Best Learning Reading Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.5 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

Whether you're new to learning reading or looking for an upgrade, our curated collection of 250+ iOS apps has something for everyone. Each app is reviewed and rated by real users, helping you make an informed decision.

Compare top Learning Reading Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Sweet Phonics - Learn to ReadSweet Phonics - Learn to ReadFree4.2★ (6)NoYesAug 2026
2Learn to Read - Duolingo ABCLearn to Read - Duolingo ABCFree4.2★ (3.7K)NoNoAug 2026
3Khan Academy KidsKhan Academy KidsFree4.8★ (128K)NoNoAug 2026
4Sight Words Reading Games ABCSight Words Reading Games ABCFree4.8★ (68K)NoYesAug 2026
5Learn to Read - Reading.comLearn to Read - Reading.comFree4.7★ (62K)NoYesAug 2026
6Read with ElloRead with ElloFree4.8★ (2.8K)NoYesAug 2026
7StarfallStarfallFree4.1★ (4.2K)NoYesAug 2026
8Ello 2.0: Learn Reading & MathEllo 2.0: Learn Reading & MathFree5.0★ (5)NoNoAug 2026

Top Picks for Learning Reading

Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read#1

Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read by M75 LLC

Phonics Reading for Kids 3-8
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.2(6 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 1
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 2
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 3
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 4
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 5
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read screenshot 6

This app teaches children aged 3-7 to read using a research-based phonics curriculum. It focuses on sounding out words and building fluency through structured lessons and decodable stories. Features include AI listening support for reading aloud and a parent dashboard for progress tracking.

Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC#2

Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC by Duolingo, Inc

Interactive Stories for Kids
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.2😊(3.7K ratings)
Free
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 1
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 2
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 3
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 4
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC screenshot 5
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
Khan Academy Kids#3

Khan Academy Kids by Khan Academy

Reading & Math Learning Games
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.8😊(128K ratings)
Free
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 1
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 2
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 3
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 4
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 5
Khan Academy Kids screenshot 6

This educational app offers over 5,000 games, books, and activities for children aged 2-8. It covers reading, math, phonics, and more, with engaging characters and content aligned with educational standards. The app is completely free and designed to foster a love of learning.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Engaging and educational content
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🔒 100% ad-free and safe for kids
  • 💡 Personalized learning experience

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding specific content
  • 🕰️ Slow loading times on some devices

More Learning Reading apps to explore

4
Sight Words Reading Games ABC
Sight Words Reading Games ABC
Sight Words Reading Games ABC
Learning Game Word Flash Cards
Free

This educational app helps young children aged 2-7 learn essential sight words through six engaging games. Developed with educational specialists, it covers the Dolch list and common nouns, preparing preschoolers and early elementary students for reading success.

220 Dolch sight words94 additional nouns6 educational games
📚 Education
(68K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Learn to Read - Reading.com
Learn to Read - Reading.com
Learn to Read - Reading.com
Phonics & Reading App for Kids
Free

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 lessons67 interactive digital storybooks42 educational videos
📚 Education
(62K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Read with Ello
Read with Ello
Read with Ello
Learn phonics & reading skills
Free

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.

AI reading coachPersonalized 1:1 instructionLibrary of 700+ decodable books
📚 Education
(2.8K)
subscription
7
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
8
Ello 2.0: Learn Reading & Math
Ello 2.0: Learn Reading & Math
Ello 2.0: Learn Reading & Math
Phonics, books & games
Free

This educational app uses AI to personalize reading and math lessons for children aged 4-9. It listens to children read aloud, identifies mistakes, and adapts content in real-time. Features include daily quests, a large book library, and early math exercises.

AI reading tutor listens and corrects in real-timeAdaptive learning adjusts to child's level1,200+ decodable books based on Science of Reading
📚 Education
(5)
free
9
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
10
Linga: Read & Learn Languages
Linga: Read & Learn Languages
Linga: Read & Learn Languages
Learning Spanish & Flashcards
Free

Master languages by reading real books. Tap any word for instant translation and detailed dictionary information. Build your vocabulary with flashcards and spaced repetition, and practice pronunciation with native audio.

Read books in foreign languagesInstant word translation and dictionaryVocabulary builder and flashcards
📚 Education
(177)
free with in-app purchases
11
Reading Eggs - Learn to Read
Reading Eggs - Learn to Read
Reading Eggs - Learn to Read
Reading & Math for Ages 2–13
Free

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.

Interactive reading gamesGuided reading lessonsOver 4,000 e-books
📚 Education
(7K)
free with in-app purchases
12
TortoLingua: Learn by Reading
TortoLingua: Learn by Reading
TortoLingua: Learn by Reading
Adaptive texts & vocabulary
Free
📚 Education
(0)
13
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Languages, Math, Music & Chess
Free

Learn languages, math, music, and chess through fun, bite-sized lessons. Build vocabulary, grammar, and real-world skills with a science-based methodology. Track progress and stay motivated with a global community.

Bite-sized language lessonsSpeaking, reading, listening, writing practiceMath skills development
📚 Education
(5.4M)
free with in-app purchases
14
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Lessons for Pupils beyond ABC
Free

This interactive app teaches children to read and write using a systematic synthetic phonics approach. It offers engaging lessons, songs, and games to build phonemic awareness and handwriting skills, aligned with the Science of Reading.

Explore 42 letter sounds with songs and audioInteractive tools for reading practiceStep-by-step handwriting animations
📚 Education
(4.5K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Mitlesen: Learn German Reading
Mitlesen: Learn German Reading
Mitlesen: Learn German Reading
Read Classics, A1–B1 Graded
Free
📚 Education
(0)
16
Reading Passages With Questions Plus Answers Books
Reading Passages With Questions Plus Answers Books
Reading Passages With Questions Plus Answers Books
Practice Reading Plus Answers
Free

This free educational app helps users of all ages expand their knowledge and vocabulary through reading comprehension practice. It's designed for both native English speakers and those learning English as a second language, covering grammar and sight words.

Reading comprehension practiceVocabulary expansionGrammar learning
📚 Education
(1)
free
17
Reading Sentence Builder Games
Reading Sentence Builder Games
Reading Sentence Builder Games
Practice English Reading Test
Free

This educational game helps children and ESL learners improve English reading comprehension. It focuses on building strong reading skills through interactive sentence practice with questions and answers.

Sentence building practiceReading comprehension exercisesQuestion and answer format
📚 Education
(1)
free
18
iLib - Read Listen Learn
iLib - Read Listen Learn
iLib - Read Listen Learn
Books·audio·podcast·radio·news
Free
📚 Books
(0)
19
VocabAid – Learn as You Read
VocabAid – Learn as You Read
VocabAid – Learn as You Read
Understand Every Word You Read
Free
📚 Books
(0)
20
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
(22K)
subscription

FAQ about Learning Reading

What are the best learning reading apps for iPhone?
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read tops our learning reading apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.2-star average from 6 App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top learning reading apps we rank are free to download, including Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read and Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC.
Sweet Phonics - Learn to Read has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 250+ learning reading apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
Sweet Phonics employs systematic synthetic phonics, a research-based method that teaches children how written letters represent spoken sounds. This approach focuses on decoding words by sounding them out, rather than memorizing sight words.
A dedicated parent dashboard provides insights into what your child has mastered and what skills they will learn next. The app supports up to three child profiles per family, allowing for individual progress monitoring.

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