Best Early Reading App

197+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
18 free apps
Updated June 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our early reading app list covers 197+ iPhone apps updated through June 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Top Picks for Early Reading App

Reading Eggs - Learn to Read#1

Reading Eggs - Learn to Read by Blake eLearning

Reading & Math for Ages 2–13
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.7😊(6.8K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Reading Eggs - Learn to Read screenshot 1
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Reading Eggs - Learn to Read screenshot 6

This program helps children aged 2-13 develop reading and math skills through interactive games, lessons, and e-books. It offers a comprehensive curriculum based on scientific research, designed by educators to foster phonics, comprehension, and numeracy.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great for learning
  • 👍 Fun and engaging
  • 💡 Helpful for homeschooling
  • 🚀 Effective for teaching reading

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • 🐛 Sound cuts out randomly
  • 🐛 Glitchy performance on some devices
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC#2

Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC by Duolingo, Inc

Interactive Stories for Kids
Strong Contender
📚 Education
3.8😊(148 ratings)
Free
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 1
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Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 6

This app provides interactive stories and over 700 hands-on lessons designed to help children from preschool to second grade learn to read. It focuses on phonics, sight words, and vocabulary through engaging, multi-sensory activities and mini-games, all in a kid-safe, ad-free environment.

What We Love

  • 👍 Great for kids with autism
  • 👍 Engaging and fun for young learners
  • 👍 Helps with speech and language development
  • 👍 Effective for teaching reading and writing

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent voice recognition
  • 🐛 Allows incorrect answers to be marked as correct
  • 🐛 Levels can get repetitive
Read with Ello#3

Read with Ello by Ello Technology, Inc.

Learn phonics & reading skills
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.8😊(1.7K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This app uses advanced AI to act as a personalized reading coach for children. It listens, provides feedback, and guides young learners through a library of decodable books to build reading confidence and skills.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Helps with reading progress
  • 👍 Engaging and fun for kids
  • 👍 Builds reading confidence
  • 👍 Customized book selection

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Voice recognition issues
  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance

More Early Reading App apps to explore

4
Learn to Read. Reading Games
Learn to Read. Reading Games
Learn to Read. Reading Games
Sight Words & Phonics for kids
Free

This app uses colorful games and activities to teach children phonics, ABCs, and reading skills. Designed by education experts, it adapts to each child's pace, making learning to read an enjoyable and confidence-building adventure.

Phonics lessonsInteractive storybooksEducational games
📚 Education
(109)
free with in-app purchases
5
Starfall
Starfall
Starfall
PreK to 5th Reading & Math
Free

This app offers engaging reading and math activities for children from preschool to 5th grade. It features games, songs, and interactive lessons designed by educators to support early literacy and numeracy skills. The platform also includes accessibility features for children with impairments.

Reading phonics and fluencyMath concepts and operationsInteractive games and songs
📚 Education
(4.2K)
freemium
6
Monkey Stories:Books & Reading
Monkey Stories:Books & Reading
Monkey Stories:Books & Reading
English learning app for kids
Free

This app helps children aged 2-10 become fluent in English by developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. It offers a vast library of audiobooks and interactive stories with native speaker audio and phonetic learning methods.

Develops listening, speaking, reading, and writing skillsOver 430 audiobooks and 1100+ interactive storiesStandard American English pronunciation
📚 Education
(1K)
free with in-app purchases
7
BookScanner Book Leveler App
BookScanner Book Leveler App
BookScanner Book Leveler App
Scan Accelerated Reader Level
$39.99

Easily scan book ISBNs or titles to quickly find reading comprehension level information, including AR quiz numbers, ATOS levels, and word counts. Unlock additional detailed reading level data like Lexile and F&P levels through an in-app purchase. Save and export your scanned book history for organization.

Scan ISBN for book levelsLookup by title or authorAR quiz numbers
📚 Books
(12K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Readability - Learn to Read
Readability - Learn to Read
Readability - Learn to Read
Reading Apps for Kids - AI
Free

This app uses AI-powered voice technology to provide personalized reading tutoring for children. It listens as kids read aloud, offers pronunciation correction, and assesses comprehension through interactive questions. The app also builds vocabulary and allows parents to track progress.

AI-powered voice recognition for reading practiceReal-time pronunciation correctionInteractive voice-based comprehension questions
📚 Education
(20K)
subscription
9
NaturalReader - Text To Speech
NaturalReader - Text To Speech
NaturalReader - Text To Speech
#1 Popular TTS APP
Free

This app transforms text from various sources, including documents, web pages, and images, into natural-sounding spoken audio. It offers a wide selection of AI voices and languages, with features designed to enhance the listening experience and assist users with reading difficulties.

Reads aloud PDFs, web articles, and cloud documentsOCR text recognition for images and camera scannerOver 200 AI-powered voices in 99+ languages
📊 Productivity
(8.5K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Hideout: Early Reading
Hideout: Early Reading
Hideout: Early Reading
Silly, engaging reading games
$2.99

This app uses engaging, research-based mini-games to teach early reading skills. Children learn phonic patterns in playful contexts, practicing word recognition and building reading fluency through interactive activities.

Research-based early reading instructionEngaging mini-games for phonic patternsContextualized word learning
📚 Education
(33)
free with in-app purchases
11
Beanstack Tracker
Beanstack Tracker
Beanstack Tracker
by Zoobean, Inc.
Free

This app encourages reading for all ages through engaging challenges and easy progress tracking. It allows family profiles, individual logging, and offers features like barcode scanning and reading timers. It prioritizes user privacy by not selling data or showing ads.

Motivating reading challengesEasy reading progress trackingBarcode scanner for titles
📚 Education
(92K)
free with in-app purchases
12
Monkey Junior-English For Kids
Monkey Junior-English For Kids
Monkey Junior-English For Kids
+4000 Phonics, Reading Lessons
Free

This app helps children aged 0-11 build a strong foundation in English through over 4000 interactive lessons and games. It focuses on listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with content designed by education experts and backed by proven learning methods. Parents can monitor progress and create multiple child profiles.

4000+ interactive lessons and gamesCovers listening, speaking, reading, and writingPhonics and whole-word recognition methods
📚 Education
(3.9K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Phonics & Early Reading - Luma
Phonics & Early Reading - Luma
Phonics & Early Reading - Luma
Reading practice for beginners
Free

This app helps young children learn to read through guided phonics sessions. It focuses on letter sounds and blending them into words, with progress tracking for parents. The design is calm and premium, keeping attention on learning.

Learn letter soundsBlend sounds into wordsGuided practice mode
📚 Education
(7)
freemium
14
Bookly: Book Tracker
Bookly: Book Tracker
Bookly: Book Tracker
Bookshelf and reading manager
Free

This app helps you track your reading habits in real-time, manage your library, and set reading goals. It offers detailed statistics, custom ratings, and ambient sounds to enhance your reading experience and build a consistent reading habit.

Real-time reading timerDetailed reading statisticsCustom book ratings
📚 Books
(59K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Spark Reading for Kids
Spark Reading for Kids
Spark Reading for Kids
Digital books for learning
Free

This app offers a digital library of age-appropriate books for children in grades 2-8 to improve reading skills. It features interactive comprehension questions, progress tracking, and stories aligned with school curricula. Users can listen to stories and follow along, making reading practice engaging and accessible.

Age-appropriate books (grades 2-8)Interactive comprehension questionsListen and follow along feature
📚 Education
(7.9K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Bookmory - reading tracker
Bookmory - reading tracker
Bookmory - reading tracker
Track & Remember Your Books
Free

This app helps you build a consistent reading habit by tracking your progress, setting goals, and keeping a detailed reading journal. It offers a reading timer, calendar view, and insightful statistics to keep you motivated. Remember your books and reading journey with this all-in-one tool.

Track books via search or barcodeReading timer and progress loggingCreate reading journal entries and notes
📚 Books
(16K)
free with in-app purchases
17
ReadingIQ
ReadingIQ
ReadingIQ
Digital Books for Kids 2-12
Free

This app offers a vast digital library for children aged 2-12, featuring thousands of books from popular publishers and the ABCmouse library. It intelligently organizes titles by interest and reading level, providing a safe and engaging way for kids to develop reading skills anywhere, anytime.

Thousands of digital books for kids 2-12Aligns with reading ability and grade levelAward-winners and childhood classics
📚 Education
(21K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Vooks: Read-Aloud Kids' Books
Vooks: Read-Aloud Kids' Books
Vooks: Read-Aloud Kids' Books
Educational, ad-free, animated
Free

This app brings children's books to life with gentle narration and animation, fostering a love for reading and imagination. It also includes an audio-only library for screen-free listening and a creative tool for kids to make their own stories.

Animated read-aloud booksAd-free educational contentAudio-only story library
📚 Books
(9.4K)
subscription
19
I Can Read: Early Learning App
I Can Read: Early Learning App
I Can Read: Early Learning App
ABC, Reading, Phonics & Games
Free
📚 Education
(0)
20
Apple Books
Apple Books
Apple Books
Read, listen, discover.
Free

Discover, read, and listen to millions of books and audiobooks. Browse curated collections, personalized recommendations, and bestsellers. Customize your reading experience with various themes and settings, and set reading goals to build a habit. Share your library with family.

Discover millions of books and audiobooksPersonalized recommendations and curated collectionsCustomizable reading experience (fonts, themes, spacing)
📚 Books
(71K)
free with in-app purchases