Comparison

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools vs Learn to Count By

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

Head to head
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

About

Learn to Count By

Features
Read full description

Learn To Count By helps children practice counting by multiples with a clear visual grid. Each tap highlights the next number so kids can see the pattern in context, not just hear it. Designed to be calm and easy to follow, with simple feedback that guides without overstimulating. Especially helpful for visual learners, including many children with autism. • Count by 1s when learning to count • Count by 2s to learn even numbers • Count by 5s, 10s, and 25s for money skills • Count by other multiples to prepare for multiplication Turn on Say Numbers to hear each number spoken in the device language. Use Button Sounds and Button Feedback to control clicks and haptics. Works on iPhone and iPad, in portrait and landscape.

Screenshots

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools4 screens
Learn to Count By3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Learn to Count By at Free against READING MAGIC 3 for Schools's $3.99. Learn to Count By also leads on update cadence (every 15 months vs every 40 months). READING MAGIC 3 for Schools's advantage is iOS requirement (13.7 vs 16.4). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Learn to Count By is free to download; READING MAGIC 3 for Schools costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools ships an update every 40 months, Learn to Count By every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools versus Learn to Count By: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterREADING MAGIC 3 for SchoolsLearn to Count By
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 40 monthsEvery 15 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.7 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPRESCHOOL UNIVERSITYSoftware Andina

In-app purchases

None

READING MAGIC 3 for Schools

No in-app purchases

None

Learn to Count By

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is READING MAGIC 3 for Schools free?
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Learn to Count By free?
Learn to Count By is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do READING MAGIC 3 for Schools or Learn to Count By have ads?
Neither READING MAGIC 3 for Schools nor Learn to Count By shows ads.
Which is updated more often, READING MAGIC 3 for Schools or Learn to Count By?
READING MAGIC 3 for Schools ships an update every 40 months, and Learn to Count By every 15 months. Most recently, READING MAGIC 3 for Schools was updated on October 7, 2026 and Learn to Count By on September 24, 2026.

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