# Montessorium: Intro to Letters — user reviews

> 97 indexed App Store user reviews of Montessorium by Higher Ground Education Inc, rated 3.72/5 from 25 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/montessorium-intro-to-letters/id387232375/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/montessorium-intro-to-letters/id387232375.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 12 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 4

## What do users think of Montessorium?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- ✨ Beautiful design and interface
- 🧠 Good for learning letters and phonics
- 🗣️ Clear voiceovers and audio feedback
- 👍 Simple and non-distracting
- 💡 Recording feature is great
- 📚 Complements Montessori learning
- 🌍 Multilingual support (English, French)
- 🎨 Clean and focused design
- 💯 High-quality app
- 🌟 Engaging for young children
- 🚀 Smooth tracing experience (for some)
- 👍 Good for recognizing letters
- 💡 Option to record own voice

**Cons**

- 🤏 Touch sensitivity issues
- ❌ Incorrect letter sounds (phonics)
- ✍️ Tracing is too strict/finicky
- ❓ Lack of clear instructions
- 📉 Unresponsive or delayed tracing
- 💰 Overpriced for features
- 🚫 No cursive option
- 😵 Confusing for young children
- 🐌 Slow to reset after mistakes
- 🎛️ Clunky and restrictive use
- 😴 Boring and dry content
- 🎚️ Volume levels unbalanced
- 🤷 Inconsistent letter formation
- 🚫 Mandatory background app refresh
- ❌ Poorly chosen letter shapes
- 🤔 Bizarre menu
- 🔠 Not alphabetical in random selection
- 👎 Not ideal for left-handed kids
- 🎛️ Control for recording could be streamlined
- 🎚️ Tracing sounds can be overbearing
- 😵 Frustrating for children
- 🤷 Inconsistent tracing recognition
- ❌ Poorly executed
- 🤔 Not intuitive
- ❌ No encouragement or rewards

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Touch sensitivity issues
- Letter sounds incorrect
- Tracing is too strict/finicky
- App crashes
- Sound only worked for 2 mins
- Mandatory background app refresh
- Tracing doesn't work
- Software is unstable
- Tracing hangs at edges of letters
- App does not recognize correct tracing
- Voice over feature not working
- Tracing algorithm is bad
- Volume set to max and doesn't turn down
- Recording game needs work
- Instructions are written, not spoken
- Phonetic sounds are a whisper compared to tracing sound
- Tracing facility is very poor
- Tracing function needs to ignore extra touches
- App is almost completely unresponsive and achingly slow
- Tracing can be unresponsive or delayed
- Letter formation for 'y' is incorrect
- Letter 't' has a tail
- Lowercase 'q' drawing activity has issues
- Letter pairs have incorrect associations
- No 'complete my bundle' support
- Background app refresh is mandatory
- Tracing requires strokes to be pushed past the end

**Most requested features**

- Support for left-handed children
- Option to shut off 'pencil' sound effect
- Option to practice letters in sequence without returning to main menu
- Support for iPhone 5
- Sounding letters when tapped in upper/lower case transition
- Ability to add child's name to learn/recognize
- Option for cursive writing
- More advanced activities like word building
- User-controlled tracing instruction level
- More engaging content
- Option to select specific letters or pre-determine words
- Include both letter names and phonics
- Improve recording feature controls
- Add dark mode option
- Include Spanish version

## Newest reviews (17 of 97)

### 3/5 — I want to love these apps...

*2023-05-27*

It would be a 5 star review if the touch wasn’t quite so finicky!! I love the content of the apps, but I’m scared to download it for my students because I can see them getting easily frustrated.

### 2/5 — Not accurate

*2021-10-08*

I tried this app out to suggest to parents at home, but I got as far as the sounds of the letters and was sorely disappointed. The sounds of consonants should not have vowels attached; that makes it hard for children to move from writing to reading. It’s not “buh”, “cuh” and “duh” but just the one SOUND. Disappointed that I can’t recommend this…

### 2/5 — Needs more testing

*2020-07-30*

Mandatory background app refresh - foolish. 
Preschool fingers have to be exact or app won’t let kid move on to next letter.

### 4/5 — Something weird happend on the lowercase q in the drawing activity

*2020-05-22*

Well the circle was out of the q then weirdly the dot was going fast up the q and I’m like BTW how did that dot do that?!?! that’s weird

### 3/5 — Very good for working in letters.  Sounds are not technically correct

*2020-03-18*

Drawing letters is pretty good, but has some minor issues it you don’t complete the line fully. 

Sounds such as ‘g’ add an ‘uh’ sound which is incorrect.  Many people teach letters this way, but it makes it harder to teach correct spelling later.

### 2/5 — Pas vraiment en français

*2018-04-19, version 3.1.1*

Super appli pour tracer les lettres en anglais. Par contre même si l'interface a été traduite en français, les lettres sont prononcées en anglais.

### 4/5 — Simple, non-distracting interface

*2017-11-29*

I was worried given two recent nasty reviews, but after trying this app out, I don't think they are warranted.  For special needs, this is the perfect solution for some students who need minimal visual distractions. Clean, simple interface with options to practice tracing, or recording letter names/sounds. I like the option to jump to exactly the letter wanted. There is a page with links to this developer's apps, although it is protected by a parental gate, which is good. I would also like to see an option where I can shut off the "pencil" sound effect when tracing, while still hearing the other cues/voiceover. Some students with special needs may have trouble with this sound, and others will really enjoy the auditory feedback while tracing.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much! Please let us know if we can help with anything. Waving!

### 2/5 — No “complete my bundle”

*2017-10-18, version 3.0.1*

TL;DR
App is good: worth 3-4 stars. But if you can find someone else who already has the Montessorium apps for you to try out with your child(ren) then do that before you buy any. Or—if you think or know you’ll eventually want to get more than three of their apps—wait until you’re ready to buy the bundle because you can’t “complete my bundle” once you’ve bought one.

Full story:

I will increase rating to 4 stars and update my review if I learn “complete my bundle” support is added.

I have been burned pretty bad with educational apps. The videos Montessorium has which showcase each app look great; but—based on past experience—that’s not a good enough indicator of a good app. With a few poor reviews it’s even more unsettling to take a dive on the full bundle price. So, since “complete my bundle” exists I got one app to try before buying the full bundle. This one is pretty good; it’s far from perfect, but they’ve done a good job tackling a hard problem.

After trying this app I figured that it’s worth the remaining bundle price to take the risk on a few of the remaining apps. I went to the bundle. But “complete my bundle” isn’t available for this bundle! I still have to pay the full price even though I’ve already paid more that 1/4 the price of the 7 app set.

### 4/5 — Still new...

*2017-02-16, version 2.5.1*

... but 2.5 year old enjoying it so far.

### 4/5 — Pretty great app

*2015-04-23, version 2.1*

I think for the most part this is app does a great job. I especially love the option of recording my own voice to do the instructing.
I gave 4 out of 5 stars only because I wish there was an an option in the settings for left handed kids. My child tends to want to trace in the opposite direction of what a right handed person would naturally want to trace.

### 3/5 — So close...

*2014-05-25*

This app would be perfect- it's beautifully designed, great concept, etc. except that it has one fatal flaw. It forces the user to keep going with a stroke until a bell rings. However, if you don't keep pushing your stroke past the end of the guide, you don't get the bell and you can't move on to finish the letter. And when you're in that position, with the stroke done, but not pushed past the end so you get the bell, you're stuck. It takes me several tries to trigger it. Hence my kids simply can't use the app on their own, even though they do well with drawing the letters. Frustrating. Ugh.

### 3/5 — Hanging

*2014-04-03, version 2.0*

I prefer the old app.Now,every time my 3 year old son tries to trace the letters,it keeps hanging at the edges of the letters.Even if he traced it up to the end, the app does not recognise it.My son gets upset.He is doing the right thing but the app does not accept it and considers it incorrect.

### 1/5 — There are better apps available

*2014-03-07, version 2.0*

I am not one to leave feedback, but this app is horrible and expensive. The montessori crossword, spelling with phonics is much better. This app is boring. I purchased it mainly for the voice over feature but I can't get it to work. Bottle line don't waste your money.

Abc phonics animated app has a better writing tutorial.

### 1/5 — Poorly executed, child-unfriendly

*2014-03-02, version 2.0*

Will reject input instantly it leaves prescribed path and will only allow input to restart at a specified point - the location of which is unclear. If you want to put a child off and build their insecurity around letters then this is the App for you.

Aside from that, it's overpriced for the features it offers. Pocketphonic looks amateur, but is far more child-friendly.

### 3/5 — Only one flaw

*2014-02-28, version 2.0*

Just purchased the app.  It offers a lot for students at this level. The only flaw I caught from a motor development stand point is that not all the upper case letters are taught starting from the top (A, M and N for example ).  Writing is more efficient when there is consistency in the starting place.  If this were fixed, I would probably give it five stars in a future review.

### 1/5 — Kids can go in the wrong direction!

*2013-07-11, version 1.5*

Kids can trace letters in the wrong direction! Don't buy this app.

### 1/5 — Pretty, but

*2013-03-27, version 1.5*

Nicely designed, just wish the small letters were not printed, but rather handwritten style. There is not much point in tracing prints

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Letter Sounds Incorrect

*2022-03-12*

I gave this app a 1 star because the letter sounds are not being said correctly. The sound for g is not /ga/ it’s /g/ you should not add an a on the end of the sounds. 
This app would be perfect otherwise and the other apps from this company are great! Bummed I can’t recommend this app to my students families.

### 1/5 — Hardly works, poor choice for learning

*2020-03-14*

Too many issues

### 1/5 — Instructions?

*2019-01-08*

There are no visable instructions here. Did I miss something? How does a child use this?

### 1/5 — Useless

*2018-05-30, version 3.1.1*

Sound only worked for 2mins, crashed and cannot get it to work properly now. Would be beneficial to include the actual alphabet as well as phonics, confusing as heck for a small child. Enormous waste of $7 considering the app was only useable for 2 minutes 😒

### 1/5 — Horrible interface, boring, expensive junk

*2017-10-26, version 3.0.1*

Tracing doesn't work. Bizarre "menu". Expensive junk. Some good ideas horribly executed by developers without a clue.

### 1/5 — weak programming

*2017-06-23, version 3.0.1*

A good idea in theory, but the interface has poor responsiveness and the software is unstable. Better to practice drawing letters with pencil and paper. I have an iphone 6s with updated os.

### 1/5 — Sounds have no "uh"

*2016-08-14, version 2.4*

I had high hopes for this app. However, as soon as I heard the letter sounds pronounced, I saw I'd have to delete it. There are no letter sounds that end with "uh". It's not /buhand/, for band; it's /b/ /a/ /n/ /d/.

This is not an app I would use with my child at home or school to enhance reading. Shame, shame for not pronouncing the letter sounds correctly.

### 1/5 — Not great for learning

*2016-03-11, version 2.4*

There are two reasons this app isn't good for my 3 year old:

1. When writing the letters, the app requires you to extend the strokes to the absolute end of the letter. It's unforgiving and makes it really difficult for my daughter to learn because she doesn't understand that she needs to fill in another tiny bit. 

2. The letter shapes are poorly chosen. For example, the lowercase "t" has a tail that slopes to the right. While this looks great in a font, it's not representative of how most people actually write the letter, and is therefore not a good training exercise. 

I had high hopes for this app, but it's as if they didn't test with children.

### 1/5 — One star

*2016-03-03, version 2.4*

One star for useless update summary.

### 1/5 — Horrible app

*2015-11-01, version 2.2*

This app is impossible for my three year old son to use properly and I wish I could get my money back. I am very disappointed. I would think for the 5 dollars it would have been a quality app. Clearly I was wrong.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Love it!

*2020-03-17, version 3.1.1*

I agree that the tracing could be a little smoother, but the concepts and layout are clear and useful. It is so helpful for recognizing letters and pairing them with sounds.

### 5/5 — Leave it to Montessori

*2014-08-19, version 2.0*

This is one very terrific program to aid a child to learn Phonics. The child hears the sound as he/she follows with their finger. So that involves 3 of the senses: Seeing the letter, hearing it's sound, and following the letter with their finger gets motor skills involved. The more involved, the greater chance the youngster will remember the sound made by the letter.  It's a great program for teaching Phonics.

### 5/5 — Focused and well designed ...

*2014-02-17, version 2.0*

... A really good multilingual resource to teach young children the concept and how to write letters. I tried out a number of apps with my daughter, but this one is by far the best.

### 5/5 — Fantastic!

*2012-10-03, version 1.3*

We have had this app for a couple of years now. My daughter LOVES this app! She just started learning how to write her letters. I often find her practicing her letters on the iPad, in her leisurely time.

### 5/5 — Excellent.

*2012-04-15, version 1.2*

My two year old has been using this for months and loves it. He recognized all letters in the alphabet before his friends... Mostly due to this app we think!

### 5/5 — Jennibaba

*2012-03-29, version 1.2*

This app is great! It teaches the sound of the letters and how to draw them. capital, small or common letter combinations.

### 5/5 — My 3 year old loves this!

*2011-11-09, version 1.2*

My 3 year old has been using the letter and number apps for over a year and I'm impressed by the very slow visual pace the app allows.  It takes a kind of patience for a child of this age to both enjoy and progressively learn from it continuously.  I'm very impressed!  I just wish there was a simpler transition to their writing words app and a continuously slow learning into more addition and subtraction in the numbers app - but I don't see anyone else coming close.

### 5/5 — Wonderful!

*2011-10-31, version 1.2*

Love it's simplicity and design. The kids like it also. Highly recommend!

### 5/5 — Intro to Letters

*2011-06-23, version 1.2*

We've only had this app a day but it looks really great.  My child keeps going back to it and loves tracing the sandpaper letters (parents might want to turn the rasping sound lower).  With 5 levels of complexity to go through, this one should keep us going for a good long while.  It is one they will more dip into again and again as they are ready for the more complex structures rather than a game which might be played for longer in one session.

### 5/5 — Fantastic

*2011-05-02, version 1.2*

This app is fantastic.  My 3 year old chooses this app every time he goes on my iPad, and within a week of using it he can recognise half the letters.  It's great how you are shown the right way to write the letters too.  The only thing I'd add would be the ability to add your childs name so they can learn to write/ recognise it.

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*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.*