# Phonics Island • Letter Sounds — Early reading apps for kids

> Interactive phonics app for early reading skills development in children. (iPhone/iPad app by 22LEARN Toddler and Baby Learning Games, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-island-letter-sounds/id464235764 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [22LEARN Toddler and Baby Learning Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/436615166)
- Category: Education, Games, Family
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 765 App Store ratings · 105 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 120 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-09-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-island-letter-sounds/id464235764/reviews.md

## What is Phonics Island?

***** Parents‘ Choice Awards winner 
***** Developed by an award-winning education studios, 22learn, the creator of the best-selling apps for kids, in cooperation with educational specialists to best prepare your children for success in preschool and kindergarten curriculum. 
***** APProved by Famigo!!! 

Lay the basics of your child’s literacy skills with this colorful, mysterious island full of phonics sounds. Children learn and have fun tracing letters, recognizing letter sounds, matching letters, and identifying beginning sounds. Embark on the adventure with adorable Abby the Monkey and her train to discover the secret of this island! 

================== 
The best introduction to phonics reading system! 
================== 

* NOW EVEN BETTER — FABULOUS NEW ACTIVITIES ADDED! 

CHILDREN LEARN TO: 

* Recognize letter sounds 
* Trace uppercase and lowercase letters 
* Match letters 
* Recognize a variety of animals 
* Identify beginning sounds 

PURCHASING THIS APPLICATION (FULL VERSION ONLY), YOU CAN EXPECT TO GET: 
----- 
* 90 animal pictures situated in colorful sceneries, accompanied by authentic animal sounds and phonetic sounds of the animals’ initial letters 
* 21 wonderful, professionally illustrated sceneries 
* 7 alphabet phonetic sectors divided according to the Montessori methodology 
* A series of fun mini-games 
* Reward stickers 
* Surprise upon completion of all levels 
* Easy-to-use, child-friendly interface 
* High-quality audio spoken by a professional voice-over actress 
* Friendly, encouraging environment 
----- 
Hello everyone! Are you up to an adventure? I am Abby the Monkey, the friend you know from a highly-successful application series by 22learn, and I have prepared one for you! If you want to EXPLORE a strange animal island and LEARN PHONETIC LETTER SOUNDS, you shouldn’t wait a minute, and come with me!!! 

But first let me tell you a story…. 
****************************************** 
Once upon a time, there was an island, an island of indescribable beauty and magnificence. There found a shelter the animals small and large, slimy and furry, savage and tame—all protected from evil hunters and curious eyes, supplied with food from the bountiful earth. Each year, a special event was held, when one, and only one, person from the whole humankind was selected and transported to the island (blinded, to preserve the island’s secrecy) to appreciate its beauty and spread the word about it, so that the island would never be forgotten. 

The legend has it, that deep inside the rocky hill on the island, a treasure is kept. Yet, no one knows its secret anymore because the last humankind representative had enraged the animals on the island, and since then, the animals decided never to invite anyone again, and the island got lost in time and space. 

All that remains from our knowledge is that through the whole island, a very special train goes. The train has a mind of its own and likes it when the passengers’ names start from certain sounds! It is said, that if someone was ever capable to fulfill all the train’s wishes, the train would transport the lucky being deep inside the rocks and reveal the island’s precious treasure! 
****************************************** 

But, you are asking, what does all this have to do with me, monkey Abby? Well, imagine what happened to me just recently! I was flying around with my plane when, out of the blue, the storm hit and my plane got lost! 

And now, I am on this weird island that looks exactly like the legendary Phonics Island I told you about! Wohoo, how exciting! But I need someone to help me with all the strange tasks the train asks me to do! Do you want to be the one who will help me, and discover the island’s treasure together with me? 

Thank you for your purchase!

## Key features

- Recognize letter sounds
- Trace uppercase and lowercase letters
- Match letters
- Identify beginning sounds
- Learn about animals
- Fun mini-games

## What do users think of Phonics Island?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
- 🎓 Effective for teaching letter sounds
- 🎨 Cute and colorful graphics
- 🏆 Rewards system motivates learning

**Cons**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches prevent progress
- 🔒 Full version doesn't unlock all content
- 🤔 Tracing letters can be too sensitive
- 🔄 Forced to restart from beginning

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Game freezes on certain levels
- Letter tracing not working properly
- Purchased full version still limited to few letters

**Most requested features**

- Allow access to any level without finishing previous ones
- Add more blending and word building exercises
- Include both uppercase and lowercase letters

## Recent user reviews (10 of 105)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-island-letter-sounds/id464235764/reviews.md

### 5/5 — 5 start

*2025-09-28, version 2.5.1*

21

### 5/5 — Love it

*2025-05-27*

Perfect for young ones. Teaches sounds instead of just letters, great for starting to read!

### 5/5 — How good this learning game is.

*2024-05-05*

it is so good for your kids to get smarter.

### 1/5 — No sound

*2021-12-30*

Free version is great. This version has no sound on older ipad

### 3/5 — It only takes a little editing to make Abby the Monkey terrifying

*2021-08-10*

If you have the game, don’t show yours kids how to edit photos+screenshots 

other than that it’s okay

### 1/5 — Error

*2020-07-23*

Hi there, there’s an error with tracking the letter m. I bought full version to see if that corrected it but still no successes. Can’t continue game as this page won’t continue

**Developer response:** I am sorry for the issues. It should work fine. Please contact our technical support and let us know what device and iOS version you use. We will look at it.

### 1/5 — Paid for full

*2020-07-18*

We paid the price for full and I received no more than we previously had only 4 letters.  Don’t purchase this because you get nothing for your money

**Developer response:** Do you use parental control on your device? Sometimes, this error can happen when it is switched on.
You can try to restore the purchase. Go to the Parents section in the app (or Settings) and tap on the Restore button.
Please contact our technical support for more help.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work even though I purchased full version

*2019-08-24*

I have selected the option to unlock all levels, however the game will only work for the letters s,m,a and t. Total rip off. Very disappointed.

**Developer response:** It is possible that you still run the free version, not the full version which you purchased (they have similar icons). 
Please make sure that the full version (which you purchased) is installed on your device. 

Please also note, that the game is structured in such a way that you can access new levels after finishing previous levels -- for example, finish the first level to unlock the second; finish the second level to unlock the third level etc. 
It is also possible to run any level without finishing the previous one. There should be "Unlock All Level" option at the bottom left corner.

Please contact us if you need more help.

### 5/5 — Great for learning

*2019-07-22*

My 4 year old daughter is learning words quickly and having fun. Thanks.

### 5/5 — How many times do you have to buy??

*2019-04-18*

I already bought this but all of a sudden it asks if I want to unlock the full version.  What's up with that?  It would be nice if the free & purchased apps had totally different icons.  The grand kids love the app, but are opening the wrong one at times.

**Developer response:** It looks that you run the free version, not the full version which you purchased (they have similar icons).

## Frequently asked questions about Phonics Island

### What does this app teach children?

This app teaches children the foundational skills for early reading. They learn to recognize letter sounds, trace both uppercase and lowercase letters, match letters, and identify the beginning sounds of words, often associated with animals.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include interactive activities for recognizing letter sounds, tracing letters, matching letters, and identifying beginning sounds. The app also incorporates animal recognition, fun mini-games, and reward stickers to keep children engaged.

### How much does this app cost?

The application is a paid app. Purchasing the full version provides access to all content, including 90 animal pictures, 21 illustrated sceneries, and multiple alphabet phonetic sectors.

### What age group is this app suitable for?

This app is designed to prepare children for success in preschool and kindergarten curriculum, making it ideal for early learners who are beginning to develop their literacy skills.

### How does this app help children learn phonics?

The app uses a colorful and engaging approach to phonics, guiding children through recognizing letter sounds, tracing letters, and matching them. It incorporates animal sounds and phonetic sounds of initial letters to reinforce learning in a fun and memorable way.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.5.1 — 2024-07-12

We added new exciting activities and options! 
Phonics Island - THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE your kids for READING SUCCESS!
NEW - Rainbow match game that challenges kids to practice identifying letters and their matching sounds.
NEW - Monster Bingo is a proven game that builds strong letter-sound recognition.
* Designed by teachers & Loved by parents (Parents' Choice Award Winner).

### 2.4.6 — 2021-08-04

* HUGE UPDATE - We added new exciting activities and options! 
Phonics Island - THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE your kids for READING SUCCESS!
NEW - Rainbow match game that challenges kids to practice identifying letters and their matching sounds.
NEW - Monster Bingo is a proven game that builds strong letter-sound recognition.
* Designed by teachers & Loved by parents (Parents' Choice Award Winner).

### 2.1.8 — 2017-09-21

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

64 bit support, all levels can be now manually unlocked.

### 2.1.3 — 2017-08-28

64 bit support, game improvements (level selection).

### 1.71 — 2014-08-18

Please note: The game is structured in such a way that you can access new levels only after finishing previous levels -- for example, finish the first level (s,m,t,a) to unlock the second; finish the second level to unlock the third level etc. 
Phonics Island - THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE your kids for READING SUCCESS! 
* Based on the requests from educational professionals, we added new exciting activities and options! 
* Tracing: Learn to write all uppercase and lowercase letters! For younger children, we added the possibility to turn off the game from the main menu. 
* Balloon Pop Game challenges kids to practice identifying letters that match the sounds called. 
* The possibility to choose uppercase or lowercase letters. The lettercase can now be selected directly from the main menu. 
* For increased learning efficiency, we added possibility to turn off "stickers" activities (you can select this option in the Settings).

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## More apps by 22LEARN Toddler and Baby Learning Games, LLC

- [Abby Monkey® Preschool Shape Puzzles Lunchbox: Kids Favorite First Words Learning Tozzle Game for Baby and Toddler Explorers](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abby-monkey-preschool-shape-puzzles-lunchbox-kids-favorite-first-words-learning-tozzle-game-for-baby-and-toddler-explorers/id436615163)
- [Abby - Animal Preschool Shape Puzzle Free - First Word (Farm Animals, ZOO...)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abby-animal-preschool-shape-puzzle-free-first-word-farm-animals-zoo/id443376234)
- [Baby games for one year olds.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baby-games-for-one-year-olds/id445196535)
- [ABC Magnetic Land FREE (Alphabet, Animals...)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-magnetic-land-free-alphabet-animals/id446622354)
- [Baby Shapes Kids Puzzle Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baby-shapes-kids-puzzle-games/id447995345)
- [Abby - Preschool Shape Puzzle - First Word FREE (Vehicles and Animals under the Sea)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abby-preschool-shape-puzzle-first-word-free-vehicles-and-animals-under-the-sea/id447995718)

All apps by 22LEARN Toddler and Baby Learning Games, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/436615166

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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 2026-08-28.*
