Our take
A games-based synthetic phonics course with a published 26-level sequence that covers all 44 sounds of English, more grapheme ground than most beginner apps. Every level includes segmenting to spell, and a nonsense-word placement test (up to Level 7) puts your child at the right starting point. Nobody hears your child read, and it does not teach syllable division or prefixes and suffixes.
A good fit for
- Kids who like games and need lots of pattern practice
- Covering the full phonics code before third grade
Look elsewhere if
- Children who need to read aloud to someone
- Older readers stuck on long words
How far it goes
About the skill ladder- 7Latin and Greek rootsconstruct, phonographNot taught
- 6Prefixes, suffixes and spelling ruleshopping, unkindNot taught
- 5Multisyllable wordsnapkin, fantasticPartly
- 4Vowel patternscake, rain, carTaught
- 3Blends and digraphsstop, ship, chinTaught
- 2Short-vowel wordscat, sit, hopTaught
- 1Letter soundsm says /m/Taught
Levels 24–26 cover longer-word spellings such as -ture, -tion and -sion; there is no syllable-division or prefix and suffix teaching.
How it works
How we rate- Who hears your child read?
- No automated listeningThe software does not assess reading aloud; an adult can provide listening and feedback.
- Does your child spell?
- Picks letters or answersSpelling by selecting letters at every level.
- What do they read?
- Not publishedWe could not confirm what kind of text it uses.
- How is progress gated?
- Says it adaptsNonsense-word placement test (places up to Level 7); progress reports by skill.
- How much of your time?
- Light check-insRuns by itself; you review progress.
- What does the evidence show?
- No outcome studyCites general phonics research; no study of the app itself.
Watch-outs
- Tricky ("camera") words appear on photo cards, and some decodable words such as see, look and play are taught this way before their pattern.
How it compares
| App | Price | Goes up to | Hears reading | Spelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phonics Hero | US$36 per 6 months on the web, or US$6/mo in the app | Multisyllable words | No automated listening | Picks letters or answers |
| Reading Horizons At-Home | $199 for the first year, then $50/yr; $25 per extra student; $10 30-day trial | Multisyllable words | No automated listening | Writes from dictation |
| Reading.com | $12.49–$14.99/mo or $74.99/yr | Vowel patterns | You do | Picks letters or answers |
| Funnix Beginning Reading | $24.99/mo family plan (up to 3 children); free trial lessons | Multisyllable words | You do | Writes from dictation |
| Sweet Phonics | $69.99/yr (7-day free trial) or monthly; the App Store lists both $11.99 and $14.99 monthly plans | Prefixes, suffixes and spelling rules | Speech recognition | Writes from dictation |
Sources
Checked October 2026 against the maker's own pages and the sources above. Spot something out of date? Tell us.