Top 5 Reading Apps for Young Children
Let the mom-guilt go by transforming screen time into learning time.
With most schools shut down for the better part of a year due to COVID-19, many parents were left to figure out the best ways to supplement their children’s education. With so many options and such little direction, it can be an overwhelming task. As a parent of two school-aged children, I wanted to take the guesswork out for other parents. I did this by compiling a list of the best reading apps I have come across. I’ve spent countless hours testing apps to ensure that their screen time is turned into valuable learning time when I hand over the device to my children. While many apps are good, or even great, I can confidently say that the ones I’ve chosen for this article are indeed the best reading apps you will encounter.
1.) Reading Eggs
Including this in the top 5 best reading apps list was a no-brainer for me. Reading Eggs is the winner of a handful of parent and teacher awards and has over 10 million subscribers. The app meets your child where they are at and builds a solid foundation through self-paced and interactive lessons. Reading Eggs makes learning to read fun by including incentives (i.e., tokens for character upgrades), fun characters, catchy songs, and more. The app incorporates lessons on comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, phonics, and phonemic awareness, making it very well-rounded and on par with the standard curriculum.
2.) LeapFrog Academy
At first glance, you may wonder how this app made it onto my best reading apps list. It is not an app solely dedicated to the purpose of teaching children how to read. However, it IS a brilliantly developed app made for preschoolers and kindergartners, and with that comes some pretty excellent lessons for beginning readers. You will find all the basics here, such as letter recognition, sight words, and syllables. Your child may not even realize they are learning as they immerse themselves in this video-game-like journey through lesson plans!
3.) YouTellMeStories
This app is a bit different than your run-of-the-mill reading app. It focuses more on comprehension versus learning to read. What good is learning to read if you cannot comprehend and retain the information? I haven’t found many apps that focus on these critical factors. When I found YouTellMeStories, I was impressed with the approach to get children to understand what they are reading, which is why I felt it belonged on the best reading apps list. With this app, you will benefit from reading, following along, word recognition, and comprehension.
4.) Lexia Core5 Reading
You may recognize this name if your child is in public school. Lexia is a program used by many districts to help equip students with all the tools needed to be successful readers. The Lexia app is a technology-based program that follows the standards taught in school, making it an excellent choice for bridging school work and homework. Your child will advance to higher levels as they complete lessons in vocabulary, word recognition, phonemic awareness, and much more.
5.) ABCmouse
ABCmouse is another app that covers a wide variety of subjects, not just reading. With its use in over 70,000 classrooms and its packed curriculum, it was easy to give this app a spot on the best reading apps list. The lessons are individually customized, offering content appropriate for any skill level. Boasting some honorable awards, ABCmouse is a trusted source for your child’s learning needs.