Comparison

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 vs READING MAGIC 3 for Schools

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2

This app scientifically improves spelling and reading skills using phonics, word patterns, and syllabication. It offers over 650 words across 54 lessons, breaking down words into syllables and sounds to build phonemic awareness.

Highlights
  • Scientifically validated approach
  • Phonics, word patterns, syllabication
  • Over 650 high-frequency words
  • 54 instructional lessons
  • Reverse phonics hint feature
  • Syllable breakdown (visual & auditory)
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Scientifically validated as a highly effective approach to improving spelling skills. A published study revealed that students demonstrated an average spelling improvement of 1.9 grades among children in a classroom setting who regularly used Simplex Spelling over a 18 week period. The largest student improvement observed over the same time period was 4.4 grade levels as assessed by administering the Schonell Spelling Test. Simplex Spelling is one of the best ways to improve English spelling and reading skills. Using a powerful combination of phonics lessons, spelling/word patterns, syllabication, our unique “reverse phonics” (phonics encoding) approach and contextually relevant spelling rules. - "Simplex Spelling has a feedback method that rivals anything a teacher can do in the classroom. " - Carolina Nugent, Director of Education KinderTown. - "No other literacy apps are this comprehensive." - Teachers With Apps - "WOW!!!! I found my miracle app" - Speech Language Neighborhood - Academics' Choice Award 

Teaching over a year of spelling curriculum with more than 650 high frequency words divided into 54 lists that are organized by spelling patterns and difficulty levels. Each of the 54 lists comes with a lesson that teaches one of the basic building blocks of spelling in the English language. These basic building blocks include syllables, sounds, spelling rules and some of the more advanced English phonograms. 

 Students learn a new concept for each lesson building on the skills learned from previous lessons and those covered in Simplex Spelling Phonics 1. Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 guides the student and acts as a personal spelling coach with every word, while teaching students "how to spell" English words. Our “reverse phonics” hint feature breaks each word down into individual phonemes to improve phonemic awareness, a critical skill in achieving literacy. One of the main areas of focus in Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 is on syllables and how they affect the way we speak, read and spell. Every word is broken down into its syllables both visually and auditorily to help students build phonological awareness skills. Many lessons teach the concepts of open and closed syllables, compound words, the rules governing vowels in syllables and syllable stresses. The stress on each syllable is subtly conveyed with every word to help students understand how the stress on a syllable affects the way words are pronounced and spelled. The schwa sound and its occurrence in English words is also taught.

 Recommended age 6+
 
Note: You can not create your own spelling lists.

 Features: 
 - Over 650 high frequency spelling words to help build literacy. - Words are spoken and used in a sentence to establish context and improve vocabulary. 
 - Introductory spelling list seamlessly leads a student through all of the application’s features.
 - A starting assessment/placement test. - Review lists to track learning progress. - 54 instructional lessons teach syllables, phonics, phonograms, and spelling rules. 
- A full “reverse phonics” approach that builds phonemic awareness. - Contextually relevant spelling rule hints that help explain “how to spell” English words.
 - Letter by letter feedback system provides feedback while the student is in the process of spelling each word. 
 - Support for 40 user accounts. - Export and email student progress reports. 
 
- Supports US, UK and Canadian English spelling of words.

 Privacy Disclosure: 
- Does not contain 3rd party ads 
 - Does not share any data 
 - Does not contain In-App purchases - Contains child protected links to "email the developer questions" and developer's website for additional information, support and teaching tips. COPPA Compliant https://pyxwise.com/privacy-policy/

About

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools

This educational app helps children master reading multi-syllable words through interactive activities based on the science of reading. It features three engaging modes: blending, segmenting, and reading, with sequential lessons and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Science of Reading methodology
  • Focus on multi-syllable words
  • Blending and segmenting modes
  • Reading mode for comprehension
  • Sequential lessons
  • Progress tracking
  • Diverse male and female voices
Features
Read full description

Unlock the Magic of Reading with READING MAGIC 3! Transform your child into a confident reader with READING MAGIC 3! This app makes learning to read an exciting adventure through interactive activities focused on short vowel words containing multiple syllables. 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

Simplex Spelling Phonics 24 screens
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: READING MAGIC 3 for Schools at 5.0 against Simplex Spelling Phonics 2's 3.6. READING MAGIC 3 for Schools also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and price ($3.99 vs $4.99). Simplex Spelling Phonics 2's advantage is update cadence (every 15 months vs every 40 months) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 costs $4.99 and READING MAGIC 3 for Schools $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Simplex Spelling Phonics 2's written reviews are positive against 100% of READING MAGIC 3 for Schools's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 ships an update every 15 months, READING MAGIC 3 for Schools every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 versus READING MAGIC 3 for Schools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplex Spelling Phonics 2READING MAGIC 3 for Schools
Price$4.99$3.99 — better
Rating3.6 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 15 months — betterEvery 40 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.7 — better
Further details — not scored
Size203 MB224 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPyxwise Software Inc.PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY

Customer experience

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative20.0%

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Simplex Spelling Phonics 2

No in-app purchases

None

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 free?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is READING MAGIC 3 for Schools free?
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 or READING MAGIC 3 for Schools?
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools is rated higher. Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while READING MAGIC 3 for Schools averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 or READING MAGIC 3 for Schools have ads?
Neither Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 nor READING MAGIC 3 for Schools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 or READING MAGIC 3 for Schools?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 ships an update every 15 months, and READING MAGIC 3 for Schools every 40 months. Most recently, Simplex Spelling Phonics 2 was updated on September 21, 2026 and READING MAGIC 3 for Schools on September 20, 2026.

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