# Word Reader - Skinny Books 1 — Word Family Readers > Educational app for children learning to read using word families and phonics. (iPhone/iPad app by COMPASS SYNDICATE CORPORATION.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-1/id898089674 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [COMPASS SYNDICATE CORPORATION](https://appshunter.io/developer/898089677) - Category: Education, Books - Price: $1.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 6 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 69 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2015-08-12 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-1/id898089674/reviews.md ## What is Word Reader? Word Family Readers are an easy and fun way for children to learn to read. The stories use rhyming words that have the same ending sound but a different beginning sound. Chuck who had bad luck and Mox the ox and his box are just two of the entertaining stories. The Word Family Reader approach is endorsed by educators as a great way for young children to acquire a basic knowledge of phonics. There are no pictures in these books. When children read them, they are truly reading – not relying on pictures to recognize words. Word Family Readers – • start young children reading right away. • have 42 stories to be read. • provide audio versions of each story. • reinforce reading skills through games. • teach children to read and spell 200 one-syllable words. The two authors of this series, Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts, are very experienced reading teachers who – • have written more than 50 textbooks for beginning readers that are used in schools across the country. • teach teachers how to teach reading. • hold reading specialist degrees (Ed.S.) in education. • won the Children’s Reading Round Table award for their beginning reader – Pancakes, Crackers, and Pizza. ## Key features - Rhyming word family stories - 42 educational stories - Audio versions of stories - Reading skill reinforcement games - Teaches 200 one-syllable words - Picture-free reading approach ## Recent user reviews (9 of 9) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-1/id898089674/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great reading app *2016-04-28* Great beginning app for my kids. They love the rhyming and talking Apple. The games are just right for their age. I highly recommend this app! ### 5/5 — Rhyming Stories are Fun for Kids *2016-04-25* My kids loved the rhyming stories and started reading right away. They are also learning phonics! ### 5/5 — Great beginning reader app *2016-04-16* Terrific app for beginning readers. My son loved listening to the stories and playing the games and now he can read the stories by himself. ### 5/5 — Excellent educational tool *2016-04-04* From great educators ### 5/5 — Great Beginning Reader *2016-04-01* We tried and tried to help Lily learn to read while babysitting her. No luck in doing this until we discovered this app. Now, she will have a great start on reading when she gets to kindergarten next year. Lily just listened and listened to the stories. Then she started to read them. We know she actually can read the story words because she aces the word games that she plays over and over again. Lily has literally taught herself to read without much help from us. ### 5/5 — SM *2016-03-15* The emphasis is on repetition! A true early readers app! ### 5/5 — Great for kids! *2015-09-08* I love skinny books! This is great for my kids and for my friends with kids. Why not give the kids a game on your phone that they can learn and have fun with! I recommend to all my friends who have kids! It keeps their minds occupied in good way! ### 5/5 — Fun for Kids! *2015-08-20* My daughter has been having a lot of fun with this app. She enjoys listening and reading along with the stories and playing the games in each section (bingo, matching/memory). I will definitely recommend this to all my friends with children who are starting to learn how to read. ### 5/5 — Awesome *2015-08-16* Like that kids can focus on weds vs pictures. My daughter was having trouble with comprehension. This format helps her focus on meaning of words and story line. Bonus is that she loves stories and questions! Thanks! ## Frequently asked questions about Word Reader ### What is the learning methodology of Word Reader? Word Reader uses a word family approach, focusing on rhyming words with the same ending sound. This method is endorsed by educators to help young children acquire basic phonics knowledge and learn to read and spell 200 one-syllable words. ### How many stories are included in Word Reader? Word Reader features 42 stories designed to help children start reading right away. These stories utilize rhyming words to reinforce reading skills. ### Does Word Reader have audio support? Yes, Word Reader provides audio versions of each story. This feature can assist children in pronunciation and comprehension as they learn. ### What age rating does Word Reader have? Word Reader is rated for ages 4 and up. This makes it suitable for preschoolers and early elementary school children. ### Is Word Reader available on Android devices? Based on the provided data, Word Reader is supported on iPhone and iPod. Information regarding Android compatibility is not available. ### How often is Word Reader updated? The latest version of Word Reader is 2.0.3, last updated on December 13, 2023. This indicates regular updates to the application. ### What is the price of Word Reader? Word Reader is a paid application priced at $1.99. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned. ### Does Word Reader use pictures to help children read? No, Word Reader intentionally does not include pictures in its books. This approach encourages children to focus on the words themselves, promoting true reading comprehension. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.0.4 — 2026-05-06 - Built for iOS 26 ### 2.0.3 — 2023-12-13 - Built for iOS 16 ### 2.0.2 — 2020-08-19 - Parental information updated ### 2.0.0 — 2020-06-19 - updated for iOS 13 ### 1.06 — 2016-08-16 - new Game titles - updated Dear Teacher App Store link ## Apps similar to Word Reader | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Learn to Read - Reading.com](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305) | 4.7 (53,100) | Free | Education | | [Reading Train Alphabet Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-train-alphabet-lite/id957316999) | 4.5 (4) | Free | Education | | [First Grade Learning Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-grade-learning-games/id530703273) | 4.4 (47,412) | Free | Education | | [ABC Spelling - Spell & Phonics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-spelling-spell-and-phonics/id1186728253) | 4.6 (2,970) | Free | Education | | [Sight Words Reading Games ABC](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sight-words-reading-games-abc/id518258478) | 4.8 (64,081) | Free | Education | | [Teach Your Monster to Read](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teach-your-monster-to-read/id828392046) | 4.6 (21,153) | $8.99 | Education | ## More apps by COMPASS SYNDICATE CORPORATION - [Dear Teacher](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-teacher/id927640722) - [Word Reader - Skinny Books 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-2/id1171465440) - [Word Reader - Skinny Books 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-3/id1523397468) - [Word Reader - Skinny Books 4](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-4/id1552061526) - [Word Family Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-family-games/id1628858398) All apps by COMPASS SYNDICATE CORPORATION: https://appshunter.io/developer/898089677 ## Related topics [beginning reading](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/beginning-reading) --- *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.*