Decoding Chart vs Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)
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
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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
Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)
This app helps beginner readers, particularly Black children, learn to read using stories that reflect their dialect and culture. It features speech recognition to listen to children read aloud and provides interactive lessons on letter sounds, word building, and story reading.
- Stories in African-American English
- Speech recognition for reading practice
- Interactive letter sound games
- Word building exercises
- Read-along stories with illustrations
- Child narrator for instructions
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FOR BEGINNER READERS-- Especially designed for Black children to learn to read by using stories with characters that look and sound like them so they can get excited about reading! This version of Buzz ‘n’ Read uses African-American English in the stories so that children who began speaking English with the African-American dialect don’t have to work TWICE as hard at reading by trying to sound out a word while translating the story from another dialect (Standard English). This app will help your child to learn to read faster! The simple stories are designed to be relatable and engaging. Buzz ‘n’ Read is very unique in that it listens to your child while they read. The app actually uses speech recognition to listen to your child slowly sound out each word until it is identified correctly. The instructions in Buzz Reading are spoken to your child by a human voice, that of a Black child. 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 Reading is COMPLETELY FREE, with no in-app purchases or membership fees, unlike any other major reading app available for iPhones and iPads! There are three major sections to BUZZ Reading: learning letter sounds, including a target game to help your child identify the letter sounds in a fun and interactive way learning to string letter sounds together to make words Reading stories that contain simple words with beautiful illustrations. The words on the screen are read in part by the narrator and in part by your child, with feedback when they read their word correctly. This app was developed by Jackson Lasaga-Ivey.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) at 5.0 against Decoding Chart's 3.5. Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 71 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Decoding Chart ships an update every 71 months, Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decoding Chart | Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 71 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 298 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bob Baratta-Lorton | JLI AppStudio LLC |
Customer experience
Decoding Chart
Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)
In-app purchases
Decoding Chart
No in-app purchases
Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Decoding Chart free?
Is Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) free?
Which has better reviews, Decoding Chart or Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)?
Do Decoding Chart or Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version) have ads?
Which is updated more often, Decoding Chart or Buzz 'n' Read! (AAE version)?
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