Decoding Chart vs WordBuilder Intervention
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decoding Chart
This app is part of a reading and writing curriculum designed for beginning readers or those who have struggled with literacy. It helps children transition from recognizing sounds to understanding letter spellings, using color-coded charts to guide them.
- Sound-to-letter decoding
- Color-coded spelling guidance
- Frequency-based spelling order
- Part of a comprehensive reading program
- Supports beginning readers
Read full descriptionHide full description
Center for Innovation in Education Decoding Chart - Flip Dekodiphukan Description The tenth 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. Decoding Chart - FLIP The tenth of the Fourteen Apps The Decoding Chart converts words written in sounds to words written in letters. It is the vehicle for transitioning the child from sounds to letters. Its use is introduced once the child can comfortably read and write phrases. The Chart contains the pictures of all forty-four sounds arranged in the same rows and in the same order within each row as they are in the Stamping app. Beneath each sound picture are various ways that sound may be spelled. The spellings listed beneath each sound appear in order of frequency of occurrence in the words which beginning readers are most likely to encounter. Each of the spellings that appear beneath the sound pictures are color coded. The first spelling of each sound is coded white. If a second spelling is listed, it is coded yellow. Third spellings are red, fourth spellings are blue, fifth are green, sixth are brown, and seventh are purple. The color codings indicate to the child which spelling is to be used to write the letters for a word. The Decoding Chart does not contain all possible spellings for each sound. It does, however, contain the spellings that appear in ninety-five to ninety-eight percent of the words the child will encounter while learning to read and write. A parent guide to how to use the Decoding Chart is included in The Guide instructions for the Writing Worksheets. Two Apps and the Decoding Chart Download Chart – Levels The Decoding Chart-Levels app displays the chart in five different levels, each level matching one of the five levels of the Reading Program. Chart - Flip The Decoding Chart-Flip app displays half the chart on one side and half on the other side of a flip view. Download While the Decoding Chart is available in two app formats and moving between apps is possible with a double-click of the Home button on the iPad, the double-clicking process may not be easily managed by the child. A more child-accessible version of the Decoding Chart can be downloaded from the Center’s website and printed out. Decoding Chart Converts words in sounds to words in letters Introduced once the child can comfortably read phrases Available in two different app forms Also downloadable from the Center’s website Instructions for its use are included in The Guide’s Writing Worksheet instructions
WordBuilder Intervention
This free educational tool helps adolescent struggling readers learn to deconstruct, construct, and spell complex words. Designed for direct instruction in small groups or one-on-one settings, it offers a year's worth of practice with motivating elements.
- Deconstruct multisyllabic words
- Build and spell words
- Research-based instruction
- Motivating coin rewards
- Academic Word List integration
- 540 words and sentences
Read full descriptionHide full description
WordBuilder Intervention is a research-based, free application used to teach adolescent struggling readers how to break down, build, and spell multisyllabic words. WordBuilder Intervention is a truly unique and valuable instructional tool that teachers and parents will find effective for grades 6-12. WordBuilder Intervention was created to be used by teachers during direct instruction. It is designed to be used within a small group, or for one-on-one instruction. Please watch the instructional videos on the WordBuilder Intervention website to learn more. Save up to 50 student accounts on 1 device. Download for free today! Developed by a team of experts • Created by California State University, Northridge for the Literate Adolescents Intervention Project. • Designed by digiCOACH, Inc. • Produced under the California Adolescent Literacy Initiative at Napa County Office of Education in collaboration with the California Department of Education, Special Education Division through a State Personnel Development Grant (Award #H323A170011) from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Motivation embedded in the application • Students earn coins for mastering multisyllabic words • Challenging words allow older students to practice phonics skills at an appropriate level • Many words are taken from the Academic Word List (AWL) • Sentences in more advanced units excerpted from national newspapers A year’s worth of practice in one application! • 540 multisyllabic words and sentences • A systematic scope and sequence • Free instructional program with videos and “how to” tips available at www.wordbuilderapp.com.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WordBuilder Intervention at 4.7 against Decoding Chart's 3.5. WordBuilder Intervention also leads on update cadence (every 11 months vs every 71 months) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WordBuilder Intervention holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Decoding Chart ships an update every 71 months, WordBuilder Intervention every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decoding Chart | WordBuilder Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 71 months | Every 11 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bob Baratta-Lorton | Napa County Office of Education |
Customer experience
Decoding Chart
WordBuilder Intervention
In-app purchases
Decoding Chart
No in-app purchases
WordBuilder Intervention
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Decoding Chart free?
Is WordBuilder Intervention free?
Which has better reviews, Decoding Chart or WordBuilder Intervention?
Do Decoding Chart or WordBuilder Intervention have ads?
Which is updated more often, Decoding Chart or WordBuilder Intervention?
Other comparisons















