Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose

App review by Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media
Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 4+

Colorful spelling game with lots of ways to customize.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Free Education
Rate app

Parents say

age 3+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

No reviews yet.

Add your rating

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate app
  • Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose App: Screenshot #1
  • Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose App: Screenshot #2
  • Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose 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 Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose is a phonics and spelling app designed for beginning readers. As the little mouse and bird bop along, kids can tap any item they pass and try to spell it. Depending on the level you choose, you can either see the silhouettes of the letters in place, or try to spell it without any such hints. For each word they spell, kids will win an animated sticker for their virtual sticker book. And every three correct spellings earn them a chance to play a connect-the-stars constellation game.

Community Reviews

Meg B.
Meg B. Adult
August 25, 2011
age 3+

Great app that reinforces letter and sound recognition

Great for learning to recognize letters, read etc. Mostly short words which is a plus in the beginning. This app also reinforces the "sound" of the letters instead of what you call the letter..For example it refers to E as "eh" not 'ee' . This is the best way to learn letters and learn to read.

This title has:

Educational value
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In Word Wagon, kids follow Mozzarella and Coco as they travel down a conveyor belt of objects. As they jump over each object, kids can tap on the object to learn more about the letters in the word associated with it. With each word they spell, they earn a sticker, and with every three words, they earn a star that leads to a constellation picture. However, Word Wagon does not keep track of progress from session to session. Finally, Mozzarella and Coco do silly things, making Word Wagon an app that combines humor and learning.
\

Is It Any Good?

WORD WAGON - BY DUCK DUCK MOOSE has the same crisp, colorful, and whimsical animation as the other wonderful learning apps by this publisher. And the solid educational content here is conveyed in a way that is clear and easy to grasp, while still being fun for preschoolers. The sticker collecting feature and the bonus constellation game are both neat additions that kids should enjoy a lot (although they may complain that the constellations don't really look much like the animals they're supposed to be until after all the lines are filled in). The best part for parents, though, is the ability to customize the lessons. Choosing different levels doesn't just make the words more challenging, it can also mean removing audio or visual hints, or allowing kids to hear the word used in a sentence, and so on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Make sure kids don't lose focus on the word by playing with the characters too much.

  • Ask your kids to spell the words they just learned.

  • Draw connections from the words shown to real life. ("Train starts with the letter T, just like your name.")

App Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love playing while learning

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