Barton Tiles® vs Reading Mountain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barton Tiles®
This app enhances the Barton Reading & Spelling System for tutors and students. It automates lesson setup, word generation, and student progress tracking, saving valuable teaching time per session. Features include student profiles, lesson notes, and direct email communication.
- Student progress tracking
- Automated lesson setup
- Digital tile manipulation
- Word generation
- Note-taking
- Email communication
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This app is only for people who own or use the Barton Reading & Spelling System. More than just tiles on an iPad, this app will save Barton tutors at least 10 minutes each session. How? Student tracking Set up each student once. This app keeps track of their current level and lesson. You can enter notes after each lesson. You can even send an email to the student and/or their parents or teacher – right from the app. Tiles appear automatically Tap on a student’s name and their lesson appears – with all the tiles needed for that lesson. Words appear automatically No need to build the words when you are teaching. Just click on the Next Word button. You will gain at least 10 minutes of teaching time per session. Never put tiles away When spelling with tiles, your student will pull down a COPY of each tile. When he is done, just click on the “Erase Screen” button. You never have to put tiles away.
Reading Mountain
This structured literacy program uses a systematic, multisensory approach inspired by Orton-Gillingham to build strong reading and writing skills. It breaks down words into sounds and spelling patterns, offering interactive lessons, movable tiles, and decodable books for learners of all ages.
- Structured and cumulative learning
- Interactive 'New Learning' module
- Movable sound tiles for word building
- Integrated spelling and writing practice
- Level-appropriate decodable books
- Interactive reinforcement games
- Speech recognition for reading feedback
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BUILD READING, SPELLING, AND WRITING SKILLS STEP BY STEP Reading Mountain is a structured literacy program for learners of all ages, including new readers and learners who struggle with reading, spelling, or writing. Inspired by the Orton-Gillingham approach, the program teaches English in a clear, systematic sequence so learners understand how sounds, letters, and spelling patterns work together. A CLEAR PATH TO LITERACY Reading Mountain moves from foundational sounds to increasingly advanced word patterns. Each lesson builds on earlier skills and combines direct instruction with guided practice, review, and application. KEY FEATURES • Structured, cumulative lessons New phonics concepts, spelling rules, and sound patterns are introduced in a purposeful order, with review built into the journey. • Multisensory sound tiles Learners move and arrange tiles to read and spell words one sound at a time, strengthening the connection between spoken sounds and written letters. • Reading, spelling, and writing together Each lesson connects word reading, sentence reading, spelling, handwriting, and keyboard writing so learners apply the same concept in multiple ways. • Truly decodable books Books use the sound patterns and sight words learners have already been taught, helping them practice new skills in meaningful stories without relying on guessing. • AI-supported reading feedback Reading Mountain listens during supported reading activities and helps identify sounds and words that may need more practice. Lesson feedback can be emailed to parents or instructors. • Tap any word for help Learners can explore a word’s sounds, spelling pattern, pronunciation, and supporting visuals when they need extra guidance. • Skill-focused games Interactive games reinforce the exact reading and spelling skills taught in each lesson. • Family learning Individual plans support one learner. Family plans support up to four learners, each with a separate profile and progress. WHO IT’S FOR • Children learning to read • Older learners strengthening foundational skills • Learners with dyslexia or other reading difficulties • Parents, homeschool families, tutors, and educators seeking systematic literacy practice Reading Mountain uses a focused, age-flexible design that is engaging without being overstimulating. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Reading Mountain offers auto-renewing Individual and Family subscriptions with monthly and annual options. Individual plans cover one learner; Family plans cover up to four learners. U.S. BASE PRICES • Individual Monthly: $29.00 per month • Individual Annual: $239.00 per year • Family Monthly: $49.00 per month • Family Annual: $399.00 per year These are U.S. base prices. Actual prices may vary by country or region and are displayed in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://readingmountain.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Barton Tiles® at free against Reading Mountain's free with in-app purchases. Reading Mountain's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Barton Tiles® sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Reading Mountain sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $29.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Reading Mountain holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Barton Tiles®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Mountain's.
Barton Tiles® ships an update every 2 months, Reading Mountain every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barton Tiles® | Reading Mountain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (17 ratings) | 4.3 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, Inc. | LEARN MOUNTAIN LLC |
Customer experience
Barton Tiles®
Reading Mountain
In-app purchases
Barton Tiles®
- Phonemic Awareness$29.99
- Consonants & Short Vowels$29.99
- Closed & Unit Syllables$29.99
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- Multi-Syllable words and Vowel Teams$29.99
- Prefixes & Suffixes$29.99
- Six Reasons for Silent-E$29.99
- Vowel-R's$29.99
- Advanced Vowel Teams$29.99
- Influence of Foreign Languages$29.99
- Latin Roots and Greek Combining Forms$29.99
Reading Mountain
- Individual Monthly$29.001 Month
- Reading Mountain Full Access$29.991 Month
- Family Monthly$49.001 Month
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- Individual Annual$239.001 Year
- Family Annual$399.001 Year
Questions
Is Barton Tiles® free?
Is Reading Mountain free?
Which has better reviews, Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain?
Do Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain have ads?
Which is updated more often, Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain?
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