MidiPhonics Express vs Buzz 'n' Read (Standard)

MidiPhonics Express (1-year program) is a dynamic English learning program that provides a multimedia approach to introduce the alphabet, letter sounds, and the blending of sounds. Through the integrated readers, phonics-based activities, songs and multi-platform learning engines, children build a strong foundation in phonemic awareness and develop the ability to read with confidence. The program is designed based on the synthetic phonics approach (also known as blended phonics). Blended phonics is a method of teaching children to link letters or groups of letters to the sounds they represent, and then blend these letter sounds together to read words. With the MidiPhonics Express app, learning is extended from group learning in the classroom to independent learning at home. Children can listen and read along with the animated readers; sing jingles and songs; play word activities; and improve their pronunciation and reading skills with the built-in speech recognition function.

FOR BEGINNER READERS-- This Standard version of Buzz 'n' Read teaches reading by using important step-by-step techniques based on the PHONICS and structure of Standard English. Both Buzz 'n' Read apps are designed for children to learn to read by using stories with characters that look and sound like them so they can get excited about reading! This app will help your child to learn to read faster! Buzz ‘n’ Read (Standard/Phonics) focuses on teaching the BASICS OF PHONICS so that your child can learn to read by decoding letters rather than memorizing what every word looks like. Phonics is well-supported by research on learning to read because it gives your child a way to sound out almost any word they come across, even if they have never seen it before. This approach to reading will help your child become a strong reader! Buzz ‘n’ Read will help to make the process fun! Unlike other learn-to-read apps, this app begins with the very important first step in reading: learning to match letters to sounds so that your child can sound out words. This stage of reading using phonics is called DECODING. After learning this connection, a fun target game is used in this app to help strengthen your child’s learning. The next step in phonics is to learn to BLEND the letter sounds together to figure out what the word is. After learning to decode, your child will be taught how to blend sounds together to make a word and then will be given feedback on whether they sounded out the word correctly. Buzz ‘n’ Read is very unique in that it LISTENS TO YOUR CHILD while he or she is reading. The app uses speech recognition to listen to your child slowly sound out each word until he or she identifies it correctly. A happy sound is played when they say the word. Your child will then get to practice blending sounds together to make words by reading stories with simple words and beautiful illustrations. The words on the screen are read in part by the app’s narrator and in part by your child, with feedback for your child when the word is read correctly. This feedback is important in helping them to learn to read more accurately! The instructions and stories in Buzz ‘n’ Read are all spoken out loud to your child for easier navigation. The voice of the child is engaging and relatable. In most other reading apps, the instructions are written for a parent who is expected to help the child use the app to read. Having a narrator explain the reading process to your child and provide instructions for using the app not only makes learning a friendly process, but your child could even use this app to learn to read all by him- or herself! Best of all, BUZZ ‘n’ Read is COMPLETELY FREE, with no in-app purchases or membership fees, unlike any major other reading app available for iOS. This app was developed by Jackson Lasaga-Ivey.