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3 apps that encourage kids and help with reading

Emily Pidgeon
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The English language is one of the most complex and most difficult languages to master in the world. Words pronounced the same way, spelled differently, and with different meanings do nothing to aid us English speakers to prepare children on how to converse with us. English speakers understand the nuances of the language, so much so that learning about it is a dedicated subject taught through all formal and structured education. And it’s no wonder it takes all those years of practice to master the skill, and even then, kids can’t quite get it down pat. It’s in these instances that educational learning apps come in handy, stepping in to help work through the struggles of reading with your child at their own level and pace. If your child is struggling to meet goals in the classroom or might be falling behind their classmates while reading, try one of these apps to help with reading that will make it fun for your child.

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Best reading apps for kids

ABC Mouse/Adventure Academy

There’s no question that when the website ABCMouse.com is mentioned, there’s someone — and maybe more than a few someone’s — who has heard of it. Whether it’s parents helping kids, grandparents, friends, aunts, or uncles, this website and mobile app is number one for a reason. Kids all over the country have had success with this extremely popular and equally effective learning app that helps children build skills at their level until they master each lesson and move on. Using the building block method allows the app — and your child — to utilize the skills learned previously to learn the new skill that comes next. ABC Mouse is ideal for ages 2-8, teaching fundamentals at an early age to develop reading skills early on in life. Looking for a stellar educational app for your 8–13-year-old? ABC Mouse offers its users a fun and entertaining educational app — Adventure Academy – to keep the skill-building moving, no matter what age your child is.

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FarFaria

This wonderful land of adventure, action, suspense, thrills, and fairy tales is simply magical for young readers. FarFaria’s tier-based system moves readers through different stories and lands, encouraging them to continue reading — even when offline. The books can even be read to your child, when they may be struggling with new sight words or complex spellings. To get started, readers are “tested” to determine exactly what level they are currently reading at. The app then curates a list of books specially selected for your child. FarFaria also advances readers to higher-tiered and more difficult books in an effort to challenge them for further understanding and comprehension. The app costs $5 and is available on the App Store and Google Play. While this app is not totally free to use, it does provide an entire library of books for your child right at their fingertips and is meant to challenge them. Additionally, these books can be saved and downloaded for listening or reading no matter where you may be.

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Boy sitting on a floor using a tablet
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Readability

Understanding your child’s skills and learning their strengths and weaknesses to boost their knowledge and comprehension of what they have read is what sets this app apart from the others. Readability analyzes your child’s reading level as well as their speech to determine their pronunciation for correction. This is a first of its kind, as no other app on the market can listen, process, and diagnose any reading or pronunciation mistakes. This ensures your child reads – both out loud and inside their heads – the words exactly as they are supposed to be, furthering their comprehension of what they have read and putting it to memory. This app is perfect for kids in elementary and early junior high schools who may need just a little bit of extra support in the reading department.

Apps like this can give parents peace of mind on screen time for their kids, knowing that apps such as ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy, FarFaria, and Readability are carefully monitoring their child’s reading and speech. These apps are also encouraging, strengthening, and bolstering to your child’s overall skill set, giving them an advantage inside the classroom as well.

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Emily Pidgeon
Emily Pidgeon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily's work has appeared in the Tube City Almanac, Tube City Online and our Affinity Sites. When she's not writing, she is…
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