCmouse library. Your child will be engaged in books that pique their interest through multiple genres and educational topics.

Vooks

Cost: $4.99/Month $49.99/Year Ages: 2-8

A library full of animated read-aloud storybooks to engage your child. It will promote the love of reading at an early age while providing fluent and expressive narration as well as appropriate pacing. There is a continuously growing library of children’s favorites, including Scaredy Squirrel, Giraffes Can’t Dance, Bear Snores On, Groovey Joe, Hi! Fly Guy, and more. Spark your child’s imagination in this creative new way. It is a safe, child-friendly viewing platform.

Phonics/Letters and Sight Words

Meet the Alphablocks!

Cost: Free Ages: 3-6

Learn your letters and sounds through this sing-along with the Alphablocks. Tap on each letter to watch them come to life. Your child will be able to retain their phonics recognition through repetition with these incredible animations and songs.

Alphablocks: Letter Fun

Cost:$2.99 Ages: 3-6

Continue learning with the AlphaBlocks through mini-games and songs. It is built based on systematic synthetic phonics, taught mainly in the UK. Some activities include bubble pop, paint me, favorite things, and hide-and-seek. This step-by-step reading system will help your child learn to read in a fun way. `

ABC Kids Tracing and Phonics

Cost: Free Ages: 3-6

Time to learn the ABCs with this educational app. It has tracing, phonics sound association, recognition of letter shape, matching upper/lower, and more through mini-games. Your child can work towards collecting multiple stickers and toys as rewards for completing games.

Sight Words - PreK to 3rd

Cost: Free Ages: 3-8

Through sight word games, flashcards, and creative Dolch lists, your child will be able to learn vocabulary, phonics, reading skills, and more. These games are a simple way for fun, active sight word learning. Some activities include memory matches, mystery letters, spelling, bingo, and more. Help your child to master the fundamentals of reading.

ABC Spelling - Spell & Phonics

Cost: Free Ages: 3-8

This colorful app helps your child learn the alphabet, sound out words, and associate pictures with letters. There are three activities that the game focuses on, which include spelling, fill in the blank, and blank spelling. You and your child play your way through learning the necessary skills needed to read.

Duck Duck Moose Reading

Cost: Free Ages: 3-7

Start your children’s reading adventure with these nine activities geared towards teaching your child letter sound, phonics, and other fundamentals of the standard core curriculum. With this zoo-themed adventure created by educators, it will focus on CVC pronunciation and spelling needed for fundamental reading skills. Your child will earn animals to add to different zoo habitats as they progress.

Duck Duck Moose Word Wagon

Cost: Free Ages: 3-6

Word Wagon will help your child learn 100 different words, which include 44 Dolch sight words. This game goes through four levels of learning letter names, sounds, and spelling. Mozzarella Mouse and his little bird friend Coco interact with your child on their way to earning sticker rewards and earn stars.

ABCmouse Magic Rainbow Traceable

Cost: Free with ABCmouse membership Ages: 4-8

Magic Rainbow has engaging traceable activities that are gear towards helping your child learn to write letters, numbers, and shapes. It allows them to trace and play at the same time. There is even a section where they can free draw after they have completed practicing.

Monkey Word School Adventure

Cost:$1.99 Ages: 3-7

Join Milo and his jungle friends as your child learns letters, phonics, sight words, and spelling. Jump right in with this continuous game flow created to allow your child to just start in their learning adventure. It has a captivating way of teaching the fundamental skills needed to read.

Teach Your Monster to Read

Cost:$2.99 Ages: 3-6

Learn through play in this reading and phonics game that captivates your child. Make a unique monster then go through a magical journey in teaching it how to read. Three activities are gear towards this educational experience, which includes first steps, fun with words, and champion reader. Check their reading skills as they progress through this app.

Homer Reading - Learn to Read

Cost: Free trial, $7.95/month Ages: 2-8

Create a personalized learn-to-read plan using your child’s interests to spark a passion for reading. There are many different activities and games that focus on the alphabet, phonics, sight words, and more.

Enjoy.