Teach Your Monster to Read vs Osmo Shape Builder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Teach Your Monster to Read
This app offers fun, phonics-based reading games for children aged 3-6. It helps build essential literacy skills through interactive play, allowing children to create their own monster and embark on a reading adventure. Designed by experts, it's a safe and trusted tool for home and school.
- Interactive reading games for ages 3-6
- Improve letter sound recognition
- Learn to read sentences
- Track player progress
- Phonics games designed by experts
- Supports UK phonics programmes
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Welcome to Teach Your Monster to Read, the award-winning app that makes learning to read fun and engaging! Our educational phonics and reading games have helped millions of children build essential literacy skills. Create your own monster and embark on a magical journey through interactive games designed for home and school use. With a safe, trusted, and highly recommended approach, Teach Your Monster to Read offers phonics-based reading games for all levels. Teaching through play is what we do best—download today and start your child’s reading adventure! TEACH YOUR MONSTER TO READ FEATURES INTERACTIVE KIDS READING GAMES • Take your custom-designed monster through educational games that are suitable for ages 3-6. • Improve letter sound recognition with reading games • Explore a world of phonics and educational games that teach your child to read sentences • Easily track their player’s progress to identify areas where their reader may need extra support PHONICS & READING GAMES DESIGNED BY EXPERTS • Designed in collaboration with Roehampton University and leading game designers • Phonics tools and educational games that complement phases 2-5 of UK Government-approved Letters and Sounds and other major systematic synthetic phonics programmes • 3 reading games designed for those in preschool, primary school, kindergarten, and first grade EDUCATIONAL PLAY AT NO ADDITIONAL COST • Teach Your Monster to Read is available on iPad and iPhone • Explore phonics and educational games without in-app purchases, hidden costs, or in-game adverts • Teach Your Monster to Read supports your child through every step of their reading journey HEAR FROM TEACHERS AND PARENTS WHO USE OUR READING GAMES "This game is the absolute best quality phonics game I have come across for educational and fun value." Marie Lewis, Rochdale “My class have reaped loads of benefits from using the programme and the difference in some of their reading skills has been dramatic." Maria Andrews, Foundation Phase Teacher "This is a fabulous game. I'm not kidding when I say that my daughter essentially learned all her letter sounds using First steps, with relatively minimal input from me! Great for parents to practise their letter sounds too." Eleanor Jones PART OF THE USBORNE FOUNDATION CHARITY Teach Your Monster to Read has been created by Teach Monster Games Ltd. which is a subsidiary of The Usborne Foundation. The Usborne Foundation is a charity founded by children’s publisher, Peter Usborne MBE. Harnessing research, design and technology, we create playful media addressing issues from literacy to health. Teach a monster today when you download our educational app! Teach Monster Games Ltd is a subsidiary of The Usborne Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1121957.
Osmo Shape Builder
This app helps young children learn basic geometric shapes through interactive play. It progresses from identifying shapes to creating them, fostering a love for learning and turning screen time into an educational experience.
- Learn basic geometric shapes
- Compose and create shapes
- Identify and describe shapes
- Color recognition
- Hands-on learning system
- Inspires love of learning
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Fill a magic mansion with furniture, items and incredible things! This game teaches basic geometric shapes in progression. Start with identifying and describing shapes, then advance to creating shapes on your own. LEARN ABOUT SHAPES Explore basic shapes concepts including composing shapes, relative positioning, and color recognition. INSPIRE THE LOVE OF LEARNING Designed for children ages 3-5 to inspire their love of learning through hands-on play. TURN SCREEN TIME INTO LEARNING TIME Osmo’s unique technology transforms your tablet into a hands-on learning system! *Requires the Osmo Base for iPad and Silicone Sticks & Rings. Each sold separately or as part of Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit. Learn more by visiting www.playosmo.com. *Please see our device compatibility list here: https://support.playosmo.com/hc/articles/115010156067 ABOUT OSMO -- 21ST CENTURY PLAY AND LEARNING Osmo uses the screen to create a new healthy, hands-on learning experience that promotes creativity, problem-solving and social interaction. We do this with our reflective artificial intelligence technology.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Teach Your Monster to Read at 77% against Osmo Shape Builder's 0%. Teach Your Monster to Read also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Osmo Shape Builder's advantage is price (Free vs $8.99). On ads and iOS requirement 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
Osmo Shape Builder is free to download; Teach Your Monster to Read costs $8.99 up front. Osmo Shape Builder sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Teach Your Monster to Read asks for nothing beyond the download.
Teach Your Monster to Read holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Teach Your Monster to Read has 30K ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Teach Your Monster to Read's written reviews are positive against 0% of Osmo Shape Builder's.
Teach Your Monster to Read ships an update every 6 weeks, Osmo Shape Builder every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Teach Your Monster to Read | Osmo Shape Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (30K ratings) — better | 2.3 (86 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30K — better | 86 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 322 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Teach Your Monster | Tangible Play |
Customer experience
Teach Your Monster to Read
Osmo Shape Builder
Bugs and requests
Teach Your Monster to Read
Reported bugs
2 issues- Loss of progress and collected items
- Compatibility issues on certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add American English pronunciation option
- Introduce more practice modes and customization options
- Implement progress tracking and parental controls
- Allow selective review of specific letter sounds/words
Osmo Shape Builder
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Teach Your Monster to Read
No in-app purchases
Osmo Shape Builder
- 3-day trial of Shape BuilderFree
- Unlock Shape Builder$24.99
Questions
Is Teach Your Monster to Read free?
Is Osmo Shape Builder free?
Which has better reviews, Teach Your Monster to Read or Osmo Shape Builder?
Do Teach Your Monster to Read or Osmo Shape Builder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Teach Your Monster to Read or Osmo Shape Builder?
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