5 Fun Literacy Apps Preschoolers will Love

Long before your little one masters the art of reading and writing, they’ll need to work on fine-tuning early literacy skills like recognizing letters, letter sounds, and vocabulary. Reading together is a fantastic way to help kids build these skills, of course, but you can also introduce literacy concepts to your kids through play. In addition to hands-on crafts and activities, educational apps can be a valuable learning tool. Whether they’re tracing letters or matching sounds to words, your kiddos will have lots of fun as they strengthen the skills that will help them develop a love of reading. So, fire up your tablet and give one of these five kid-friendly literacy apps a try.

Endless Reader

Available for iOS and Android (Free limited version, in-app purchases)
Recommended for ages 2 and up

Learning letter sounds and sight words has never been so much fun! This app introduces budding readers to common sight words (think “all,” “ball,” and “dog”) through whimsical interactive animations that kids will love. Each word is presented as a colourful puzzle that not only helps little ones learn to spell, but also reinforces letter sounds. This one is a must-try!

Story Corner

Available for iOS, iPad only (Free)
Recommended for ages 2-5

Story Corner is a wonderful introduction to interactive e-reading for wee ones who are just getting the hang of apps and tablet time. With two different picture books to choose from, kids can swipe and tap their way through each page, uncovering fun surprises as they go. Future novelists will love the edit feature, which lets you customize the story to make it extra special.

Teach Your Monster to Read

Available for iOS and Android ($8)
Recommended for ages 3-6

Ready for an adventure? In this app, little ones create a custom monster and then head off on a journey through a colourful world of characters, where they’ll complete mini games to learn everything from letters and sounds to reading full sentences. The games range in difficulty depending on your child’s skill level, and feature colourful animation that’s sure to keep your kiddo engaged.

iWrite Words

Available for iOS ($4)
Recommended for ages 2-5

Learning how to write can be a pretty overwhelming task — until you turn it into a game! Thanks to iWriteWords, your kiddo will be able to practice making the shapes of letters, numbers, and simple words before they’ve even mastered their pencil grip. As they help Mr. Crab “collect” numbered coins, little ones will trace their way through the letters of the alphabet and build early printing skills, while also strengthening letter and number recognition skills. It’s a win-win!

Learning Videos by StoryBots

Available for iOS (Free)
Recommended for ages 3-8

If your littles are fans of Big Block Singsong, they'll love the quirky, catchy tunes in this free app featuring 26 short videos that introduce kids to the ABCs. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming “Hooray for A” even when your wee ones aren’t around.