Dora's Skywriting ABCs

App review by Jenny Bristol, Common Sense Media
Dora's Skywriting ABCs Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 3+

Slow-paced letter tracing app with a mild game element.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Educational Games
Rate app

Parents say

age 3+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 1 review

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate app
  • Dora's Skywriting ABCs App: Screenshot #1
  • Dora's Skywriting ABCs App: Screenshot #2
  • Dora's Skywriting ABCs App: Screenshot #3

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Dora's Skywriting ABCs is an educational game that successfully mixes education and play. Dora, from Dora the Explorer, with her usual combination of English and Spanish, teaches kids to trace capital letters of the alphabet. Tico the Squirrel flies around in his plane writing the letters and drawing pictures in the sky. The sound of each new letter is said out loud as kids trace it. If kids draw too far outside the lines, the game will make a noise and have them retrace that portion of the letter. Next, kids play a tilting game to reveal something that starts with that letter. Then the game goes on to the next letter. Once you finish the letter Z, it starts again at A. Dora's Skywriting ABCs has fewer options than Letter Tracer Preschool Letters Writing Practice, but has more of a game element.

Community Reviews

iPad-Preschool.com
iPad-Preschool.com Adult
May 7, 2011
age 3+

iPad-Preschool.com Review

When my preschooler saw Dora on my iPad list of available preschool apps, she could hardly contain her excitement. She wanted it badly, but I had reservations about buying the app at first. After all, Dora the Explorer is a marketing machine. She is inescapable — whether in the grocery, drug, or toy store — she is everywhere. Why would I want Nickelodeon’s cash cow residing on my iPad too? Maybe it was laziness. Perhaps ignorance. Or maybe just a mom wanting her kid to be happy. Whatever it was, I bought the app and my preschooler enjoyed it. See more at www.iPad-Preschool.com .

This title has:

Educational value
See all 1 parent review

Is It Any Good?

DORA'S SKYWRITING ABCS is part letter tracing educational app, part game. The letter tracing portion is well-done -- kids get practice "writing" their letters as well as with sounds of letters. Both the letter names and sounds are reinforced often.

The tilting game in between the tracing portion seems like an afterthought. Tilting your device is hardly required, since the acorns bounce into place mostly on their own. The whole game is fairly repetitive and slow-moving. There are no controls in the game to allow you to skip ahead to another letter, or go back to an earlier letter. If kids want to trace the entire alphabet, it is time consuming. Only capital letters are represented. Also, some of the sounds for the letters seem off. P sounds like dropping a nut on the ground while Q sounds more like Qu.

App Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate