SPELLING MAGIC 2 vs Reading Speed/Fluency Builder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SPELLING MAGIC 2
This app teaches children to read by focusing on consonant blend words. It uses interactive activities to help build words and understand letter sounds, aligning with Science of Reading principles. Two versions are available, offering different word counts and customization options.
- Teaches CVCC and CCVC words
- Focuses on letter sounds and word construction
- Word Building section
- Moveable Alphabet section
- Two levels of challenge
- Developed with educators and Montessori principles
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Introducing SPELLING MAGIC 2, a key to your child's future reading success. SPELLING MAGIC 2 incorporates the main principles of the Science of Reading. SPELLING MAGIC 2 is tailored to focus on CVCC (consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant) words like "hand," "sent," and "gift," as well as CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words such as "spin," "flap," and "stop." These types of words are also known as "consonant blend words" and are categorized into themes for enhanced learning. This app is designed to teach children the sounds of letters and how to construct words. It emphasizes the skill of building CCVC/CVCC words with four phonemes using short vowel words, indirectly imparting the essential reading skill of segmenting. With two levels of challenge, it offers a comprehensive learning experience. In the "Word Building" section of the app, only the components (letters) of the word are used for building, while the "Moveable Alphabet" section utilizes the entire alphabet for word construction. Please note that the purpose of this app is to provide ample opportunities for practicing building CCVC & CVCC words, presenting a chance to expand vocabulary. When tapped, the pictures always pronounce the sound of the word that the app prompts the child to build. The free version of SPELLING MAGIC 2 includes 72 words, while the DELUXE version offers 235 words and provides several choices in the options menu, including two types of voices, three font styles, two letter color options, a special feature to connect letters, and over 160 additional words from the free version. Developed by a team of educators using accelerated learning techniques and Montessori principles, this app has been tested and approved by preschoolers, who found it enjoyable and beneficial for learning letter sounds. We eagerly await your feedback and suggestions as we strive to provide a rewarding educational experience for young learners.
Reading Speed/Fluency Builder
This app helps children improve their reading speed and fluency through a game-like environment. It offers graduated practice, audio support, and motivational rewards to build confidence and comprehension skills for young learners.
- Graduated reading practice
- Mastery-based progression
- Multiple texts per level
- Progress reporting
- Audio support for fluent reading
- Fun reward system
- Incremental reading levels
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** Happy Frog Apps is a Mom’s Choice Award Winner! Also featured on FunEducationalApps.com, TeachersWithApps.com, and more! ** Reading Fluency Builder quickly develops your child's reading speed to meet grade level expectations. Reading fluency is a key prerequisite if your child is struggling with reading comprehension. Reading Fluency Builder provides a fun game-like environment that motivates even hesitant learners. What parents say about our awesome apps: *** 5 stars! Brilliant! An app that understands how kids actually learn. Thank you! *** 5 stars! My kids love this app because of the fun, silly sentences. I love it because it works! Reading Fluency Builder provides: - Graduated practice starting with simple texts and slower speeds. - Students progress only when they demonstrate mastery. - Students can practice with multiple texts per level. - 'At a glance' reporting shows you instantly how your learner is progressing. - Audio support is provided so learners can hear a fluent model. - Fun Reward Center increases student motivation. - Incremental levels take a student from mid Grade 1 reading speed up to mid Grade 5 reading speed. Our app is based on proven research on the effectiveness of modeled and repeated reading to increase fluency -- but we make it fun! Our apps are designed for and tested by typical and special needs children. Testers include children with Autism and other special needs. Our apps work for them! Our apps are also suitable for adults dealing with aphasia or learning English as a Second Language. To evaluate the app, download the free version, which has four free levels. Additional levels and additional players can be accessed with in-app purchases. (All levels can be purchased for $2.99 -- price may change.) If you prefer no in-app purchases, download the School Edition of this app, which includes all levels and up to 10 players. We take customer service very seriously! If you ever have a problem or find that we've missed something, contact us at our website and we will do our best to fix the problem. We collect NO private information in our app. None! Our apps do not allow unrestricted web or social media access. We conform to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SPELLING MAGIC 2 at 63% against Reading Speed/Fluency Builder's 17%. SPELLING MAGIC 2 also leads on rating (4.3 vs 2.3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. SPELLING MAGIC 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Reading Speed/Fluency Builder sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SPELLING MAGIC 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of SPELLING MAGIC 2's written reviews are positive against 17% of Reading Speed/Fluency Builder's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SPELLING MAGIC 2 | Reading Speed/Fluency Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (16 ratings) — better | 2.3 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews — better | 16.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 12.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 185 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY | Janine Toole |
Customer experience
SPELLING MAGIC 2
Reading Speed/Fluency Builder
In-app purchases
SPELLING MAGIC 2
- Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
Reading Speed/Fluency Builder
- Up to 2 Users$1.99
- Access All Levels$2.99
- Add up to 10 Users$2.99
Questions
Is SPELLING MAGIC 2 free?
Is Reading Speed/Fluency Builder free?
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Reading Speed/Fluency Builder?
Do SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Reading Speed/Fluency Builder have ads?
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Reading Speed/Fluency Builder?
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