Rosette’s 10 Favourite Reading Apps

 I always say “The More You read the Better You get” because in order to strengthen learning pathways in the brain we need to repeat the learning again and again until it is easy and automatic.

So apart from buying good books for Christmas and reading favourites at home I thought you might like to have a look at my 10 favourite reading apps. Some can be used on phones, iPads, android devices and even computers. Most are for Prep and Grade one students but some are also for proficient readers and pre-schoolers.

1. 1.      Fitzroy Readers– this app costs $10.99 but is well worth it for Prep parents concerned about their children’s reading acquisition. It was designed by Fitzroy North Primary school and children are given a set of books to read. It models reading that sounds good and if a word is unknown it models how to break the word up and blend it together. This one is for levels 1-10 but there are also books for more experienced readers.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/fitzroy-readers-books-1-to-10/id542083050?mt=8

1. Montessori Crosswords

This app is for iPhone and iPad and costs a few dollars but is one of immense educational value. It can be customised by parents for single words or crosswords and for early skills like simple 3 letter words right up to very long words.  It helps students to sound and blend sounds together.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/montessori-crosswords-fun/id384334005?mt=8

1. Sight Words 2– a free app with a choice of grade one or grade 2 sight words and several different ways to learn them….bingo, concentration, flashcards , memory game, unscramble

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sight-words-2-140+-learn-to/id485327896?mt=8

1. K12 Timed Reading Practise

A free app. for those children in grades one and two who are becoming good readers and have enjoyed rocket reading this is an app to help make the reading fast and accurate. It can be set by parents to cater for many levels of reading.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/k12-timed-reading-comprehension/id675147656?mt=8

5.K-2 Mobile School Reading

This app provides over 100 reading recovery levelled books with optional narration, recording capabilities and is used widely in the Uk  by  students in the first three years of school.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/k-2-mobile-school-reading/id484963977?mt=8

1. Word Magic. This app is simple for kids to play and helps develop spelling choices. You can set it for the beginning, middle or end of a word.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/word-magic/id293630633?mt=8

1. Oxford Owl

This is a free website that can be used on a computer or an iPad. You need to join the site with a user name and password but it gives you over 250 levelled books for all primary school ages. The books are excellent.

lhttp://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/

1. Starfall Learn to Read   This is an inexpensive app. It’s American, bright, educational, corny, and engaging and fun for young children all at once. They will think they are playing!

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/starfall-learn-to-read/id551817261?mt=8

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1. Sight Words Learning Games & Flash Cards for Reading and Spelling Success. ▫ For iPhone and iPad this is a Learn to Read Educational Program with Word Bingo, Endless Gears, Alphabet Reader and more. There is a free light version and a paid version. Settings can be adjusted for learners from ages 2-7. My grandchildren will spend amazing amounts of time on the Gears and Cogs game and have picked up sight words quickly with this one favourite.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sight-words-learning-games/id518258478?mt=8

1. Word Search for iPad- Young Reader’s Edition. Finally an app for older children to play on a long holiday trip in the car. This is an app for good readers. Words are highlighted with a swipe of the finger. Settings can be adjusted but I even find it takes time to find all the words.
2. BOOKS For those looking for more online books there are many good ones out there. Our school pays for hundreds on Sunshine Online in our classrooms across P-2. I suggest you look at Reading Eggs, Reading Rainbow ( a subscription), Farfaria (one book a day free for Wi Fi) and Bookboard (free) to name a few. There are always read along individual favourite books to download such as the many books by Dr Seuss’, The Hairy McClary books, Toy Story and my all-time favourite pre-school book, Sesame Street’s “The Monster at the End of this Book:.

Have a safe and happy holiday and take time to relax with a book!

Rosette Orchard

Reading Recovery Teacher

Anderson’s Creek Primary School