Comparison

eCollection vs Reading Numbers

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

Head to head
About

eCollection

This app provides a digital platform for guided reading, offering a library of leveled eBooks and interactive features for teachers and students. It supports various reading profiles, word interaction, recording, drawing, and text editing to enhance comprehension and engagement.

Highlights
  • Guided Reading Profile
  • Custom Reading Profile
  • Independent Reading Profile
  • Tap to Hear Words
  • Tap to Save Words
  • Record Mode
  • Draw Mode
Read full description

The eCollection eReader app is part of a brand new platform that re-imagines guided reading for iPads. Guided reading is a widely used teaching strategy where the teacher and all students in a group have a copy of the same book. The teacher assists the students to practise various reading strategies in order to comprehend the text. The eCollection eReader app allows teachers and students to use eCollection eBooks for guided reading. It utilises native iOS gestures to provide a seamless experience for young readers. ~~~~~~~~~~ FEATURES ~~~~~~~~~~ 300 pedagogically sound, carefully levelled eCollection eBooks combined with the following features: + Guided Reading Profile + Custom Reading Profile + Independent Reading Profile + Tap to Hear Words + Tap to Save Words + Record Mode + Draw Mode + Edit Text Mode + Reading Sessions + Student Profiles + Reading History + Reading Groups ~~~~~~~~~~~ REVIEWS ~~~~~~~~~~~ "A great way to access a very thorough levelled reading resource. It is compact and accessible." "I am working with older students and adults. It is a fantastic way for them to access material that they can read without making it obvious that they are reading at a low level." "I love having access to the eCollection readers digitally. I have used them throughout my 30+ years teaching" "Easy for kids, parents, teachers to use, convenient, wide range of books/levels, great graphics and wonderful app. Great resource for setting readers for home or school." "eCollection has made a difference in the learning for our target children." "A highly engaging digital reading resource directly linked to school reading." "Books are expensive and this is a cheaper option. No lost or damaged books." ~~~~~~~~~~ SUPPORT ~~~~~~~~~~ Send us an email at anz.techsupport@cengage.com with any questions, feedback or requests. Privacy Policy: https://cengage.com.au/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://cengage.com.au/terms Contact: https://cengage.com.au/contact-us

About

Reading Numbers

This app helps young learners master number recognition and ordering up to 20. It offers interactive modules designed for guided learning with parents or educators, focusing on understanding number names and sequences beyond simple counting.

Highlights
  • Number recognition up to 20
  • Number ordering skills
  • Magnetic number placement
  • Line matching numbers to words
  • Object to number matching
  • Number word puzzles
Features
Read full description

Help your child move beyond simple rote counting to true mathematical literacy! Little Monkey Apps Reading Numbers helps early learners (ages 4–7) recognise, read, spell, and order numbers and number words from 0 to 20. Rote counting ('1, 2, 3...') is only the first step. To build a solid foundation for elementary arithmetic, children must connect three distinct representations: 1. The spoken word ('fourteen') 2. The written numeral (14) 3. The written word ('fourteen') and its concrete quantity. For young minds, teen numbers (11–19) present unique linguistic hurdles. Unlike predictable numbers such as twenty-four or sixty-five, teen numbers do not follow a straightforward left-to-right naming pattern, and numbers like 14 are frequently misread as 'forty-one' or 'one-four'. Reading Numbers bridges this gap through multi-sensory, hands-on learning. ================================== 8 RESEARCH-BACKED LEARNING MODULES ================================== 1. MAGNETIC NUMBERS Place jumbled numbers back into their correct sequence on the 1–10, 11–20, or 1–20 grid. Tap refresh or shake your device to reset the board! 2. LINE MATCH Draw direct connections between numerals and their matching written number words across 3 progressive difficulty levels. 3. ORDERING Arrange scrambled number words on a vertical ladder from smallest to largest, reinforcing ordinal sequence and comparative magnitude. 4. OBJECT MATCH Count colourful fruit illustrations and match concrete quantities with the corresponding numeral digit. 5. OBJECT MATCH II A multi-target counting challenge: match multiple numeral tiles simultaneously to their matching groups of objects. 6. WORD PUZZLE Unscramble individual letter tiles to spell out number words. Level 3 introduces distractor letters to foster genuine phonemic and orthographic recall. 7. NUMBER PUZZLE Solve two-part association cards by matching numeral tiles, quantity groups, and written number words into unified puzzle frames. 8. LISTEN & TAP (NEW!) Listen to natural voice prompts and tap the matching number word. Features repetition on demand to sharpen auditory discrimination and word recognition. ================================== DESIGNED FOR CLASSROOMS & DIVERSE LEARNERS ================================== • 4 CLASSROOM FONTS: Choose between School Print (clean manuscript), School Handwriting, Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Fluency (Lexend spacing to reduce visual crowding), and Playful Cartoon. • DUAL ACCENT AUDIO: Select authentic Australian (AU) or British (UK) voice narration, or switch to Quiet Classroom Mode for silent work periods. • ADAPTIVE MASTERY: The app dynamically monitors learner hesitation and mistakes, subtly giving extra reinforcement to tricky teen numbers. • 3 PROGRESSION LEVELS: Activities scale seamlessly from 1–10, to 11–20, to 0–20 including the vital concept of zero. ================================== TEACHER & PARENT APPROVED ================================== • 100% AD-FREE & SAFE: Zero advertisements, zero third-party tracking, and no hidden subscriptions. • OFFLINE ACCESSIBLE: Perfect for school iPad carts, road trips, and airplane rides without needing Wi-Fi. • MULTITASKING SUPPORT: Fully supports iPad Split View and Slide Over for seamless classroom station integration. Designed by experienced primary school educators, Little Monkey Apps creates purposeful digital tools that encourage rich dialogue between children, parents, and teachers.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading Numbers at 100% against eCollection's 18%. Reading Numbers also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0). eCollection's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 34 months). On ratings volume, 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

eCollection is free to download; Reading Numbers costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reading Numbers holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of eCollection's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Numbers's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eCollection ships an update every 6 months, Reading Numbers every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
eCollection versus Reading Numbers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereCollectionReading Numbers
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.0 (3 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 34 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS12.2 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size99 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCengage Learning AustraliaAleesha Kondys

Customer experience

eCollection

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral10.9%
Negative70.9%

Reading Numbers

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

eCollection

Reported bugs

22 issues
  • App not working
  • Crash delete download repeat
  • Can’t quit from drawing mode
  • Stuck, hard to return to main page
  • No home page, cannot back to home page
Show 17 more
  • Buggy interface, buttons not displaying properly
  • Loses recording when turning pages
  • Blank screen when turning pages too fast
  • Login freezing/not being able to login
  • Crashes every time trying to log in
  • Cannot exit from a book
  • Stuck in book unable to exit
  • Terrible glitches
  • Login issues, cannot login
  • App opens but cannot click anything to login
  • Buttons do not work on current iPad update
  • Login button doesn’t work
  • App won't start
  • Stuck at login screen
  • Severe crashing problems
  • App keeps shutting down
  • Slow at connecting

Requested features

7 requests
  • Save login details
  • Clear navigation to return to main page/shelf
  • Option to buy individual subscriptions
  • Add bigger books (e.g., comics)
  • Clarify privacy for voice recording
Show 2 more
  • Improve UI and interaction design
  • Add marking read feature

Reading Numbers

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

eCollection

No in-app purchases

None

Reading Numbers

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eCollection free?
eCollection is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reading Numbers free?
Reading Numbers costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, eCollection or Reading Numbers?
Reading Numbers is rated higher. eCollection averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Reading Numbers averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do eCollection or Reading Numbers have ads?
Neither eCollection nor Reading Numbers shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eCollection or Reading Numbers?
eCollection ships an update every 6 months, and Reading Numbers every 34 months. Most recently, eCollection was updated on October 6, 2026 and Reading Numbers on September 29, 2026.

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