Picture Packets vs Elder Stories
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Picture Packets
This app is part of a comprehensive reading and writing curriculum designed for beginning readers or those who have struggled with literacy. It focuses on transitioning from phonetic sounds to reading words in letters, helping children become independent readers and writers.
- Part of a 14-app reading curriculum
- Aids transition from sounds to letters
- Develops independent reading skills
- Encourages creative writing
- No ads or in-app purchases
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Center for Innovation in Education Picture Packets - Transition Dekodiphukan Description The twelfth 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. Picture Packets - Transition The twelfth of the Fourteen Apps The child begins Picture Packets-Transition at the same time as he or she begins the Writing Worksheets. Despite the lack of specific letter instruction accompanying the Picture Packets, the parent will observe that when his or her child reads the Picture Packets-Transition phrases, the child often attempts to read the words in letters, as opposed to the words in sounds. The sounds above the letters are used when the word they represent is not known. Children use the sounds to check the accuracy of their reading without having to ask a parent or anyone else a word they do not know. It may seem like more should be said about teaching children how to read the letters in the transition phrases, because it is the transition level of the program that produces the most parental anxiety. The concern is that a child may not be able to make the switch from sounds to letters to become what the parent feels is a real reader. But the most difficult learning level has already past. It passed for each child when that child mastered the art of blending two and three sounds into words. The child who can read phrases comfortably and who is at the transition level has already cleared all the hurdles. The child now is merely finishing out the run. Picture Packets - Transition Introduced in tandem with the Writing Worksheets No specific lesson with the letters is given to the child Letter association take place in the Writing Worksheets and Sightword apps
Elder Stories
Explore a collection of interviews with Elders from Southwest Alaska, recorded in the spring of 2019. This educational app offers a glimpse into their stories and experiences.
- Elder interviews
- Southwest Alaska focus
- Spring 2019 recordings
- Educational content
- Cultural stories
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This app is a compilation of interviews with Elders in various villages across Southwest Alaska. Stories were recorded in the spring of 2019.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Picture Packets at 100% against Elder Stories's 0%. Elder Stories's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 69 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Picture Packets ships an update every 69 months, Elder Stories every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Picture Packets | Elder Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 69 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 241 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bob Baratta-Lorton | James Dube |
Customer experience
Picture Packets
Elder Stories
In-app purchases
Picture Packets
No in-app purchases
Elder Stories
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Picture Packets free?
Is Elder Stories free?
Do Picture Packets or Elder Stories have ads?
Which is updated more often, Picture Packets or Elder Stories?
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