# Level A(1) Library — Learn to Read Books! > Interactive early reader books for children learning to read. (iPhone/iPad app by Visions Encoded Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-a1-library/id421747871 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Visions Encoded Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/356842378) - Category: Education, Books - Price: $6.99 - Rating: 4.50/5 from 37 App Store ratings · 10 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 68 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2011-06-07 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-a1-library/id421747871/reviews.md ## What is Level A(1) Library? Get a complete set of Level A(1) books for less than 1/2 the price of Scholastic leveled PDF books and less than 1/3 the cost of print books. Plus, these books are interactive! Remember to check out the Apple iTunes educational discount for classroom teachers - get an additional 50% off! Level A(1) Library - Learn To Read Books contains twelve Level 1 books.
 Books at Level 1 are very simple books. One sentence (with very slight changes) is used throughout a given book. This repeating language pattern allows children to use memory in their first attempts at reading. As well, the more often a child reads a particular word, the more secure the connection between that word’s appearance and its meaning becomes. The close correspondence between text and pictures, found in Level 1, also helps beginning readers experience success. Level A books are designed for children who are just beginning to learn how to read –like children in Kindergarten or early Grade One or children who are learning English as an additional language.
 Each book presents one story. When using any of our Learn To Read Books, the beginning reader should place his/her finger just below each word and then point to each word in succession while reading. Tapping just below any word causes the word to light up and allows the child to hear the word spoken aloud. The words have been recorded in Manitoba, Canada. If words are pronounced differently in the country/region where you live, simply use the custom recording feature and record the words in your own voice. Custom recorded audio can be transferred to any of our "Learn To Read" iOS/Mac apps. The transfer can be done using email or iTunes file sharing. 
Also included in the Learn To Read Library are high-frequency word flashcards for each story. We suggest that these sight words be practiced before a story is attempted. If a child has difficulty with a word, he/she can simply touch the word to hear it! Since words in both the sight words section and the story can be tapped to be heard, it is possible for a child to practice the words and read the story without assistance from a teacher or parent. To turn the sound off, simply toggle the physical mute switch on the device. 

To learn to read, children need:
 1. to learn letter sounds;
 2. to memorize high-frequency sight words;
 3. to read books at their level.
 
Through the use of Learn to Read Books and a letter-sound app such as "Z is for Zebra", these three key components of learning to read can be taught and practiced on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. The authors of Learn to Read Books are Celesta Thiessen and Francie Humby. Both are certified teachers. Celesta has a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education . She has written early chapter books, novels for teens and for adults, and numerous short stories. Francie has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education in Special Education. As an Early Years teacher, she has thirty-six years of experience in teaching young children to read. In writing these Learn to Read books, Celesta and Francie made extensive use of the following resources: Pinnell, Gay Su & Fountas, Irene C. (2007). The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-8: Behaviors and Understandings to Notice, Teach, and Support. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Fountas, Irene C. & Pinnell, Gay Su (2006). Leveled Books K-8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Also available for Mac OS X. ## Key features - Interactive early reader books - Repeating language patterns - Audio pronunciation of words - Customizable word recordings - High-frequency word flashcards - Finger-pointing word tracking ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-a1-library/id421747871/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Do not buy! *2017-09-16* These cost a fortune and they will neither download nor delete. Not sure how to get them off my iPad. May have to factory reset! ### 5/5 — Perfect *2016-01-10, version 3.3* We love, love, LOVE these books! I had been searching everywhere to find books like these to help my 6 yr old son with Autism learn how to read. I had almost given up on finding books like these, and was close to giving up hope that he could learn to read. All other books and apps we used read to quickly (for a child with processing issues) and the pages of those other books turned too fast for him. I love that your books require manual tapping for page turning, so he can do it himself when he is ready. I also like that you have put so much effort into proper pronunciation and phonation of the words and letter sounds in your books- as a parent of a child with speech-language and auditory processing difficulties I truly appreciate that your books model speech correctly. Lastly we love the recording feature. My son absolutely loves to hear himself read the story! We have recommended it to our school and they are keen to use the readers with other students. My son is finally tracking and starting to recognize some sight words...he is taking those important first steps in learning how to read. I can't thank-you enough for making such a wonderful app! We will be purchasing the whole library in the near future. FABULOUS WORK! ### 5/5 — Excellent teaching aid *2015-10-27, version 3.3* My son is in grade 1 and this is extremely helpful. I love that it has a sight word test after each book. His word recognition has gotten so much better. ### 5/5 — Excellent Educational Resource *2015-08-28, version 3.3* Kindergarten/Grade 1 teachers, resource teachers, and parents will find this Learn-to-Read Library 1(A) very useful in helping young children learn to read. 1. The books are carefully leveled, with each Level 1 book containing one, simple, repeated language pattern. 2. The print is large and separated from the pictures so that the child can easily track along with his/her finger, pointing just below each word in succession, from left to right. 3. The illustrations closely match the text. 4. A learn-to-read sight words section is included. 5. Tapping a word allows the child to hear that word. 6. The custom recording feature allows teachers/parents to record their own pronunciations of the words used in the story, if they so wish. ### 5/5 — Mr *2012-11-18* Pretty good, a good start to reading ### 5/5 — Recommend to anyone teaching kids to read, *2012-08-15* Perfect tool for teaching my son to read!! He loves the iPad and this is ideal! I am a teacher and these books made a huge difference,, ### 5/5 — Love the new library! *2012-01-08* These books are the greatest for teaching beginning readers. I use them with students who need to develop sight words and one-to-one correspondence with words. They can touch the words if they need to, then I encourage them to read it first before touching when they get more familiar. ### 4/5 — Helpful! *2011-11-23* My sons love it, I plan to change the short a sound in the near future. ### 4/5 — Excellent but in app purchase doesn't work *2011-06-12* Love the tap and read feature for each word. My son just looks at the pictures with read along book. These books make him look at and touch the words to hear it. Like the record feature. They use a short vowel sound for "a." I was able to record over it so now "a" is pronounced as the long sound. I would rate this a 5 if the in app purchase feature to buy more books worked. ### 5/5 — An excellent collection! *2011-06-11, version 1.0* My almost-four-year old loves the images and easy functionality of these books, and I love how the simple, patterned stories are deliberately written in order to build my child's reading skills. I also love the fact that it comes with the ability to program my own voice into the stories! A great collection and an effective educational tool. ## Frequently asked questions about Level A(1) Library ### What is the learning methodology of Level A(1) Library? Level A(1) Library uses repeating language patterns to help children build memory and word recognition. The close correspondence between text and pictures also aids beginning readers in experiencing success. ### How does Level A(1) Library track user progress? While specific progress tracking features are not detailed, the app allows children to practice words and read stories independently by tapping words to hear them, facilitating self-directed learning. ### Does Level A(1) Library offer certifications? This app focuses on foundational reading skills and does not offer formal certifications. Its goal is to build confidence and competence in early reading. ### What is the price of Level A(1) Library? Level A(1) Library is priced at $6.99. Educational discounts may be available for classroom teachers through Apple iTunes, offering an additional 50% off. ### What devices is Level A(1) Library compatible with? Level A(1) Library is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices. ### What is the age rating for Level A(1) Library? Level A(1) Library has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for young children beginning their reading journey. ### How often is Level A(1) Library updated? The app was last updated on January 7, 2021, with the latest version being 3.7. This indicates a history of updates, though the frequency is not explicitly stated. ### Does Level A(1) Library have ads? No, Level A(1) Library does not contain advertisements, providing an uninterrupted learning experience for children. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.7 — 2021-01-07 • Support for latest iOS versions and iPhone/iPad devices. ### 3.6 — 2017-12-08 • Support for latest iOS versions ### 3.5 — 2016-12-12 v3.5 • Added 64-bit support • Added "Teacher/Parent" check for access to Info screen • Minor fixes and adjustments to custom recording interface FULL SET AVAILABLE: • The full set of Level A through E library apps are available in both the iOS and Mac App Stores!! ### 3.3 — 2013-09-20 v3.3 • Fixed bug in audio export/import when trying to email the export and use the iOS "Open In…" functionality to import. ---- NEW APPS RELEASED: • The full set of Level A through E library apps are now available in both the iOS and Mac App Stores!! ### 3.2 — 2013-09-08 v3.2 • Updated audio! • Assorted fixes. • Mac version is available! v3.0 • Words highlight when tapped! • Improved retina support. • New & improved custom audio recording interface. • Audio can be shared with other iOS or Mac OS X apps in the "Learn To Read Books" series. ---- 2 NEW APPS RELEASED: • Both the Level D and Level E library apps are available in the iOS and Mac App Stores! • The full set of Level A through E library apps are now available in both the iOS and Mac App Stores. ## Apps similar to Level A(1) Library | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Books For Kids: Reading & Math](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/books-for-kids-reading-and-math/id532545204) | 4.6 (1,091) | Free | Education | | [KinderLink CheckIn](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kinderlink-checkin/id1463964889) | — | Free | Education | | [Kindergarten Reading Phonics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kindergarten-reading-phonics/id1260925892) | — | $3.99 | Education | | [See.Touch.Learn Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seetouchlearn-pro/id467924373) | 2.9 (10) | $49.99 | Education | | [Early Learning Apps - Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/early-learning-apps-games/id1503214237) | 4.0 (1) | Free | Education | | [5th Grade Math Practice](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5th-grade-math-practice/id1179134032) | 3.6 (19) | $1.99 | Education | ## More apps by Visions Encoded Inc. - [Income Tracks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/income-tracks/id356842375) - [Notes! - Learn To Read Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-learn-to-read-music/id423178140) - [Kitty Castle Books](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kitty-castle-books/id429428654) - [Level B(2) Library](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/level-b2-library/id449455950) - [Piano Notes! - Learn To Read Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-notes-learn-to-read-music/id463880788) All apps by Visions Encoded Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/356842378 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*