Dekodiphukan vs READING MAGIC 4
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dekodiphukan
This app introduces children to the 44 sounds of the English language through a rhyming storybook. It's part of a comprehensive reading and writing curriculum designed for beginning readers and those who have struggled with literacy. The app offers audio support for pronunciation and repeated reading.
- Rhyming storybook format
- Introduces 44 English phonemes
- Connects sounds to pictures
- Audio reading support
- Part of a comprehensive curriculum
- No ads
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Center for Innovation in Education Dekodiphukan Storybook Dekodiphukan Description A children’s storybook written in rhyme. The first of the fourteen apps that comprise the Baratta-Lorton Reading Program. The Reading Program is a reading and writing curriculum for beginning readers and any child who has already experienced difficulty in learning to read. 99% unique – 100% effective - 100% free Background for the fourteen apps The Baratta-Lorton Reading Program also known as Dekodiphukan (pronounced decode if you can) was developed by the Center for Innovation in Education whose many other offerings include Mathematics Their Way, the first non-traditional math curriculum adopted in by the State of California. Dekodiphukan has been in use in classrooms across the United States and Canada since 1985. The Program has been used to teach thousands of children to read and to write regardless of background or supposed lack of reading readiness. To date, no child using the program in a classroom setting has ever failed to learn to read or to write. This Dekodiphukan reading and writing curriculum is now a series of fourteen apps plus a parent-guide for the iPad that, within a period of six months to a year (or occasionally a bit longer for some special needs children), will enable every child using it to read and to write. Reading with enjoyment. Writing creatively. Dekodiphukan is a full fledged curriculum. It is a set of specific learning activities, not a set of games. The curriculum’s fourteen apps are all free with no ads - popup or otherwise - included. While the apps may be downloaded all at once and stored in a folder on the iPad, no more than two or three of the apps are used at any one time by the child. Dekodiphukan Storybook The first of the Fourteen Apps Forty-four sounds or phonemes form the building blocks for every word spoken in English. The Dekodiphukan Storybook, written in rhyme, introduces children to these forty-four sounds and connects each sound to a picture that represents that sound. It is easier to correctly identify the sound of a phoneme when the phoneme is at the end of a word. Rhyming is used to facilitate correct sound-phoneme pronunciation. The events in the storybook provide the rationale for why each of forty-four sound pictures represents the particular sounds that it does. The Dekodiphukan Storybook is meant to be read initially by the parent to the child. A play button provides an audio reading for each page to assist parents who are unsure of pronunciations, or who prefer to listen along with their child as the story is being read. The audio reading of each page also permits the child to “read” and “reread” the storybook as often as he or she wishes, without waiting for an adult reader. Dekodiphukan STORYBOOK A children’s storybook written in rhyme Also available in book form through the Center’s website Introduces the 44 sounds of the English language Uses rhyme for clarity in sound identification To be read the first time by the parent to the child Parents unclear about pronouncements may play audios Child uses audio play buttons for subsequent readings Downloadable sound pictures for wall posting Downloadable Sound Summary for Parents
READING MAGIC 4
This app uses interactive activities based on the science of reading to help young learners develop essential reading skills. It focuses on phonograms, digraphs, blending, and segmenting through engaging modes and sequential lessons.
- Science of Reading methodology
- Phonograms and digraphs focus
- Blending and segmenting modes
- Reading mode with hidden pictures
- Sequential lessons
- Progress tracking for multiple students
- Diverse male and female voices
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Unlock the Magic of Reading with READING MAGIC 4! Transform your child into a confident reader with READING MAGIC 4! This app makes learning to read an exciting adventure through interactive activities focused on words containing consonant and vowel digraphs. Meticulously designed to provide an advanced boost to your child’s phonemic awareness, this app combines three foundational pillars of literacy science into one powerful, interactive ecosystem: Blending (Listening), Segmenting (Speaking), and Decoding (Reading). Grounded firmly in Science of Reading principles and utilizing University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) guidelines, READING MAGIC provides specific, precise training with extensive repetitions to help young brains bridge the gap between spoken sound units and complete words. IDEAL FOR BOTH BEGINNING PRE-READERS AND STRUGGLING READERS For Beginning Pre-Readers: A stress-free launchpad. By practicing words through pure sound sequences first, your child masters the internal mechanics of reading without cognitive overload. This keeps them from being frustrated by trying to learn separate, difficult skills at the same time. For Struggling or Remedial Readers: If your child's reading is hesitant or choppy, or if they guess at words, this app provides the targeted intervention recommended by modern reading science to help young brains bridge the gap. THREE CRITICAL SKILL-BUILDING PILLARS While many phonics programs completely overlook the auditory mechanics of reading, our program systematically guides your child through the complete progression of decoding: Skill 1: Blending (Listening): Interactive listening activities train your child’s neural processing ability to hear isolated sounds in words and join them together mentally. This builds the vital auditory runway required for future fluency. Skill 2: Segmenting (Speaking): True spelling and reading independence require the ability to pull spoken words apart into their individual sound units. These exercises build explicit awareness of the acoustic structure of language. Skill 3: Decoding (Reading): The ultimate bridge to literacy. Your child applies their mastery of blending and segmenting directly to text, smoothly moving from spoken sounds to visual words. STRUCTURAL SPACING & INSTRUCTION (Science-Backed Layout) Our app builds the actual findings of reading science directly into the user interface for maximum visual clarity: Anti-Crowding Design: Peer-reviewed research, including Marinus et al. (2016) and Wery & Diliberto (2017), demonstrates that generous letter spacing is critical for early decoding. By placing each letter on its own isolated card with distinct physical gaps, our layout eliminates visual crowding, allowing your child to isolate each sound unit cleanly. True Comprehension: The app strictly discourages picture guessing, forcing children to rely purely on their decoding skills to foster true comprehension and build lasting confidence. INDEPENDENT LEARNING & AESTHETIC SIMPLICITY Distraction-Free: Our minimalist design eliminates overstimulating audio-visual clutter, excessive sound effects, and animations to keep your child entirely focused on the mechanics of reading. Stress-Free Growth: Built-in natural feedback loops offer gentle corrections, nurturing self-discovery and independent learning at your child's own pace. EXPERT RESEARCH BACKING "Before a child can read fluently with their eyes, they must be able to blend fluently with their ears. Weakness in auditory blending is one of the strongest early predictors of later reading failure." — Dr. Joseph Torgesen, Florida State University. "Teaching students to blend and segment benefited their reading much more than did a multiple-skills approach... and teaching phonemic awareness with letters created effect sizes almost twice as large as teaching children without letters." — The National Reading Panel (NRP) Meta-Analysis
Screenshots
Verdict
Dekodiphukan and READING MAGIC 4 both sit at 4.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Dekodiphukan's written reviews are positive against 0% of READING MAGIC 4's. Dekodiphukan also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). READING MAGIC 4's advantage is ratings volume (52 vs 9) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Dekodiphukan against 4.1 for READING MAGIC 4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: READING MAGIC 4 has 52 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Dekodiphukan's written reviews are positive against 0% of READING MAGIC 4's.
Dekodiphukan ships an update every 35 months, READING MAGIC 4 every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dekodiphukan | READING MAGIC 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (9 ratings) — better | 4.1 (52 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 52 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | Every 26 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.7 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 208 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bob Baratta-Lorton | PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY |
Customer experience
Dekodiphukan
READING MAGIC 4
In-app purchases
Dekodiphukan
No in-app purchases
READING MAGIC 4
- Deluxe Upgrade$3.99
Questions
Is Dekodiphukan free?
Is READING MAGIC 4 free?
Which has better reviews, Dekodiphukan or READING MAGIC 4?
Do Dekodiphukan or READING MAGIC 4 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dekodiphukan or READING MAGIC 4?
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