The apps on this list are mostly for iPad and/or iPhone, because I don’t have an Android device, sorry. If you know of a good phonemic awareness or synthetic phonics app that’s not on this list, please let me know about it so I can add it.
Phonological and phonemic awareness (no or few letters)
- Teaching Blending – Student Edition and Teaching Blending – Teacher Edition (US, for iPad, from the 95% group, which has information including videos about teaching blending here)
- Elkonin Boxes (US, for iPad, demonstrates segmenting words)
- Funny Phonemes (for iPad and Android, suitable for older learners, contains slang)
- Letter free phonics (US, for iPad, iPhone and Mac, free with in-app purchases)
- Montessori Rhyme Time (US, for iPad and iPhone, free with in-app purchases)
- Oz Phonics Reading Intro (Aus, for iPad). Related information and activities to go with the app are available on the Oz Phonics website.
- Phonemic awareness bubbles (US, for iPad, iPhone, Mac, free with in-app purchases)
- Partners in Rhyme (US, for iPad, iPhone, Mac, free with in-app purchases)
Learning sounds and letter recognition/formation
- ABC Magic Phonics 1, Magic Phonics 2, Magic Phonics 3, Magic Phonics 4, Magic Phonics 5 and Magic Phonics 6 (all US, for iPad, iPhone and Mac, free with in-app purchases)
- ABC Ninja (US, for iPhone and iPad, a letter-learning app)
- Alphabet Phonics Pop (US, iPad and iPhone, free)
- Alphablocks Letter Fun and Meet the Alphablocks (UK, for iPad)
- Alphabet Sounds Word Study (US, for iPad)
- Basic Phonics 1 (for iPad and iPhone)
- Blobble Write (UK, for iPad)
- Cake Shop Letters lite (US or UK, for iPad or iPhone, free)
- Dinosaur Letters Lite (US, for iPad, free, practice forming letters)
- Froggy Match It (UK, for iPad and Android with free lite version)
- the early part of Graphogame (Finland, but in several languages, for Apple, Google play or Microsoft)
- Hairy Letters (UK, for iPad and iPhone)
- Initial Code from Sounds-Write (full version is here)
- Jolly Phonics Letter Sounds, Jolly Phonics Fun, and Jolly Phonics Lessons (UK, for iPad and iPhone)
- Letter Reflex – Overcoming Letter Reversals and Backwards Writing in Early Childhood Development and Dyslexic Children (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Letter Sounds 1 Pro (Aus, for iPad or Android). Written by an Australian Speech Pathologist and reading expert.
- Little Finder ABC (US, for iPad and iPhone, free)
- Little Matchups ABC Alphabet (US, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad). Requires children to match upper and lower case letters.
- Oz Phonics 1 (Aus, for iPad). Related information and activities to go with the app are available on the Oz Phonics website.
- Phonics Bingo (US? for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, free)
- Phonics Flashcards (UK, for iPhone and iPad). Covers both simple and more complex spellings, follows SATPIN sequence.
- Phonics Fun on Farm (US for iPad and iPhone). Free lite version is here.
- the early part of Phonics Hero (UK/Aus, for iPad and computer, free for teachers). Available by subscription, with a free 7-day trial.
- Phonics Under The Big Top (Aust, based on Jolly Phonics, for iPad and Android). A few activities at a very basic level and some much more difficult ones.
- Read with Phonics (UK, for Apple, Android and Amazon)
- Reading Raven (US, for iPad and iPhone).
- Sound Beginnings (US, for iPad, iPhone and Mac)
- Spooky Letters (UK, for iPad and iPhone). Practice forming letters. Has free lite version.
- Starfall Learn To Read (US, for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)
- Teach Your Monster To Read: First Steps (UK, for iPad). The same games can be played for free on the internet.
- What’s changed? (US, for iPad, also available for Android)
- Wordchain 1 (NZ, for iPad and Android/Chromebook)
- Writing Magic Letters: Kids learn to write (UK, for iPad and iPhone)
- Writing Wizard (Can? For iPad, free with in-app purchases)
Word-building, spelling and reading for young children (mainly one-letter spellings and three-sound words)
- Alphabet Sounds Word Study (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Atlas Mission (Singapore/India, for iPad and Android)
- Blending Sounds 1 Pro (Aus, for iPad or Android). Written by an Australian Speech Pathologist and reading expert.
- Brainy Bugs Preschool Games (US, for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad). Only a quarter of this app is about phonics.
- CVC Phonics Spelling Practice (US, for iPhone and iPad)
- CVC Word Sort (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- CVC Words Short Vowel Phonics (India, for iPad and iPhone)
- Graphogame (Finland, but in several languages, for Apple, Google play or Microsoft)
- Hear and Blend the Alphabet (US, for iPad or iPhone)
- Howie Finding Vowel (US, for Apple and Android).
- I Can Spell
- Initial Code (UK, based on the Sounds-Write program, for iPad)
- Let’s Read 1: Spelling (US, for iPad and IPhone)
- Little Reader – Three Letter Words (US, for iPhone and iPad).
- Little Speller – Three Letter Words (US, for iPhone and iPad, free).
- Making Words Kindergarten and First Grade (US, for iPad and iPhone, free with in-app purchases)
- Montessori Letter Sounds – Learn Phonics (US, for iPad and iPhone).
- Montessori Crosswords (UK? For iPad and iPhone). Starts with CVC words with “short” vowels but later has much harder spellings. Also available for Android.
- Oz Phonics 2 and Oz Phonics 3 (Aus/NZ, for iPad, have downloadable worksheets here)
- Phonic Flashcards (Aus, UK and US, for iPad or iPhone, includes some digraphs, has free lite version)
- PLD apps level 1a – CVC words (Aus, for iPad, iPhone and Android)
- Pirate Phonics 1 (UK, for iPad and iPhone, also contains some digraphs)
- PocketPhonics and Pocketphonics Stories (US, for iPad)
- Reading Magic 1 Deluxe (US, for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch). Free lite version is here. This app can be used with older learners (no teddies etc.).
- Spelling Magic 1 Deluxe (US, for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch). Free lite version is here. Can be used with older learners.
- Sentence Reading Magic Deluxe – 3 letter words, short vowels (US, for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch). Free lite version is here. Can be used with older learners.
- Sound It Out (US, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad).
- Train Phonics (UK, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad).
Decodable books as apps
- Bob Books Reading Magic 1 (US, for iPad, free lite version is here). Also available for Android. Version 2 is here for iPad, here for Android.
- Decodable Readers Australia (Aus, for iPad and iPhone, four sets now available)
- First Grade Reading Program (US, for iPad)
- Fitzroy Sounding Readers (Aus, for iPad or iPhone, or Android. The entire set is now available as apps.
- Hooked on Phonics (US, for iPad). Also available for Android.
- Kindergarten Easy to Read Stories (synthesized voice, for iPad or iPhone)
- Little Learners Love Literacy books (Aus)
- Oz Readers 1 (Aus, for iPad)
- Quackenworth Learn to Read : Vowel Stories, Learn to Read: Rhyme Stories (US, for iPhone and iPad).
- Reading for All Learners – I See Sam Phonics Books (US? for iPad)
- Red Apple Readers (US, for iPad and Android)
- TAP teen and adult phonics library (Aus/Can, for iPad
Apps containing consonant and/or vowel digraphs and/or consonant blends
- Basic Phonics 2 (US for iPad and iPhone, also on Android)
- Biff, Chip and Kipper literacy bundle (UK, 8 apps for iPad and iPhone)
- Blast off to Reading bundle of Phonics Games based on the Orton Gillingham Approach (US for iPad and iPhone, main area of focus is vowels)
- Build a Word Express, Phonics Free, and Build a Word – Easy Spelling with Phonics (US, for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPhone, free)
- Nessy Hairy Phonics 1 (UK, for iPad/iPhone and Android, Hairy Phonics 2 (UK, for iPad/iPhone and Android) and Hairy Phonics 3 (UK, for iPad/iPhone and Android.
- Letter Sounds 2 Pro (Aus, for iPad or Android). Written by an Australian Speech Pathologist and reading expert.
- Long vowels, digraphs, blends (US, for iPad or iPhone)
- Long Vowels Word Study (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Phonic Flashcards – Animals (Aus, UK and US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Oz Phonics 4 and Oz Phonics 5 (Aus/NZ, for iPad). Related information and activities are on the Oz Phonics website.
- Phonics Match (UK, for iPhone and iPad)
- Phonics Ninja (US, for iPhone and iPad)
- Phonics Vowels – Short Vowels, Long Vowels, Two Vowels (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Pirate Phonics 2 and Pirate Phonics 3 (UK, for iPad and iPhone)
- PLD apps level 1b, c, d (Aus, for iPad, iPhone and Android)
- Reading Magic 2 – Consonant Blends (US, for iPad and iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Reading Magic 4 – Silent Final e (US, for iPad and iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Spelling Magic 2 Deluxe (US, for iPad, iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Spelling Magic 4 – Silent Final e (US, for iPad and iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Sentence Reading Magic – Consonant Blends (US, for iPad, iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Tricky Spelling- Long sounds (Aus, for iPad and iPhone). Targets “long” vowels.
- Reading Raven Volume 2 (US, for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch).
- Word Family Sorts (UK? For iPad/iPhone)
Apps which work on more complex spelling concepts and patterns
- Homophones (US, for iPad). Free lite version is here.
- Reading Magic 3 – Multiple Syllable Words (US, for iPad and iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Spelling Magic 3 – Multiple Syllable Words (US, for iPad and iPhone, free lite version is here.
- Syllable Word Search (US, for iPad and iPhone)
- Syllables Splash (US, iPad and iPhone)
- Tricky Spelling Homophones (Aust, for iPad and iPhone)
- Multisyllabic Words (US, for iPad and iPhone)
Movable alphabets/grapheme sets
- Wordbuilder (Aus, for iPad or Android, a movable alphabet app). Written by an Australian Speech Pathologist and reading expert.
- Word Wizard Talking Movable Alphabet and Spelling Tests (Can? for iPad and iPhone, a word-building app that says words you build in a synthesized voice).
Spelling
- I Can Spell With Phonics and I Can Spell With Phonics CVC+ (Aus, UK or US, for iPad or iPhone)
- Reading Doctor Spelling Sounds 1 Pro (Aus, for iPad and Android)
- Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 (US, but has UK or Canadian English options, for iPad and iPhone)
- Other Simplex Spelling apps: Free lite version, Phonics 2, Advanced.
- Squeebles Spelling (UK, iPad)
- Word Up from Spell Links (US, for iPad)
Assessment
- Jolly Phonics Tests (UK, for iPad and iPhone)
Wordlists
- Phonics Genius (US, for iPad and iPhone)
16 responses to “Apps”
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[…] books: these are books that start off with just a few simple spellings. Click here for a list of the ones I know of, and please tell me if you know of others. These should be the first books children try to read […]
Some of these apps are stupidly expensive!
Wonderful list – thank you for compiling it. Have you heard of GraphoGame? It’s another good one.
I have heard of GraphoGame, it’s something Stanislas Dehaene talks about, but I didn’t realise it was an app, I thought it was just a computer game. Will get it and add it to my list, thanks heaps! Alison
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.|
Thanks, Andrea. I noticed something was wrong yesterday and asked my webmaster about it, but he has a back injury and has been confined to bed. He is working on it now. Sorry for this but he is usually able to fix things quickly. Alison
Thank you so much for providing this comprehensive list and your article Top Early Literacy Apps 2020 they have been very helpful in helping me compile a list including web addressed for parents. I have acknowledged the time and effort it has taken you by referencing you and your amazing blog in the document 🙂
Is Forest Phonics still available in Australia? I have tried to source it and I get an error message stating the it is only available in the US. Thanks again. Kind regards Monique
Great to hear that you’ve found the list and blog post useful. I can’t find Forest Phonics in the Australian apps store either, thanks for pointing this out. You can still use the web-based version, which is here: https://www.ictgames.com/forestPhonics/forestPhonicsOnline/index.html
Great list. Are any of these apps suitable for older kids? (12 years, but still has trouble with complex spelling)?
Thanks Celia, I’m not aware of many good apps for older kids needing to work on complex spelling patterns, sorry. Are you talking about teaching about prefixes, suffixes, Latin roots and Greek combining forms? The app Sound Literacy has quite a few of these that can be used in word building. The app Word Up From Spell Links has lots of good stuff, though it’s a bit American. The Tricky spelling apps have lots of difficult words but the format is a little annoying for kids who would prefer to be on Fortnite. There are some funny ones with dragons in them called Greek Latin and Latin which contain words from Latin and Greek that often are related to words in English. Reading Doctor Letter Sounds 2 might be useful if vowel spellings are an issue, the same goes for Oz Phonics 5 and 6. Syllable word search might also be of interest. Sorry I can’t think of others but I hope that gives you a start. Alison
Thank you for the extensive list of apps. Do you have any suggestions for Chromebooks, please?
Hi Jo, I don’t have a Chromebook, sorry, so my best suggestions are web based ones:
https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/literacy.html
https://www.nessy.com/en-uk
https://www.graphogame.com/index.html
https://phonicshero.com/
Hope that’s useful, all the best, Alison
Lovely! Thank you very much, Alison.
Thank you Alison. Very much appreciated.
I found this blog post very informative, especially the section on the different types of apps available. As a non-tech savvy person, it’s hard for me to keep up with the latest developments in the app world. This post helped me understand the basics and makes me excited to try out some of the new apps I learned about. Thanks for sharing!
I found this blog post on apps to be really informative and helpful. As someone who is new to the world of apps, I appreciated the clear explanations and examples provided. I will definitely be checking out some of the apps mentioned in the post. Thanks for sharing!