Back-to-school time is almost here, which means lots of homework and arguments about screen time. It’s also the time of year when younger children can become frustrated as they begin or continue their reading journey. If your kids are struggling, there are plenty of apps out there to help them make the most of their screen time and give them the boost they need. Here are 10 you can try, many of which are no cost to use or come with a free trial.
Hooked on Phonics
Parents who grew up in the ’90s will undoubtedly remember the commercials for the learn-at-home workbooks featuring kids who said the curriculum “worked” for them. Now, there is an app-based version of the program. Two packages are available for purchase: one for $6.99 for access to three learning apps (the other two enhance spelling and math skills) for up to three users, and another for $15.98, which includes activity packs mailed to your home, all with a 30-day guarantee that your child’s reading will improve. Note that some users complain the apps can be a bit glitchy.
Khan Academy Kids
Many consider the free educational app Khan Academy Kids the gold standard, offering over 5,000 games and activities that teach reading and writing. The app also has a library of books about dinosaurs, vehicles, and other kid-friendly topics, all without ads or subscriptions.
Epic
I first heard of this app from my son’s teacher—it’s more for kids with a basic grasp of reading. It features a seemingly endless supply of books and audiobooks from major publishers that kids can read or listen to on their mobile devices and tablets. Epic also boasts a stats page that tracks how many books users have read. Using the app at school is free, but accessing Epic’s reading library at home will cost $13.99 a month or $84.99 a year after a week-long free trial.
Learn to Read – Duolingo ABC
From the people who help you learn languages comes an app that helps kids around pre-K age learn fundamental reading lessons, using over 700 games and activities, each built on what they learned from the last one. However, everyone must start at the beginning of the program, which can bore some users with a basic grasp of reading concepts.
Homer: Fun Learning for Kids
Instead of making users start at the beginning, as Duolingo ABC does, Homer offers more personalized and interactive lessons on phonics and reading, each building on the last. Various audio and read-aloud stories will also keep your child’s attention. There are also math and social and emotional skill learning lessons. New users can try the app for 30 days for free; then, you purchase a $12.99 month-by-month membership or pay $79.99 for a year.
Teach Your Monster to Read
They say the best way to learn something new is to teach it, but your kid training a monster on basic reading concepts isn’t exactly what happens here. After users design their creatures, they join them on a journey through the cosmos. When the monsters encounter trouble on their trip, users must play a mini-game that teaches them lessons on reading, including sounding out letters to understanding basic sentences. The games are designed for children of different skill levels; kids can play for free on the web. To use the app version, there’s a one-time fee of $8.99.
Reading Eggs
Parents who homeschool their children have showered plenty of praise on this app. Users collect eggs for their avatars by completing reading-based activities. It also features books and other content for pre-K through middle school children. Many also comment that it is not as game-focused as its competitors, which can be good or bad, depending on how you feel about gamified learning. It has a 30-day free trial, and then subscriptions are $9.99 a month and $69.99 a year.
Starfall Learn to Read
This app’s mascot is a rat, and its interface looks terribly outdated. Nevertheless, Starfall is another app that parents who homeschool their kids swear by. Why? For starters, it’s free to use, as it was developed by a publicly supported non-profit. It also supports users with learning disabilities, as the non-profit’s founder was inspired by his struggles with dyslexia when he created its comprehensive content, which includes letter recognition, phonics, and reading selections.
Endless Alphabet
The name of this app is a bit misleading: It helps build vocabulary rather than teach letter recognition. Users work at their own pace to assemble large words using their phonetic sounds, and cleverly rendered animations help demonstrate the meaning behind each word when it’s spelled correctly. The app has a one-time $8.99 fee to use it.
ABCMouse – Kids Learning Games
Like Hooked on Phonics, ABCMouse began selling its learning kits on cable. Now, it’s moved to the electronic space with over 10,000 learning games on its ad-free apps, but users note that the quality of the games can be wildly uneven. Additionally, one of the more unusual aspects of the app is users earn points for “shopping,” giving children an early introduction to capitalism they may not be ready for yet. There is a free trial, and use of the app is $12.99 a month or $45 a year.