ELSB Lite vs Boardmaker 7 Student Center
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ELSB Lite
This app provides systematic instruction for print and phonemic awareness, featuring seven levels and ongoing assessments for personalized student progress. Research supports its effectiveness as a literacy program.
- Systematic print and phonemic awareness instruction
- Seven distinct learning levels
- Ongoing student assessments
- Personalized progress tracking
- Research-backed effectiveness
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The Early Literacy Skills Builder app incorporates systematic instruction to teach both print and phonemic awareness. ELSB is a multi-year program with seven distinct levels and ongoing assessments so students progress at their own pace. Note: This free version comes with level 1 - Lesson 1 and Level 5 - lesson 1. Full levels can be purchased from the in-app store. Five years of solid research have been completed through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, proving ELSB to be a highly effective literacy program and more effective than a sight-word only program. ELSB is based upon the principles of systematic and direct instruction. It incorporates scripted lessons, least-prompt strategies, teachable objectives, built-in lesson repetition, and ongoing assessments. The seven ELSB levels contain five structured lessons each. All students begin at Level 1. Instruction is one-on-one or in small groups. Teach scripted lessons daily in two 30-minute sessions. On the completion of each level, formal assessments are given. ELSB includes everything you need to implement a multi-year literacy curriculum.
Boardmaker 7 Student Center
Create symbol-supported educational and communication materials for individuals with special needs. Design printable boards, custom books, interactive games, and quizzes to aid communication, behavior, and learning success. Empower educators, therapists, and parents with personalized, life-changing resources.
- Symbol-supported material creation
- Printable communication boards
- Custom books
- Interactive games and quizzes
- Personalized learning resources
- Visual supports for communication and behavior
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Boardmaker 7 is the most powerful tool for creating unlimited symbol-supported educational and communication materials for individuals with special needs. From printable communication boards and custom books to interactive games and quizzes, there are endless options for creating engaging, relevant, and personalized materials in minutes. Symbol-based visual supports have been proven to help people with communication, behavior, and learning challenges succeed in school and life. Boardmaker 7 makes it easy for educators, therapists, and parents to create these materials and use them for life-changing results.
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ELSB Lite at 50% against Boardmaker 7 Student Center's 0%. ELSB Lite also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). Boardmaker 7 Student Center's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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
Both are free to download. ELSB Lite sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Boardmaker 7 Student Center asks for nothing beyond the download.
ELSB Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ELSB Lite's written reviews are positive against 0% of Boardmaker 7 Student Center's.
ELSB Lite ships an update every 2 months, Boardmaker 7 Student Center every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ELSB Lite | Boardmaker 7 Student Center |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 236 MB | 817 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Attainment Company | Tobii Dynavox LLC |
Customer experience
ELSB Lite
Boardmaker 7 Student Center
In-app purchases
ELSB Lite
- Level 1$21.99
- Level 2$21.99
- Level 3$21.99
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- Level 4$21.99
- Level 5$21.99
- Level 6$21.99
- Level 7$21.99
Boardmaker 7 Student Center
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ELSB Lite free?
Is Boardmaker 7 Student Center free?
Which has better reviews, ELSB Lite or Boardmaker 7 Student Center?
Do ELSB Lite or Boardmaker 7 Student Center have ads?
Which is updated more often, ELSB Lite or Boardmaker 7 Student Center?
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