This is what we are here for: to help you find the best kids' apps on Android. This most definitely fits into that category. One of the more excellent early literacy apps, Read Write Phonics has a bit of everything: learning letters/sounds, sounding out words, handwriting. What a fantastic resource for teachers or homeschoolers!
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External links to email the developer
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FREE Demo Version $2.49 Full Version
FREE Demo Version $2.49 Full Version
Read Write Phonics is a UK based developer who has produced an app that will be hard to beat. Excellent graphics with an aesthetic presentation, and easy to follow instructions for the activities, this is definitely one I will be using repeatedly.
Unlike other phonics apps I have seen, this one has grouped the sounds, in the read section, according to how they are produced, i.e., explosive (plosives), nosey (nasals), friction (fricatives), short vowel (vowels), long vowel (dipthongs). The app could even be used as a speech therapy tool by having the sounds grouped this way. The child could focus on making a particular kind of sound at the same time as learning to read it. The demo version includes t, c, m, n, f, h, a, o, oo and oi.
The writing section has the letters in alphabetical order and gives a demonstration of how to write each letter before the child attempts to. Verbal praise and stars are awarded for accuracy, and the child is encouraged to try again if his writing is too messy. The demo version includes a, c, h, m, t, u, x and y.
The last section, phonics, looks at small words and big words. Small words such as cat are sounded out as each letter is touched, and the whole word read using the repeat button. Big words are those that have dipthongs or digraphs so when the word is sounded out, those letters are combined instead of being sounded out separately. The demo version includes cat, hat, moon and coin.
SCREENSHOTS
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APP DESCRIPTION ON GOOGLE PLAY
Teach your child to read and write the easy way!
Read Write Phonics teaches the 44 phonic sounds of the English language, how to blend the phonic sounds together to form words, and how to write the letters of the alphabet by tracing dotted letter forms!
- Read: learn the correct 44 phonic sounds of the English language!
- Write: learn to write the letters of the English alphabet, with star rewards!
- Phonics: learn how to blend the phonic sounds to form words!
Features:
* Learn by doing: tap and swipe through the App listening to the correct sounds and blending the sounds into words.
* Fun encouragement and reward stars are given in the Write section.
* Clear and simple flash cards system with simple intuitive navigation.
* Clear Sassoon font developed especially for children’s first books and traditional learning aids.
* Clean design, there are no distracting images or sounds in the Write or Phonic sections.
* Focus on learning the sounds and learning how to form letters, without distraction.
The example word cards in the Read section each use one simple bright word image.
Instructions:
Move through the App using the arrow keys, the speaker button replays sounds and the redo button restarts animation. The home key takes you up a menu level and the envelope key will open an email to us at Read Write Phonics.
The Read section contains a flash card for each of the 44 sounds, showing the letter or letter combination which represent them. Once the sound has played wait for the letter/s to animate into an example word, tapping the speaker button plays the sound or word again.
The Write section shows an example of how letters are written, then allows the child to try tracing the dotted letter, with a prompt where to begin and a prompt if they forget to dot the i or cross the ts! Then wait for your mark, 0 to 3 stars! The App marks the child's effort based on the smoothness of their line and the distance from the ideal line. Encouragement is always given even if no stars are achieved.
The Phonics section includes small, two and three letter words and big, four letter and above example words. Tapping the speaker button plays the full word, tapping each letter or letter combination pays the phonic sound. Swiping or stroking through the word plays the sounds in order blending or synthesising the word.
(Note: the ck sound has been included three times with cards, c, ck, and k all making the same phonic sound. qu and x also included for completeness but are actually consonant blends (k + w) and (k + s). The letters and letter combinations chosen for read write phonics are the most common ones and the ones taught first for example “ee” in “bee” instead of “y” in “many”)
Contact:
Email contact@readwritephonics.co.uk or tweet @readwritephonic if you have any questions or problems - remember we can't reply to comments!