Free reading software for kids

10 Best Free Reading Apps For Kids & Toddlers

In today's world of technology, it is easier than ever to learn about your favorite things, whether it is sports, movies, video games, and more through apps. Specifically, it has become an essential tool for teaching children valuable skills to prepare them for the real world.

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Apps today are developed to hone in on kids' phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and reading ability so that they are not only learning but are enjoying the lessons they are engaging in. There are a variety of free apps for kids and toddlers to get a head start on their comprehension skills.

Khan Academy Kids

With more than 60 books, the Khan Academy Kids app offers beginner reading activities that include illustrations and research-proven learning techniques. There are games to trace letters and copy words, in addition to simple read-along stories to strengthen their ABCs and sounding of words.

A special feature, Foundational Reading Skills, helps readers learn about the parts of a book and read words in the world outside of books, such as labels and packaging. (iOS, Android, Kindle Fire)

Kid Mode: Play + Learn: Multiple Reading Skills

Designed for children ages 2 to 8, the app uses familiar cartoon characters to engage kids in learning the alphabet and other basic reading skills.

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Kid Mode also includes many activities for those who want to brush up on their math skills. Some of the characters included in the app are from PBS Kids and Disney, and also feature Thomas the Train, the Teletubbies, and Winnie the Pooh. (Android, Kindle Fire)

Sight Words List: Vocabulary

Through sight, sounds, and touch, Sight Words is organized by cognitive level to teach children how to read and expand their vocabulary.

A unique part about the app is that a parent or older sibling can add their own voices and items to the app's interface by taking pictures of familiar items or possessions around the house. This personalization and the ability to adjust games for the readers make this app easy to use. (iOS)

ICDL Books For Children: Free Books

The International Children's Digital Library offers a collection of thousands of free picture books from more than 60 countries. The goal is to help children read and become "better world citizens" by introducing them to stories and cultures from dozens of countries around the world.

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Each book has a summary in English and the native language of the book, in addition to the ability to zoom into text and different viewing abilities on the interface. (iOS, Android)

Relay Reader

Brought to you by the Educational Testing Service, Relay Reader is one of the few reading tools that engage children in a full-length book versus short-length exercises for practice. Every other page is read out loud by a skilled narrator for extra help in preparation for when it is their turn to read aloud.

There is also an assessment at the end of the book to test how the reader comprehended the story. Further, children can record themselves reading so they can play it back and improve how they sound out words. (iOS, Android)

Learn to Read With Tommy Turtle

Learn to Read With Tommy Turtle encourages young kids to blend sounds into words, read and say words, identify words, and learn word families.

The free sections of the app include the "Magic Letter Bridge" for kids to practice blending letter sounds into words; "Skateboards and Helmets" which helps practice reading while changing Tommy Turtle's outfits; and "Turn the Blocks" where kids can formulate new words by rotating letter blocks to form new word combinations. (Android)

Starfall Learn To Read

Each section of this app is led by Zac the Rat who teaches children a vowel sound and its related spelling. Kids are able to read, hear, touch, and master the sound and spelling of words through activities, movies, and songs.

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The app is focused on strengthening the relationship between spoken and written language, and it is recommended for new readers and English language learners. (iOS, Android)

ABC Kids: Tracing & Phonics

The free phonics and alphabet teaching app is targeted at preschoolers, toddlers, and kindergarteners. ABC Kids includes tracing games that help kids recognize upper and lower case letter shapes and associate them with phonic sounds.

It personalizes the experience by using any alphabet knowledge kids already have for completing letter matching exercises. Stickers and rewards are given to readers for completing tracing games, making their experience more fun. (Android)

Word Domino Free

Although this game is pushed for older adults and children, younger kids are encouraged to get the app to help form words with the presented syllables on the board and inside the designated category.

Word Domino Free is perfect for enhancing vocabulary, reading abilities, and focusing their attention on forming words. There are three difficulty levels and can be increased to eight, and it is available in English, Spanish, French, and German. (Android)

ABC Letter Tracing: Alphabet

ABC Letter Tracing is focused on helping children learn how to recognize and write the alphabet. With each upper and lower case letter, there is an accompanying picture representing its sound.

The app also includes a voice that guides children as they are tracing each letter for additional tips with the alphabet. (iOS)

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The Best Free Reading Apps for Kids for 2022

It’s no secret that kids love smartphones and tablets because they’re engaging and easy to use. But they can also be learning tools that inspire kids by demonstrating experiences and offering information, while at the same time teaching reading, language, spelling, and comprehension. As parents try to set limits on their kids’ screen time while encouraging them to read more books, they can also dedicate screen time to reading and developing vocabulary skills. That’s the idea behind mobile reading apps, and they’re especially geared toward younger kids — preschoolers, kindergartners, and the other early grades. We’ve gathered a few of the most highly-regarded reading apps for kids spanning iOS, Android, and Kindle phones and tablets. While some apps are targeted to specific age groups, others have a wide range that covers a variety of learning levels and interests. And all of them are free.

Contents

Relay Reader
Spark Reading for Kids
Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle
Starfall Learn to Read
Sight Words
ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics
Khan Academy Kids
Word Domino Free

While you’re at it, be sure to also check out our list of best tablets for kids, apps for kids, and iOS games for kids.

Relay Reader

Relay Reader, brought to you by the Educational Testing Service, is one of the few reading tools that engages young readers in a full-length book for the entertainment value of the story as opposed to reading short passages for practice. The app challenges readers with interesting literature and helps readers learn by having every other page read out loud by a skilled narrator, so kids hear the words they will have to read when it is his or her turn to read aloud. Multiple-choice questions follow to test comprehension. Readers can record themselves to hear and improve on how they sound.

Spark Reading for Kids

This reading comprehension series is targeted to students seeking to augment their reading and comprehension skills with free original fiction and non-fiction stories from the second to eighth grade levels. Users can read and test comprehension with questions about selected passages. Aligned with CCSS — Common Core State Standards — the lessons are appropriate for classrooms or independent study. You can track and export test results to share student progress. An all-access subscription for $4 per month provides hundreds of stories, audio for stories to be read aloud, highlighting of words to read along, and more. No Wi-Fi is needed.

Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle

The lite version of Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle, a charming kid’s game that encourages preschool children to blend sounds into words, read and say words, identify words, and learn word families, is absolutely free and a great way for kids to get started with reading and comprehension. The app’s free sections include Magic Letter Bridge, where kids are taught to blend letter sounds into words by scooting Tommy across the letter bridge. Then there’s Skateboards and Helmet, where the kiddos can practice reading as they outfit Tommy’s animal buddies with skateboards and helmets. Finally, Turn the Blocks lets kids formulate new words by rotating lettered blocks on their sides until a real word emerges from the combination. Additional paid modules are also available, but optional. All app sections focus on successful outcomes and concentrate on positive reinforcement from an agreeable teacher, so kids are encouraged to keep reading.

Starfall Learn to Read

Zac the Rat has taught countless kids to read, and he can teach yours too. It may be fun, but Zac is not fooling around. Each app section features a vowel sound and its related spelling. Kids can hear, touch, read, and master this sound and spelling through activities, movies, and songs. The idea is that kids will eventually recognize the relationship between spoken and written language, and of course, have fun and understand that reading is fun. This app works especially well for new readers and English language learners.

Sight Words

Sight Words gives kids a fun way to expand their vocabulary through sight, sound, and touch, organized by cognitive level, including preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. The interface is so easy to use that even a 9-month-old can appreciate the app, though it’s targeted to kids up to six years old. Parents and older siblings can add their own voices and items to the app’s interface by taking pictures of familiar items or possessions around the house. This personalizes the app for the child so they have a stake in the game. The app can also adjust the game dynamically to change the number of objects per page to keep kids challenged and entertained.

ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics

ABC Kids is a free phonics and alphabet teaching app that enlivens learning for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. Its tracing games help kids recognize upper and lower case letter shapes and associate them with phonic sounds. It uses any alphabet knowledge kids already have for completing letter matching exercises. Preschoolers can just follow the arrows with their fingers and even collect stickers and toys as rewards for completing tracing games. The interface focuses the wee ones on alphabet reading and writing that helps kids learn the English alphabet.

Khan Academy Kids

This free, award-winning app highlights thousands of activities, books, music, and games for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders. An interchangeable cast of characters leads kiddos through lessons while personalizing their experience. Khan provides a set of classes in reading and literacy, language, math, and thought process, and explains subjects and concepts like phonics, alphabet, spelling, writing, vocabulary, opposites, prepositions, verbs, counting, numbers, addition, subtraction, shapes, and focus, memory, and problem-solving. Kids are able to learn on an independent basis and at their specific required speed.

They can also choose to read a book or follow along with an audio reading — and gather bugs, hats, and toys as they listen and learn. This application was created by specialists at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and conforms with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards.

Word Domino Free

This word game has a distinct concentration and targets older children and adults, encouraging them to get involved. The purpose is to form words with the presented syllables on the board and inside the designated category. It helps children six and older enhance and widen their vocabularies and reading abilities and direct their attention. The game, which is intended for use on smartphones or tablets, has three difficulty levels, while the free version has eight levels. This game is available in English, Spanish, French, and German.

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Roskachestvo named the safest applications for teaching children to read - RBC

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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. nine0003

Many children today 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 to find the best app for teaching children to read, because there are so many of them? 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.
"Speaking 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. nine0076

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 application for learning to read?
Terminals

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The application that took the highest place 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

"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. nine0003

Benefits of the application:

Fascinating plot – the application captivates from the first minutes, so the 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 compose 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. nine0076
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. nine0076

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. nine0003

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. nine0076
Interesting design - many children will like plasticine animals.
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". nine0003

Advantages:

large letters;
original coloring book that helps to remember the letters well;
intuitive interface.

Disadvantages:

Of the minuses of this application, one 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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 uninterested 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. nine0076
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, 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.
Learn more

Free reading software for kids

10 Best Free Reading Apps For Kids & Toddlers

Khan Academy Kids

Kid Mode: Play + Learn: Multiple Reading Skills

Sight Words List: Vocabulary

ICDL Books For Children: Free Books

Relay Reader

Learn to Read With Tommy Turtle

Starfall Learn To Read

ABC Kids: Tracing & Phonics

Word Domino Free

ABC Letter Tracing: Alphabet

The Best Free Reading Apps for Kids for 2022

Relay Reader

Spark Reading for Kids

Learn to Read with Tommy Turtle

Starfall Learn to Read

Sight Words

ABC Kids – Tracing & Phonics

Khan Academy Kids

Word Domino Free

Editors' Recommendations

Roskachestvo named the safest applications for teaching children to read - RBC

Top 3 best apps for teaching children to read

When should a child start learning to read?

How do I choose a good reading app?

Learn more