I stumbled upon a new favorite phonics app the other day that I absolutely had to share. Phonics with Phonograms app is produced by the Logic of English, which is a curriculum that I was totally impressed with as I researched the website and watched the informational videos. The website and the curriculum explains nearly all of the supposed “exceptions” of our English language with rules that are as simple and easy to learn as the phonograms themselves. (Intrigued? Watch this video for a short summary and this video for an in depth look.) I was absolutely astounded by what I was learning, and I have been surrounded by phonics all my life!
So of course, I downloaded the Phonics with Phonograms app to give it a try with my kids. Brilliant! That’s the best word I can find to describe this super-affordable app. The Phonics of Phonograms app, available for iphone/ipod or ipad, allows you to set up multiple children with their own saved settings and lists. You can even customize your own playlist of phonograms for each child.
The phonograms can be reviewed, by level or all at once, in two different formats. One format is to allow the child to touch each card and the sounds will be given. The second option is to have all of the sounds spoken as each card is shown.
Then, the child plays a game, listening to the phonogram given and choosing the correct one from a grouping of four different phonograms. Once the matching game is complete, the stats are saved for you to inspect. You’ll know exactly what the child missed and how many times he got it right.
Also, old phonograms are reviewed and new ones are added at each level. There are 10 levels covering 74 phonograms.
I began with Middlest first, allowing her to work through the levels as they were given. She loved it! And it immediately picked up on the letter sounds and phonograms that she has been having trouble with, reviewing them until she began to get them right.
Oldest, naturally, couldn’t wait for his turn. I set up a customized list because I knew that many of the phonograms were ones he knew. I went through the list and selected ones that were unfamiliar to him (and some that were new to me, too!) Once again, he loved the game, and we both had learned a lot by the time he finished up.
This app is not only ideal for improving reading skills but also for additional spelling help. Many of the phonograms include spelling tips, suggestions for when and where those sounds appear in words. Oldest is a strong reader but was helped immensely by these spelling tips.
It’s definitely an app that I have added to our daily routine. I highly recommend checking out the videos and the Phonics with Phonograms app, which is available through iTunes for $2.99.
Need a little more help with your beginning reader? Watch literally hours of free teacher training videos on their website, a wealth of information even if you think you know all there is to know about phonics!
These opinions are totally my own. I purchased this app for my children and chose to review it simply because I was impressed.
I will be receiving more of their Essentials Curriculum for free for the purposes of reviewing, so stay-tuned for more from the Logic of English!
Hi! I just stumbled here after a pinterest search on “teaching letter sounds”. My oldest is 4. Can you tell me how old “middlest” would have been when she worked through it? I’m just curious if it would be age appropriate for my son or if I need to wait to purchase it later. He knows all of his letters well, so I feel as though I need to take advantage of the opportunity to move on with letter sounds. Are there any other apps you’d recommend for this? I will be saving your blog to read through your posts on the english curriculums you’ve chosen. Thanks!!
Hi, Jenny! Thanks for your comment and question. Middlest was about 4 1/2 when I began using this app with her. She was very competent with identifying letters and knew most of the basic sounds. It is pretty easy to customize this app, and I would think that it is a good investment even if you find you cannot use it on Day 1. You might also check out the Doodling Dragons app that was just produced by the same company (Pedia Learning, i.e. Logic of English). It is made for the youngers and includes an audio book by Jim Weiss that goes over the different letter sounds as well as some phonemic awareness games. I’ve currently switched to this app for Middlest and will return her to the Phonics app when she’s a little further along. If you are looking for a curriculum, definitely look into their Foundations curriculum. I can’t say enough awesome things about it. Highly, highly recommend! Blessings to you and email me if you have more questions.