Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead vs Learn to Read
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead
This app offers a comprehensive reading curriculum for young learners with over 300 picture books, songs, and interactive quizzes. It supports listening, reading, and recording, building phonics and vocabulary skills. Designed by an award-winning educator, it aims to foster a love of reading and confidence in beginning readers.
- Library of 300+ picture books
- Sing-along song books
- Interactive train game quizzes
- Listen, read, and record functionality
- Integrated word dictionary
- Progress reporting tools
- Unlimited user accounts
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Every child can learn to read with this growing library of 300+ playful picture books, 21 sing-along song books and unlimited train game quizzes. "No other app is as specifically tailored to the needs of beginning readers." KinderTown.com Now beginning readers can listen, read and record, all by themselves. Pay once and receive all the books PLUS regular updates with brand new books at no additional cost! Play the train game, win coins for the music store, collect and learn new vocabulary words in the train yard. Created by Libby Curran, People Magazine Teacher of the Year, based on her award winning books. Grand Prize Winner of the 2015 Technology and Reading Award, International Literacy Association. Please note this is the same app as Reading Train Endless Books Songs & Games but includes all books with no in-app purchases. "Beautifully designed storybooks and related games that teach foundational reading": Appolicious.com "A vast selection of mini books to help kids reach reading independence" Geeks With Juniors. Not just a game or set of e-books but a complete reading curriculum from pre- reading to reading independence, building phonics and vocabulary skills, self confidence and a love of reading. Safe for Kids: The Learning Station is a Proud Member of Moms With Apps Kid tested and teacher approved. We are ad-free and take our users privacy seriously. View our Privacy Policy here: http://www.readingtrain.org * Listen, read and record books at 3 different beginning reading levels. * Professional narration: American English. All books can be recorded by users. * Play the train game after every book. * 450+ word integrated dictionary * 20 sing along song books * Unlimited user accounts and individual bookshelves * Powerful reporting tools Books Kids CAN Read. Written by Libby Curran, a People Magazine Teacher of the Year, these fun little books are field tested in real classrooms to get kids started on the path to reading independence. Books Kids LOVE to Read. Children are naturally curious, so encourage them to explore our leveled books on numbers, colors, animals, shapes, and science. Beginning readers need to read little books, but the Reading Train's unique design allows kids to explore big ideas, reading to learn at the same time as they learn to read. After reading, they can play the train quiz game, explore the audio dictionary and sing along with song books. Give Your Kids the Tools to Succeed. Stuck on a word? Tap and hold to hear every word and access the built in dictionary filled with hundreds of words. Play a unique quiz game at the end of every book to extend the learning. The Reading Train is packed full of tools to help children succeed, all on their own. Read To Learn- Meets Common Core Standards Kids can choose funny fiction and fascinating nonfiction on kid-friendly topics to build background knowledge while improving reading comprehension and foundational skills. Quizzes Disguised as Games. Play the train game after finishing every book, but don't tell them it's a quiz! Check progress on the parent's page which shows books read and recorded and detailed scores on the quizzes. The Right Team for the Job The Reading Train is the culmination of 30+ years of teaching experience. Backed by an all-star team of teachers turned iOS developers and a professional children's musician, the Reading Train is serious about making learning fun. Safe for Kids Kid tested and teacher approved. We are ad-free and take our users privacy seriously. View our Privacy Policy here: http://www.readingtrain.org We welcome your feedback: email: support@readingtrain.org http://www.readingtrain.org http://www.facebook.com/readingtrain Contact Libby with suggestions about books at: libby@readingtrain.org Not compatible with iPad 1. Requires iOS 7 or higher.
Learn to Read
This app offers a guided, co-play experience for parents and children aged 3-8 to learn reading skills. It uses research-backed phonics lessons, interactive storybooks, videos, and games to build foundational reading abilities.
- 99 step-by-step phonics lessons
- 67 interactive digital storybooks
- 42 educational videos
- 3 expert-designed reading games
- Printable offline activities
- Family subscription with 3 profiles
- Ad-free experience
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Teach your child how to read! Ages 3-8. Reading.com is a fun, co-play experience designed by education experts for you to teach your child to read — with the love, care, and joy only a parent and child can share. RESEARCH-BACKED No cape? No problem. Our program gives you supercharged superparent powers! Reading.com’s research-backed, phonics-based lessons are fully scripted so they don’t require any special training or knowledge for you to become the most powerful teacher your child will ever have. FROM LETTER RECOGNITION TO CONFIDENT READING As your child masters more letters, sounds, and words, they'll unlock a playful world of reading activities including interactive storybooks, videos, digital games, and printable activities. THE MOST MEANINGFUL (TEAM)WORK OF YOUR LIFE Each lesson takes just 15 - 20 minutes to complete and they’re designed for you and your child to go at your own pace. Lessons cover letters, letter blends, long vowel sounds, and digraphs, taking your child from basic alphabetic knowledge to reading at a late 1st grade level. This is the easiest head start you’ll ever give your child! KEY FEATURES - 120 step-by-step phonics lessons for a grownup & child to do together - 84 interactive, decodable, digital storybooks - 42 videos featuring letters, letter sounds, and an exclusive alphabet song - 5 expertly-designed reading games for independent play that practice skills in: letter recognition, letter-phoneme correlation, beginning sounds, vocabulary, letter-writing, spelling - Access to printable games & activities for fun offline reinforcement - One subscription for the whole family with up to 3 profiles - Ad-free Download the app today, help your child learn to read and join other parents raising readers! Privacy Policy: https://www.reading.com/privacy-policy/ Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Learn to Read at Free against Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's $9.99. Learn to Read also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (71K vs 2). Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, 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
Learn to Read is free to download; Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead costs $9.99 up front. Learn to Read sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $12.49 per month. Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead asks for nothing beyond the download.
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn to Read has 71K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's written reviews are positive against 81% of Learn to Read's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead ships an update every 3 months, Learn to Read every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead | Learn to Read |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.7 (71K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 81.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 71K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #11 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.4 GB | 252 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Learning Station, LLC | Teaching.com |
Customer experience
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead
Learn to Read
Bugs and requests
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Learn to Read
Reported bugs
3 issues- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- User data loss after app updates
- Inability to redeem promo codes
Requested features
5 requests- Option to learn cursive writing
- More independent practice games and activities
- Ability to jump to appropriate lesson level
- Support for multiple languages or accents
- Printable resources like flashcards or worksheets
In-app purchases
Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead
No in-app purchases
Learn to Read
- Learn to Read (Monthly)7 Days trial5 variants$12.491 Month
- Learn to Read (Monthly)2 variants$12.491 Month
- Monthly (With Free Trial)$12.491 Month
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- Monthly Subscription$12.491 Month
- Learn to Read (Monthly)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
- Learn to Read (Monthly)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Learn to Read (Monthly)7 Days trial$17.991 Month
- Learn to Read (Yearly)7 Days trial$66.991 Year
- Learn to Read (Yearly)7 Days trial2 variants$74.991 Year
Questions
Is Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead free?
Is Learn to Read free?
Which has better reviews, Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read?
Do Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read?
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