Parents' Guide to

Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Ease kids into letter sounds with cute animals and games.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Paid Education
Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing App: Screenshot #1
  • Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing App: Screenshot #2
  • Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

stephanie24fnj
stephanie24fnj Adult
August 20, 2021
age 3+

great teacher of phonic sounds

my daughter struggles soo much with letter sounds and she loves the game..HUGE help

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

First, kids watch and listen to a brief story intro, then play mini-games with the first group of four letters on PHONICS ISLAND EARLY READING, SPELLING, & TRACING. Games includes tracing letters, popping balloons with the correct letter sounds as spoken by the narrator, matching cards in a memory match game, and dragging the correct animal that matches the requested letter sound onto a train. After earning enough stars, kids choose a sticker for their sticker collections and move on to the next letter group.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Phonics Island Early Reading, Spelling & Tracing includes fun games with cute animals. The progression through each game is quick enough to keep kids' attention without being too fast-paced for preschoolers. Some of the suggested patterns for letter tracing are not typical and may confuse kids who are learning more traditional letter formation. Some parents who purchase this app because of the Montessori name will be pleased to see familiar letter groupings and the focus on beginning letter sounds, but they may be disappointed to see a star-and-sticker reward system, not the norm in the Montessori learning style.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about letter sounds. Notice and exaggerate beginning letter sounds of your kid's favorite things around the house, outside, or anywhere. Focus on a new letter each week or until it's clear that your kid is hearing and can repeat that isolated sound.

  • Encourage your preschooler to trace letters in sand, flour, or shaving cream -- anything that can help them "feel" their way into writing by having fun and without undue pressure to do things perfectly the first, second, or even 20th time. 

  • Read, play rhyming games, sing, and just talk a lot with your kid. The more ways your kid is exposed to language, the easier it will be for him to distinguish the letter sounds that lead to reading. 

App Details

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