# Read4Kids - Kids learn to read in 20 easy lessons > Phonics and whole language reading program for young children. (iPhone/iPad app by Olivier Romanetti.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read4kids-kids-learn-to-read-in-20-easy-lessons/id1023126431 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Olivier Romanetti](https://appshunter.io/developer/731852309) - Category: Education - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 3.62/5 from 13 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 6.0 · 33 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2016-05-26 - Data updated: 2026-06-23 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read4kids-kids-learn-to-read-in-20-easy-lessons/id1023126431/reviews.md ## What is Read4Kids? Read is a 20-lesson program designed to help kindergarten and elementary school age children (4–8 age range) acquire reading skills in a fun and progressive way. Read draws on two of the most popular methods currently in use for teaching to read in English: the PHONICS METHOD and the WHOLE LANGUAGE METHOD. Most education experts now agree that a COMBINATION OF BOTH is the key to SUCCESSFUL LEARNING. - Read is designed for optimal adaptability to the child's pace of learning - Read uses natural-sounding voices in a variety of accents (American, British....). - 20 lessons, 120 exercises, more than 150 interactives stories, step-by-step progression. - No previous requirements: Read is aimed at children learning to read for the first time, and takes them to the 2nd-grade level in reading. - The letters are introduced based on their frequency in the English language rather than their place in the alphabet. From lesson 1, the child will be able to read short sentences then original stories that make sense, making for a truly rewarding reading experience. - During the learning stage Read uses special symbols to help the child identify specific sound units or letter combinations. - Read's colorful, simple yet appealing graphic design and kid-friendly interface help children get and stay focused. - Read keeps track of the child's progress and fosters motivation through a fun and colorful achievement system. - Read includes educational tips and detailed contextual help menus for parents and teachers. ACTIVITIES Letter Tracing Using his finger, the child traces over the letters. How Do You Spell It The child listens to a sound then picks the correct answer among several written sound units. Choose the Right Word The child listens to a word then picks the correct answer among several written words. Listen and Write The child drags and drops sound units in order to write the word she has just heard. The ability to construct a word from distinct 'building blocks' is one of the fundamental skills required for fluent reading, and a central component in the Phonics method. Match Words and Sounds The child matches a sound with its written form in a kind of auditory game of concentration. This is especially effective for learning sight words, a pivotal element in the Whole Language method. Interactive Writing Pad This activity allows the child to 'construct' words and sentences, or even invent made-up words—by freely drag-and-dropping individual letters (lower- or uppercase), letter combinations, and numbers to the interactive writing pad, which reads them aloud as she writes them. That's the magic of writing! Stories and Questions Stories range from a few words in the first lessons to fully-blown original narratives in the later stages. Each story comes with a comprehension test consisting in one to three questions. Making sure that your child fully understands what he has just read is essential: being a reader is not just about sounding out the written word but also of course getting the general meaning of a text. Associating decoding and comprehension from the beginning encourages the child to pay close attention to and enjoy what he's reading. Learn the Alphabet This activity allows the child to learn or review the alphabet using both letter names and letter sounds, lowercase and uppercase letters. More Stories A collection of original or classic children's stories that open up the world of reading for the child. These stories, which are longer than those from the lessons, pave the way for the child to read her first books. The child can touch any word to hear it pronounced. She can also play the audio for the whole story while following the words on the screen. Sight Words and Phrases This activity familiarizes the child with over 100 sight words and sight phrases among the most frequently used in the English language. ## Key features - 20 progressive reading lessons - Phonics and Whole Language methods - Interactive stories and exercises - Adaptive learning pace - Progress tracking and achievements - Parent/teacher help menus ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read4kids-kids-learn-to-read-in-20-easy-lessons/id1023126431/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Teaching my daughter to read *2017-10-28* My daughter attends a montessori school and this app is consistent with how they are taught in school. She is doing great so far. I think it’s very useful and helps with letter and word recognition. My only complaint is the voice is a little hard to understand. She sounds like Siri so a parent should be present to help repeat the word so your child can understand. ### 4/5 — Awesome Concept, But Speech Hinders Execution *2017-07-28* This has the potential to me by all-time favorite reading app. I'm a kindergarten teacher with a degree in EdTech. I have tried hundreds of apps in my classroom to help my students master letters and sounds on the journey to reading fluency. This one could easily be the best, were it not for the robotic pronunciation riddled with errors. My students were constantly asking me to listen to words, because they couldn't tell what the voice was saying. In the final position, d and t sound exactly alike. Need a voice for your app? I volunteer! If you get the voice fixed, this app would be stellar. ### 3/5 — Great app but... *2017-04-01* This has the potential to be a great reading app. Unfortunately the graphic design is not very engaging for kids. ### 3/5 — Great app, but... *2017-03-28* I agree with the previous reviews that it's hard to distinguish what the voice is saying. The platform is great though. We just have to make sure one of us is helping our 5 year old while he's working on it to help him hear what's being said. ### 2/5 — Confusing narrator makes app hard to use *2017-03-20* This is a well-designed app and my 5 year old really enjoys it, but the machine-generated narrator can be very difficult to understand. Pronunciations of '-d' and '-t' are nearly indistinguishable. Words like 'Hat' and 'Had' are pronounced the same and this creates a lot of unneeded confusion and frustration. I would not recommend buying this app until it's fixed. ### 3/5 — Great app but hard to understand certain words *2017-02-12* This is a good app but could easily be a great app but for the fact that certain words are very difficult for my four year old to understand. The voice in the app, which sounds very similar to Siri, is sometimes difficult for even me to hear. "Pot" sounds like "pod" for example and sometimes it takes the both of us a couple tries before we get the correct word. This results in game rewards being taken away which is really frustrating for the both of us. The voice reading is also very robotic and off-putting. All in all a decent app for $3, but it could be a lot better. ### 5/5 — Perfect for preschoolers *2017-02-09* Introduced this app to my 4.5 yr old son and he really enjoys it. He likes the "rewards" he attains at the bottom of the screen when he gets the answers correct. He's having fun while reinforcing the reading skills he's currently developing. Highly recommend this app for preschoolers. ### 5/5 — Exceptional App for Kids *2016-10-01* I love this app. My 3 1/2 year old enjoys learning to read and write with it. Initially I purchased it because my son loves tracing letters but he progressed to reading and writing all by himself. Its simplicity and easy learning techniques make it fun and enjoyable to use. I highly recommend this app, well worth the purchase. ### 1/5 — New update has killed this app *2016-09-20* I really, really want to give this app five stars. Unfortunately, since the new update, I have found that this app no longer works. My daughter loved this app and has been devastated that she can't work on her reading skills since the update I'm I'll hit on the button and it'll come up it'll say the company name and then the screen just goes black and doesn't load the app I've tried rebooting my iPad, i've tried uninstalling and then reinstalling and I am getting the same results. You guys really need to put out an update to try to fix these issues. ### 5/5 — Love it *2016-09-14* This app helps all ages learn how to read and remember everything you've read. ## Frequently asked questions about Read4Kids ### What is the learning methodology used by Read4Kids? Read4Kids utilizes a combination of the PHONICS METHOD and the WHOLE LANGUAGE METHOD, which education experts agree is key to successful learning. It introduces letters based on frequency and builds reading skills progressively. ### How does Read4Kids track a child's progress? The app keeps track of the child's progress through a fun and colorful achievement system, fostering motivation as they advance through the lessons and exercises. ### What kind of content does Read4Kids offer? Read4Kids includes 20 lessons, 120 exercises, and over 150 interactive stories. Stories start with a few words and progress to original narratives, each followed by comprehension questions. ### What devices is Read4Kids available on? The provided data does not specify device compatibility. However, it is a mobile application, typically available on iOS and Android platforms. ### What is the age rating for Read4Kids? Read4Kids has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for kindergarten and elementary school-aged children. ### How much does Read4Kids cost? Read4Kids is a paid application priced at $4.99. There are no indications of subscription tiers or in-app purchases. ### How often is Read4Kids updated? The application was last updated on September 21, 2016, with its latest version being 2.1. This suggests infrequent updates. ### What do users like most about Read4Kids? Based on the rating of 3.6 stars from 13 ratings, user sentiment is mixed. Specific positive feedback is not detailed in the provided data, but the app's focus on a combined learning method and engaging content is highlighted. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 2.1 — 2016-09-21 Fix Major Bug with iOS 10 New name: Read4Kids New icon ## More apps by Olivier Romanetti - [Music4Kids](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music4kids/id731852306) - [Music4Kids Lite - Learn, create and compose music through play](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music4kids-lite-learn-create-and-compose-music-through-play/id833611787) - [Music4Babies](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music4babies/id858444241) All apps by Olivier Romanetti: https://appshunter.io/developer/731852309 --- *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 2026-06-23.*