Picture Packets vs Pubbly Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Picture Packets
This app is the final step in a comprehensive reading and writing curriculum for beginning readers. It helps children transition from reading with sounds to reading with letters by providing hints for vowel sounds within words. The goal is to build reading and writing confidence.
- Reading and writing curriculum
- Focus on vowel sounds
- Transition from sounds to letters
- Builds reading confidence
- Part of a 14-app series
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Center for Innovation in Education Picture Packets - Vowels Dekodiphukan Description The fourteenth 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 - Vowels The fourteenth and last of the Fourteen Apps, but not the last of the learning taking place The Picture Packets-Vowels are the next to last step in transitioning the child from reading with sounds to reading with letters. At the Picture Packets-Transition level, all the sounds that make up a word are shown above the word they represent. At the Vowels level, only the vowel sounds are included as hints for the letters. The last step takes place in the creative writing that evolves from the child’s work with the Stamping app, and is described in the third phase of the Creative Writing instructions included in The Guide. The goal of the Baratta-Lorton Reading Program is to allow children to learn to read and to write with confidence. Once this goal has been achieved, it is the parent's willing responsibility to insure this reading and writing ability is given opportunity for endless use. The last step is not an app at all. The last step is parents encouraging their child to use the reading and writing skills they now possess. Picture Packets - Vowels Introduced after the child can read Picture Packet-Transition words with ease
Pubbly Player
Interactive read-aloud books with animations engage young learners aged 4-8. Practice English and Math skills with educational games, and access Spanish support for Math, Reading, and Science content.
- Read-aloud books with animation
- Interactive learning content
- Educational games for Math and English
- Age-appropriate material (4-8 years)
- Spanish language support
- Progress tracking
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The PUBBLY Player App includes read-aloud books with animation and interactions for young learners and readers. Material is sorted by age appropriateness from ages 4-8 years old. Children are free to explore all the material offered in the app. Educational games allow for practicing English and Math concepts. Programs for Math, Reading, and Science samples have Spanish support on each page.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pubbly Player at 5.0 against Picture Packets's 4.5. Pubbly Player also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 69 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.
Pubbly Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Picture Packets ships an update every 69 months, Pubbly Player monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Picture Packets | Pubbly Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 69 months | Monthly — 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 | 25 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bob Baratta-Lorton | Pubbly LLC |
Customer experience
Picture Packets
Pubbly Player
In-app purchases
Picture Packets
No in-app purchases
Pubbly Player
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Picture Packets free?
Is Pubbly Player free?
Which has better reviews, Picture Packets or Pubbly Player?
Do Picture Packets or Pubbly Player have ads?
Which is updated more often, Picture Packets or Pubbly Player?
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