Best learning to read games
The 10 Best Reading Games for Kids (2023 Reviews & Rankings)
The best reading games for kids can help your little ones learn to read and make them more confident readers as they progress.
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Reading game apps and board games can be a fun way for kids to develop their literacy skills, increase comprehension, and build vocabulary.
With the ever-increasing popularity of digital devices, there are numerous apps available that provide educational reading games for kids of all ages. And of course, there are some classic board games that are designed to help your child practice their reading skills.
To assist young readers develop their vocabulary, spelling skills, and understanding of letter sounds, we’ve compiled a list of the best reading games for kids.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
What are the Best Reading Games for Kids?
Here are our top picks for reading games kids are sure to enjoy…
1.
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Price
Free
Recommended age
7-10
The first reading game on our list is “Mystery at the Lakehouse” by Lou Adventures.
This reading game consists of 12 interactive chapters brimming with information on the Mystery at the Lakehouse.
Furthermore, as your kid reads through the story, the talking dog, Lou, will lead your kid through a series of exciting adventures.
They will discover a secret journal, a hidden bunker, a cave with mysterious pictures, and much more!
The app helps kids improve their reading comprehension using speech recognition technology through a fun, interactive game format. It works like a virtual tutor, helping kids improve their reading and pronunciation.
You can also monitor your child’s success from the parent dashboard. It includes a wonderful feature that allows parents to track their kid’s recordings when they read through the app.
And did we mention the app is totally free to use?
Key Features
- The game will aid young children in developing their reading skills
- Developed by education experts to ensure that young children can advance in various reading speech domains
- It comes with games, puzzles, and DIY activities, all aimed at boosting kids’ self-esteem and ability to communicate in English
Click here to try Lou Adventures for free!
2. Wordsearch Junior
Price
Varies
Recommended age
4-6 years
As the name says “Wordsearch Junior,” it’s obvious that all younger kids can enjoy this junior word search game. Older kids can also participate in this board game in a quirky way.
Kids can try to make sense of the jumbled letters by looking for patterns and visuals, while older youngsters can try to decode sentences.
The concept embedded in this game is ideal for kids to learn new words and develop their literacy.
Furthermore, it encourages children to become accustomed to looking for patterns and gives new readers many chances to practice identifying letters and words.
Key features
- Best reading game if your kid is just getting started
- Different levels according to the kid’s ability to search the word
- Help children with their vocabulary and pronunciation
3. Zingo!
Price
$21.99
Recommended age
4+
Zingo is much like the game you must have heard before, “Bingo”! However, to complete your Zingo, you will need to match photos to the appropriate words. The winner is the first player to have a full card.
In this game, young readers and non-readers alike can practice matching pictures and words on their challenge cards. Young minds strive to fill their cards first and shout “ZINGO!” while Zinger provides tiles and entertainment. This matching game helps players improve their language abilities while keeping them on their toes with two different play levels.
Key features
- Increases children’s vocabulary with matching pictures and word tiles such as ghost, bunny, cat, star, house, train, and ball
- Helps in early reading skills
- Develops matching, concentration, compare and contrast skills
4. Go 4 It! Word Families
Price
$16.99
Recommended age
5+
The objective of this card game, known as “Go 4 it,” is to amass a collection of words that belong to the same word family, such as the “–ake” family of words.
Students are motivated to understand rhyme structure by playing this entertaining game, similar to Go Fish and Authors. The players will continue to place their sets on the table as they gather all four cards in a word family until they are out of cards.
This unique game helps children better understand the logic behind the technique “If I can read bat, then I can read hat.” In little time, they will be able to read and spell word families!
Key features
- Kids learn new words faster
- The rhyming sounds of the same word family foster children’s cognitive and motor skills
- Comes with 96 cards through which kids can make endless combinations
5.
BOOKR Class – Learn EnglishPrice
Free
Recommended age
4-12
BOOKR Class is an online resource that provides students learning English with access to animated books and games. Children can become more comfortable with vocabulary and expressing their thoughts by listening to narrated versions of literary classics, contemporary stories, and songs in the digital library.
Your youngster can improve their reading, writing, listening, and overall conversational abilities with the help of this app. The activities provided, followed by homework, are not only attractive, but they also have a genuine educational objective.
Key features
- Kids will have a lot of fun displaying their vocabulary abilities
- Several games are included at the end of each book to engage students
- If you play and win the games, you will get coins which allow you to read other books for free
- Allows the parents to track their kid’s progress
6.
Mussila Wordplay: Learn to ReadPrice
Free
Recommended age
4+
Mussila Wordplay is another reading app that allows kids to engage in fun games while learning. This Wordplay is designed to help kids develop their reading, comprehension, and word recognition skills through various fun and engaging activities.
The app incorporates various learning strategies to attract and retain young users and facilitate reading and comprehension skills. In this activity, kids can choose from several different storylines in which they’ll be asked to match pictures with words.
Key features
- Aids youngsters in acquiring and consolidating their reading skills
- Helps them to become confident readers
- Various word recognition, reading, spelling, and comprehension activities
7. Lingokids
Price
- Free for the basic plan
- $14.99/month for unlimited plan
Recommended age
3-11 years
Lingokids is an app designed to help young children learn English using various media such as music, videos, and games.
Over 3,000 words can be understood in an entertaining and educational way with Lingokids.
We believe that a fun and engaging way is best for learning, and LingoKids has come up with a great initiative l. They have provided different activities that help students learn faster through various digital mediums.
Moreover, to have more fun studying together as a family, look over the Additional Material after each game your child plays. Also, the best part about it is that it has content that Oxford University Press first published.
Key features
- Various readiness exercises to improve communication skills
- Have a combination of British and American English
- Cognitive, reading, thinking, and reasoning skills development
8. Endless Reader
Price
- Basic plan: Free
- Pack of words: $4.99
- Bundle: $11.99
Recommended age
3-7
The Endless Reader introduces kids to interactive animations that show both spelling and meaning of words.
Moreover, it also exposes your youngster to phonics and sight words.
With the aid of the Endless Reader app, kids may quickly and interactively acquire fundamental phonics abilities. From the perspective of a literacy professional, it is evident that this software aids kids in learning to read and write. From letter and sight word recognition to understanding how words work together in sentences, this reading has got you covered.
Key features
- Creative animations for a better understanding of visual learning
- Recall common sight words
- Cartoon characters are represented as spellings to help kids remember them
9. OgStar Reading
Price
$49.99
Recommended age
3-11
The OgStar has built-in minigames and incentives that engage kids and take them on an intriguing reading journey. It is also supported by The National Reading Panel’s scientific recommendation to teach young pupils i.e. by entertainment, structured, and multimodal learning.
Therefore, children receive structured instruction using a multimodal approach throughout the classes. They start mimicking letter sounds by appropriately shaping their mouths and repeating words in chunks. Before children begin to read and write, the game is quickly progressed to include letters and irregular words.
Key features
- The app’s engaging aesthetics immediately draw kids in
- Young learners are taught to identify and eliminate individual phonemes from words
- Kids are prompted to experiment with their voices and hear what they sound like
- The software speaks to the child continuously as it walks them through the session
10. Epic!
Price
Basic Plan: Free
Unlimited: $9.99/mo
Recommended age
12 and under
Epic allows children to discover their passions and develop skills in an entertaining and secure setting. Children can pick from an endless collection of instructional books, nursery rhymes, audiobooks, and songs.
Rest assured, your children will never experience boredom because of the plethora of activities this game offers. They can read stories of varying genres, study phonics, and play to their heart’s content. The stories are available for reading in various formats, including online, offline, on mobile devices, or even on the web.
Key features
- Over 35,000 high-quality books and videos
- Covers children’s literature, including award-winning novels and informative nonfiction
- Infographics are also included
Final Thoughts on the Best Reading Games for Kids
Reading games are an excellent way to teach your kids about spelling, phonics, and sight words.
Studies have shown that games are a great way to teach children, as they are enjoyable and interactive. Games also provide strong visual and auditory cues that can help build a foundation of reading skills.
We hope this article has helped provide you with some insight into the best reading games for kids!
Our top pick is Lou Adventures because it is specially designed to make the learning process fun and adventurous.
No matter which game you choose, your child is sure to benefit from this fun and educational experience.
Have any questions about the best reading games for kids? Let us know by commenting below.
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10 Fun Reading Board Games for Kids
Are reading board games effective?
Reading board games (and card games) are a fun and effective way to foster children’s sight-word knowledge, vocabulary development, and fluency skills (all important elements of becoming a solid reader).
What does the research say about teaching reading with games?
Research indicates that utilizing board games to teach reading leads to improved skills for students with learning disabilities.
Additionnally, when we use games, we create a multi-sensory approach that incorporates more than one sense at a time (e.g., sight, touch, and sound).
Research supports the practice of applying a multi-sensory approach to reading instruction.
A multi-sensory approach allows students to take in learning through a variety of modalities, which is more engaging for many than the standard approach to teaching reading.
You Might Also Like: Reading with TLC: A Fun Research-Based Hands-on Program that Helps Children Learn to Read (Great for Students Who Have Trouble Learning to Read Through Traditional Approaches)
Try Any of These 10 Fun Reading Games with Your Children
For students who are struggling or just learning, an adult should play as well, providing assistance if needed. Children who are more independent with their reading skills can play these fun games together
1. Learning Resources Pop For Sight Words Game
For 2 to 4 players.
Ages 5+
In the Pop For Sight Words Game children will gain foundational reading skills as they recognize and read aloud sight-words. This fast-paced game is great for improving fluency and vocabulary.
Players keep piling up the kernels, when they read the words correctly (Adults can provide assistance and slowly fade it out as children’s skills improve). Pull a POP kernel, and all your pieces go back!
Sight words are high-frequency words that are crucial for reading fluency. Make sight-word practice as much fun as possible with this popular Pop for Sight Words game!
Basic game-play instructions are printed on the box—but look for ways to put your own twist on things!
For example, decide on a silly activity that everyone has to perform when you pull a POP kernel. Or, challenge children by asking them to read the word and use it in a sentence. The options are endless.
2. Learning Resources POP for Word Families Card Game
2 to 4 players. Ages 6+
In POP for Word Families Card Game, children pull out a popcorn piece and create a word with that ending.
A POP kernel means all your pieces go back.
Start with 2-letter endings, then move up to 3-letter endings and rhyming practice (adults support and provide guidance as needed).
Includes 92 word family cards, 8 POP cards, spinner and guide (printed on box).
3. Zingo Sight Words
Up to six players. Ages 4+
Zingo Sight Words is a fun pre-reading game that teaches children to recognize sight words. The activities are designed to be fun and engaging.
Similar to the game Bingo, students match chips to the correct squares. However, there are visual cues for those still learning to recognize words.
In addition to helping children learn to read, Zingo Sight Words can improve language skills and encourage critical thinking,
4.
Learning Resources Snap It Up! Phonics: Word Families2 or more players. Ages 6+
Snap It Up! Phonics:Word Families is an exciting, fast-paced card game that provides kids with a lot of reading practice.
Players pick and pass cards as quickly as they can to spell words.
Each game includes 90 cards (adults provide guidance as needed-play with your kids, so they get the hang of it).
5. Trend Enterprises Sight Words Bingo Flash Cards
3 players, Ages 5+
In the Sight Words Bingo Flash Cards game, players practice reading 46 words from common vocabulary lists.
The unique, six-way format adapts to a variety of skill levels and is a fun learning supplement for small groups or the entire class.
It is also ideal for learners with disabilities and anyone learning English.
Set includes 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller’s mat and cards, and a storage box.
6. The Sentence Building Game
2 to 4 players. Ages 5+
The Sentence Building Game includes familiar sight words, photos and common punctuation on interlocking cards.
Players use the cards to build sentences, teach grammar and practice reading all in one activity.
The 86-card set includes 55 word cards, color-coded by parts of speech (i.e., nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and punctuation puzzle cards).
27 photo cards, and 4 punctuation cards are included as well.
The set comes with fun and engaging activities to build vocabulary, increase fluency and teach punctuation and grammar both in and out of school.
You May Also Like the Book: The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder for Teens and Adults
7. Zingo Word Builder Board Game
2 to 6 players. Ages 5+
Zingo Word Builder Board Game allows children to build reading skills, three letters at a time. This game is the perfect confidence booster for early readers.
Slide the Zinger and pick tiles to fill your Zingo card with three-letter words.
Zingo Word Builder helps children work on reading, vocabulary, and spelling skills.
It is designed to engage and support beginning and more experienced readers, as there are two different levels of play (provide adult support as needed).
9. My First Bananagrams
1 to 4 players. Ages 4+
My First Bananagrams, a game for pre-readers and early learners, uses lowercase letters to make word games. The game also includes some combo-letter tiles (e.g., ch, ee, qu).
10. Sight Word Swat
1 to 4 players, Ages 5+
Sight Word Swat encourages kids to discover the 220 most commonly used sight words.
One person calls out a sight word. Players have to the spot sight words and then swat them, in order to capture as many “flies” as they can.
To reduce frustration, assist children who have trouble finding words.
You can also reduce the number of words in the pile or make separate piles for different students.
You might also like:
Effective Program Helps Young Children Learn to Read
8 Highest-Rated Board Games for Kids to Practice Addition and Subtraction
Education and Behavior – Keeping Adults on the Same Page for Kids!
Rachel Wise
Rachel Wise is the author and founder of Education and Behavior. Rachel created Education and Behavior in 2014 for adults to have an easy way to access research-based information to support children in the areas of learning, behavior, and social-emotional development. As a survivor of abuse, neglect, and bullying, Rachel slipped through the cracks of her school and community.
Education and Behavior hopes to play a role in preventing that from happening to other children. Rachel is also the author of Building Confidence and Improving Behavior in Children: A Guide for Parents and Teachers.
“Children do best when there is consistency within and across settings (i.e., home, school, community). Education and Behavior allows us to maintain that consistency.”
www.educationandbehavior.com
Sharing our content helps provide free tutoring to children in academic and financial need.
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Top 3 best apps for teaching children to read
Often modern parents face the problem of teaching children to read. The old methods don't always work, especially for hyperactive babies who can't sit still for long periods of time.
Such children need to be really interested and captivated. Using special good applications for learning to read, you can quickly learn this skill at home.
Many of today's children have tablets, which are perceived as exciting entertainment. To prevent your child from wasting time watching uninformative videos and playing with toys, install useful educational programs that can quickly learn the alphabet and master reading skills.
How do you find the best app for teaching kids to read when there are so many? We have analyzed dozens of educational programs for preschoolers and selected the best ones for you!
Our pick:
- Reading - This game makes learning to read an exciting adventure. It features easy to operate, intuitive interface and an incredibly exciting storyline. Suitable for children from 3 to 7 years old.
- "Talking ABC" - Application with high-quality animation for the little ones.
- "Learning letters is fun for kids!" - This game is best suited for those who are just learning to read.
Training takes place with the help of elementary exercises.
Contents of the article:
- 1. Reading - the author's game according to the method of Zaitsev's cubes
- 2. Speaking alphabet
- 3. Learning letters is fun for children
- When to start teaching a child to read?
- How to choose a good reading app?
- Pins
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The application that took the highest line in our rating is “Reading”. We will pay special attention to him in the article, because there is something to tell about.
"Reading" is an interesting educational sequential game for children from 3 to 7 years old. Differs in simplicity in management and intuitively clear interface. There is a plot here, which is even more captivating for a child who seeks to learn new information.
Thanks to the sound accompaniment, the child quickly remembers letters and sounds. All letters, warehouses and words are pronounced clearly and slowly.
After starting the application, a short animation appears on the screen - two heroes in a balloon get into a magical land, but a strong wind blew and the balloon skidded to the top. Now friends will have an exciting journey through Reading.
The guys will regularly have to move to new levels, where more difficult tasks await them. In order to maintain your rating, it is recommended that you regularly go to Reading, which encourages children to study systematically. The child is immersed in an exciting adventure, while developing such useful qualities as attentiveness, diligence, kindness and love of knowledge.
"Readings" is an application that will be a great addition to learning with "Zaitsev's Cubes" - one of the most effective methods today. The educational program is aimed at instilling in children a love of reading from childhood.
In the game, you can create several profiles, which makes it possible to deal with several children at once. The multiplayer mode allows each student to learn at their own pace. Additional profiles can be created for free. There are statistics on the passage of the game, in which parents see the progress of their child, the percentage of correctly completed tasks.
Benefits of the application:
- Fascinating plot – the application captivates from the first minutes, so classes are held in a relaxed manner. This is the first app we've analyzed that has a story. The child does not just learn, but becomes a participant in the quest, which further fuels his interest.
- Rich functionality - thanks to the application, you can not only learn letters, but also form syllables, read words in full, write letters and words correctly. The game has an extensive vocabulary and many levels, the passage of which will take more than one day. The lessons are very interesting.
Therefore, we can conclude that the application will not get bored for a long time. - Stylish design - illustrations are made in watercolor, the application has a unique musical accompaniment, the main characters speak with children's voices.
- Detailed explanations for children and hints for parents. Tasks in the game adapt to the child. If the student successfully copes with the tasks, the algorithm selects more difficult levels. This is a useful functionality that allows each child to study at a pace that is comfortable for him. All children are different. For some, it takes 1-2 months to learn to read, and in some cases it may take at least a year. An important role in learning is played not only by how the child remembers information, but also by his age. The Readings app is suitable for both a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old child.
Disadvantages:
We did not find any cons in this application. The developers have created a really useful tool for teaching preschoolers, taking into account the age characteristics of children and paying attention to details.
You can learn more about how everything works here:
A short video review of Reading will allow you to evaluate the functionality, design and main features of the application.
An application with high-quality animation will surely appeal to little fidgets. Letters appear on the screen, and when pressed, they fold up like plasticine, transforming into funny animals. You can click on the note symbol and listen to the list of animals that begin with that letter.
For children who have already mastered the alphabet a little, the second learning option is more suitable. Six letters appear on the screen. The voice in the program says which letter to choose and the child clicks on the option that suits him. If the answer is correct, an animal with that letter appears on the screen, if not, the letter folds into a ball.
Benefits:
- Three modes - learning, games and puzzles. All the knowledge gained can be consolidated in a playful way.
- Interesting design - plasticine animals will appeal to many children.
- Quality soundtrack.
Disadvantages:
Although the application is intended for children from 2 to 7 years old, in our opinion, it will appeal mainly to toddlers. Children over 5 years old will be carried away for a while.
The app is best suited for young children who are just learning to read. Training is carried out with the help of elementary exercises. The main screen contains the alphabet. When you click on a letter, a picture and a word that begins with that letter appears. There is also a funny rhyme. To consolidate the knowledge gained in the application, coloring pages are provided; games "Memory", "Find the letter in the picture", "Show what begins with a letter", "Make a word".
Advantages:
- large letters;
- original coloring book that helps to remember the letters well;
- intuitive interface.
Disadvantages:
Of the minuses of this application, we can note a small functionality. From personal experience, we can say that such an application will quickly get boring for a child. Especially if the baby is active. It can be concluded that using "Learning letters fun for children" is only at the initial stage of learning. When the child masters the alphabet, it is worth moving on to more functional programs. For inquisitive children, the application is too simple.
When should a child start learning to read?
The days when children went to school unprepared and learned to read all together in the classroom are long gone. The school curriculum is now quite complicated, so parents start preparing for school at the age of 4-5, which will reduce the load in the first months of schooling.
It is important to adhere to the "golden mean" in everything. If the neighbor's child is already reading with might and main at 5 years old, and yours does not show interest in learning, you should not sound the alarm. In some cases, it is necessary to wait a little for the child to show interest in learning.
The main signs that the child is ready to learn to read:
- the child understands the words and phrases addressed to him by others;
- vocabulary allows the child to communicate freely with other children and adults;
- the child pronounces most of the words correctly, without gross errors.
Studying letters and reading is necessary regularly, but little by little. It should be borne in mind that due to age, it is difficult for a child to spend a lot of time in one place, so many hours of classes become a real test.
How do I choose a good reading app?
New preschool learning apps are released regularly.
Only a few of them really deserve attention and are useful. Modern parents simply do not have time to monitor all the information and choose the right programs. Therefore, we have already done it for you and prepared a rating of the best applications, thanks to which a child can quickly learn to read at home.
When choosing an application, consider:
- Age - there are both universal applications, calculated from 3 years old to the school itself, and designed for a specific age. The first option is more convenient, because the child starts learning in one program and, as he grows up, he does not need to study other applications. If there are several children in the family with a small difference in age, you can study together using one application!
- Degree of preparation - if the child is already familiar with the letters, he will be absolutely not interested in using the application, in which classes are designed for the smallest. While the baby is uncomfortable to engage in a program designed for the age of 5 years.
It is better to choose universal applications that are suitable for both those who are just learning to read, and for children who want to improve their knowledge. - Interface - should be as simple and clear as possible so that the child can independently launch the application and start classes.
- Additional features - children perceive information more easily in a playful way, so it's great if the application provides coloring books, various puzzles and games. The presence of built-in educational games helps to maintain interest in completing tasks and stable memorization of the information received.
- Security - no malware.
Now let's take a look at the top 3 apps for learning to read. When compiling the rating, such points as the teaching methodology, functionality, the presence of advertising and the ability to turn it off were taken into account.
Conclusions
Of all the analyzed applications, "Reading" is the most adapted to children of different ages.
The plot develops dynamically, the child is always waiting for new tasks, so he is moving forward with interest.
When compiling the rating, we used not only our own experience, but also the opinion of other parents, having studied dozens of reviews on specialized sites. We hope this information will be useful to you and will help your child learn to read faster!
Top 5 mobile apps for teaching children to read Learning to read!
Photo: Detstrana.ruDetstrana.ru
The application is designed for children from 1 to 7 years old and is suitable even for those who do not yet know the letters. The free version includes 4 levels, the full version has 10 levels, of which the first 4 are working with syllables and individual letters, and the next 6 are dedicated to words. The levels are built according to the principle of increasing difficulty: letter recognition, syllable reading, composing and reading words. If your baby loves Luntik, you definitely won’t have to force him to do it!
Video of the day
Download for Android
Download for iOs
Price: free demo, full — 119 rubles.
"Speaking ABC"
One of the most fun apps for kids to learn letters through games and catchy songs. The main feature of the "Talking ABC" is funny characters drawn in the spirit of plasticine animation.
Download for Android
Download for iOs
Price: Lite version free, Pro — 249R.
“Learning to read by syllables. I read myself. Learning to read»
The application is suitable for preschool children who already know the letters. The game process is built on the principle of dividing words into warehouses (the famous Zaitsev cubes are based on this technique). The child learns to read by making words from cards with letters and syllables. The correct spelling of the word is accompanied by a cute animation that makes learning more fun and enjoyable. The games are not difficult at all, so the baby can learn to read on his own.
Download for Android
Download for iOs
Price: demo version for free, then 69–79 rubles.
for the game.
“ABC for Children! Learn the Alphabet!
This game is also called "ABC in boxes". Naughty letters from boxes help to learn the alphabet and take the first steps in learning to read. The task of the child is to catch living letters and make a word out of them, and then, from the details of the designer, assemble the character that this word stands for. The game has 2 reading modes: by letters (for the smallest) and by syllables (for those who already know the alphabet). Bright, colorful animation and a lot of positive feedback from parents - it's not a sin to purchase the full version!
Download for Android
Download for iOs
Price: Lite version - free, Pro - 196-299 rubles.
"Learning letters is fun!"
The game consists of 3 blocks. In the first, each letter is presented in such a way that the child easily remembers it. Bright animated illustrations and a poem voiced by the announcer will help him with this. Funny animals "come to life" if you click on them.
