App Name: Planet Read! HD (iPhone/iPad)

Cost: Free

What does it promise? Planet Read promises a fun and interactive way for early readers to learn how to pronounce Kindergarten to Elementary words.

“Planet Read trains students to learn how to read effectively without memorizing!” according to their personal app description.

“This Phonics-based app will develop student’s aged 4+ with their reading foundation and make them proficient readers in a very short time. Planet Read covers all short, long and diphthong vowel sounds with over 54 short stories”

Does it deliver? Yes. Planet Read delivers in a great way for children ages 4+. Children will be able to learn from the app due to the series of short games it contains. The audio aspect of it allows students to sound out the letters particularly the long and short vowels. It’s a great phonetic app that will fair well with children because of the little companion named Robot Reid. He guides you through much of the steps and tells you when you’re almost there. He is encouraging and when learning how to read for the first time, encouragement is key. Apps that have these little helpers tend to be more suited to the younger age group that this particular app is targeting. The amount of words available for decoding is just right for a child’s growing vocabulary.

Can I use it in the classroom? Yes. This app can be used in the classroom if the education has a project or is able to gather the class around closely. While the teacher navigates the apps for children both them and Robot Reid will be able to go on a fun learning adventure. For blended classrooms that contain tablets, students should be able to follow along or practice themselves. All in all the app is quite solid and would be a great tool for budding young readers.

App review by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor.

June 19, 2015