Great Websites!

Here is a short list of some really helpful and fun websites for your kids! 

Build a Word Express

iPod/iPhone/iPad

Get it here for free!

Reinforces phonics and sounding out letters as well as parts of words.  There are three modes – learning, practice, and testing.  Kids grab and drag the letters into spaces, and can hear the sounds and word as they’re working.  Between words they try to pop the dinosaurs in bubbles before they float to the top of the screen (fun little in-between game).

Hooked on Phonics
iPod/iPhone/iPad
Get it here for free!

LOVE this app for learning word groups and reading practice!  There are many different ways to practice the words, then they get to read a short story.  

Phonics Town
iPad
Get it here for free!

This one is good for reinforcing each letter sound and recognizing uppercase and lowercase letters.  Kids also have a chance to practice tracing and writing the letters themselves.  More for learning and practicing the basic phonics letter sounds than actually reading words.

Sight Words
iPhone/iPod/iPad
Get it here for $4.99.
(It might come up free again, I got the 1-300 word app for free)

This one is simple but if you’re working on recognizing sight words then it’ll be very helpful.  Kids practice writing the sight words and can record themselves saying them (or you can do the recording).  In between there are various games that reinforce them including hangman and memory.

Hop on Pop – Dr. Seuss (Book)
iPhone/iPod/iPad
Get it here for $3.99.

I am so impressed with the way they’ve put the Seuss books on iPad!  There is the option to have it read to you or not, and when you click a word or picture visual and audio words pop up.  As a digital beginning reader, I recommend it!

Bob Books Reading Magic Lite
iPhone/iPod/iPad
Get it here for free!

Practice reading and spelling short words with these BOB Books stories and activities!  This is the lite version – you can upgrade to the full version.

ABC Spelling Magic 

(Short Vowel Words)
iPhone/iPod/iPad
Get it here for free!

A simple app that reinforces letter sounds and building words by asking the child to put the letters in the correct order for each word.