i Can Spell with Phonics vs Second Grade ABC Spelling
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
i Can Spell with Phonics
This app teaches 150 sight words through phonics and sentence context with vibrant photos. It breaks words into "phonic chunks" and sounds them out, offering a fun, independent learning experience for young children and those needing remedial support.
- Teaches 150 sight words
- Breaks words into phonic chunks
- Words in meaningful sentence context
- Vibrant photos for visual learning
- Independent use for children
- Reward games for motivation
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Easy to use – Top quality recorded speech – Educationally sound – It gets results! Teaches 150 sight words with regular spelling. Breaks words into "phonic chunks" and sounds them out. Words are taught in meaningful sentence context with vibrant photos. It's like training wheels for spelling success! Ages 5 to 7, plus Remedial, ESL and Special Needs. Designed for children to use independently – Hours of learning fun. Begin learning two letter words, CVCs, short vowel sounds and simple rimes, before moving on to consonant blends, common digraphs, including: sh, ch, th, ck, oo, ee, ow, ou, ay, ai, oa, and r-controlled vowels: ar, ir, or, er. i Can Spell with Phonics provides an easy introduction for beginning spellers, with no irregular words, no typing, and no spelling tests (these will be introduced in our later apps!) TO PLAY... Simply tap "PLAY" and pick one of the five words to start (from easy to hard). Or pick a word list from 1 to 15, CVC words, a short vowel or digraph, or pick your own "My Words" list. Each 10-word-lesson is made up of three activities, followed by a reward game. Activity 1: Tap on the "phonic chunks" to build and sound-out each spelling word. Activity 2: Name the pictures: Drag the vowels, beginning letters, rimes or digraphs to complete the words. (This may be completed strategically, or by trial and error.) Activity 3: More "phonic chunks", but this time the spelling words are put in context, with engaging sentences and vibrant photographs. Reward Game: Choose between "Match the Pairs", "Word Search", "Fish Food" and "Space Rescue". NO ADS – NO IN-APP PURCHASES – NO WORRIES! All links and app settings are placed behind a parental gate. VOICE OPTIONS: American, British and Australian English TEACHERS: If you find the reward arcade games too distracting for your classroom, these may be turned off (in "Settings"), enabling students to play word games only. Please visit our developer website (link found at the bottom of this page) to view videos, get the app guide, and free worksheets! SYNTHETIC OR ANALYTIC PHONICS? Our apps systematically break words into phonemes and sound them out. The whole word and phonics are presented together. Neither is given priority, because the phonemic and visual aspects are BOTH important when learning to read and spell. i Can Spell with Phonics teaches spelling through immersion and repeated exposure both visually to the correct spelling, as well as hearing and actively sounding out the words. Phonics is taught explicitly, and the words are also placed in meaningful sentence context. The words included are phonemically regular sight words, however the vocabulary is not limited to the extent required by most "synthetic phonics" programs, which tend to dictate a specific order in which to introduce phonemes. If required, teachers can pick their own words for the lesson using "My Words" (words must be chosen from the 150). We use a traditional pronunciation of "w" and "y" ("wuh" and "yuh"). Our apps are designed to be highly educational, fun to play, and also take into consideration the needs of struggling literacy learners. A GREAT START... Whether you are buying this app for your four year old who has already mastered the sounds of the alphabet, or for your eight year old who still struggles to read, i Can Spell with Phonics will provide them with intensive phonics practice which is easy, fun and effective. *Get a 50% discount for quantities of 20 or more = ($1.49 each), via Apple’s Education Volume Purchase Program (VPP)
Second Grade ABC Spelling
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With this game your child will learn to: - Recognize the letters of the alphabet and vocabulary. - Drag and drop the syllables to create a word correctly. - Recognize blends and digraphs. - Synonyms and antonyms. - Read and sort sentences. Easy to play . You have the option of unlimited play . You can see your progress step by step . Suitable for 6, 7, 8, 9 years. You can play without internet connection. Available in English and Spanish. This app don't collect any data from user or device, don't include third-party analytics and don't include advertising.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: i Can Spell with Phonics at every 5 months against Second Grade ABC Spelling's every 19 months. i Can Spell with Phonics also leads on iOS requirement (6.0 vs 11.0). Second Grade ABC Spelling's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
i Can Spell with Phonics costs $1.99 and Second Grade ABC Spelling $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
i Can Spell with Phonics ships an update every 5 months, Second Grade ABC Spelling every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | i Can Spell with Phonics | Second Grade ABC Spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (17 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 19 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Harvey | Maria Dolores Garcia Ferre |
In-app purchases
i Can Spell with Phonics
No in-app purchases
Second Grade ABC Spelling
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is i Can Spell with Phonics free?
Is Second Grade ABC Spelling free?
Do i Can Spell with Phonics or Second Grade ABC Spelling have ads?
Which is updated more often, i Can Spell with Phonics or Second Grade ABC Spelling?
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