Best Literacy Apps For Children

201+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated June 2026

With an average user rating of 4.4★, the literacy apps for children category is one of the App Store's strongest. Browse all 201+ apps we track, sorted so the most loved ones surface first.

Top Picks for Literacy Apps For Children

LetterSchool - Learn to Write!#1

LetterSchool - Learn to Write! by Letterschool Enabling Learning B.V.

ABC handwriting app for kids
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.5😐(17K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 1
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 2
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 3
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 4
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 5
LetterSchool - Learn to Write! screenshot 6

This app helps young children learn to write letters, numbers, and shapes through interactive tracing and engaging animations. It offers progress tracking and is designed by educational professionals to be safe and fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

What We Love

  • 👍 Engaging and interactive
  • 🚀 Helps improve handwriting
  • 💡 Supports multiple writing styles (print, cursive, d'nealian)
  • 👍 Motivating with rewards and animations

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Subscription issues (app reverts to lite version, need to restore purchases)
  • 🐛 Glitches and crashes (especially with Dari letters)
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
Shapes Toddler Preschool#2

Shapes Toddler Preschool by Letterschool Enabling Learning B.V.

The #1 app for learning shapes
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.3😐(2.5K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 1
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 2
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 3
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 4
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 5
Shapes Toddler Preschool screenshot 6

This app helps toddlers and preschoolers learn letters, numbers, and shapes through interactive tracing and spelling games. It offers progress tracking and engaging animations to make learning fun and effective for young children.

What We Love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🎉 Engaging for toddlers
  • 🧠 Helps kids learn shapes
  • 💫 Rewarding with stickers

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔁 Requires constant purchase restoration
  • 💰 Subscription model is frustrating
ReadingIQ#3

ReadingIQ by Age of Learning, Inc.

Digital Books for Kids 2-12
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.6😐(21K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
ReadingIQ screenshot 1
ReadingIQ screenshot 2

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.

What We Love

  • 🤩 Great selection of books
  • 👍 Helpful for improving reading skills
  • 🙌 Engaging and motivating for kids
  • 🎨 Ability to customize icons

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
  • 💰 Expensive subscription, difficult to cancel
  • 🔍 Limited book selection for older kids

More Literacy Apps For Children apps to explore

4
Dr. Seuss Treasury Kids Books
Dr. Seuss Treasury Kids Books
Dr. Seuss Treasury Kids Books
Interactive Books for Kids
Free

Explore a vast collection of interactive Dr. Seuss books with highlighted narration and tappable words for enhanced learning. Track reading progress with detailed reports. Enjoy a new book gift monthly, no subscription required for that specific offering, but a subscription is needed for full access.

Over 50 classic Dr. Seuss titlesHighlighted narration for read-alongTappable words and pictures for vocabulary
📚 Books
(16K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Reading.com: Phonics for Kids
Reading.com: Phonics for Kids
Reading.com: Phonics for Kids
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
(55K)
free with in-app purchases
6
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
7
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
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
News-O-Matic: Reading for Kids
News-O-Matic: Reading for Kids
News-O-Matic: Reading for Kids
Daily Newspaper for Ages 6–14
Free

This app provides a daily newspaper designed for children aged 6-14, featuring over 100 new articles monthly on diverse topics. It aims to foster a love for nonfiction reading and critical thinking with content reviewed for age-appropriateness and emotional safety. Features include multiple reading levels, translations, read-aloud options, interactive elements, and vocabulary support.

Daily news articles for ages 6-14Multiple literacy levelsTranslations and read-aloud audio
📚 Education
(422)
subscription
10
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
(1.7K)
subscription
11
Hooked on Phonics Learning
Hooked on Phonics Learning
Hooked on Phonics Learning
Reading, Math & Spelling Games
Free

This app transforms screen time into educational fun for children aged 3-8. It offers interactive games and activities across reading, math, and spelling, tailored to individual learning needs. Parents receive real-time progress insights and can track their child's development through a comprehensive ebook library and reward system.

Reading, Math & Spelling Games1000+ Educational Activities100+ Ebook Library
📚 Education
(15K)
free with in-app purchases
12
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
(6.8K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Jolly Phonics - Learn to Read
Lessons for Kids 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
(7.3K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC
Interactive Stories for Kids
Free

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.

Interactive storiesOver 700 hands-on lessonsPhonics and sight word learning
📚 Education
(148)
free
15
Read-Along: Books For Kids App
Read-Along: Books For Kids App
Read-Along: Books For Kids App
Reading with Offline Stories
Free

This app helps children aged 2-11 improve their reading skills with interactive stories. It offers "Read It Myself" and "Read To Me" options, simulating traditional finger tracking for an authentic learning experience. The content is designed to be engaging and educational, with no distractions from ads or games.

Read It Myself and Read To Me modesAuthentic finger-tracking simulationProfessional voice narration
📚 Education
(1.7K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Wonster Words Learning Games
Wonster Words Learning Games
Wonster Words Learning Games
Educational Reading Skills App
Free

This educational app uses interactive games and puzzles to teach children foundational literacy skills. It focuses on phonics, letter-sound relationships, and spelling patterns through a fun, play-based approach rooted in reading science.

Phonics-based learningInteractive puzzles and mini-gamesLetter-sound relationship practice
📚 Education
(30K)
free with in-app purchases
17
ScratchJr
ScratchJr
ScratchJr
by Scratch Foundation, Inc.
Free

This app allows young children to create their own interactive stories and games by snapping together graphical programming blocks. It fosters problem-solving, creative expression, and develops early numeracy and literacy skills in a fun, motivating context.

Program interactive storiesCreate gamesSnap-together programming blocks
📚 Education
(1.5K)
free
18
ABC Animals
ABC Animals
ABC Animals
ABC letters for preschool kids
$2.99

This app offers an interactive way for preschoolers to learn letters, phonics, and handwriting. It features engaging animal illustrations and audio, with customizable options for parents.

Interactive flashcardsLetter recognitionPhonics instruction
📚 Education
(42)
paid
19
Vocabulary - Learn words daily
Vocabulary - Learn words daily
Vocabulary - Learn words daily
Erweitern Sie Ihren Wortschatz
Free

Expand your vocabulary with daily word learning and engaging games. This app offers customizable learning paths and difficulty levels to suit your English proficiency. Make vocabulary acquisition a fun and effective part of your routine.

Learn new words dailyCustomizable difficulty levelsSelect vocabulary categories
📚 Education
(205K)
free with in-app purchases
20
ElevenReader: Read Books Aloud
ElevenReader: Read Books Aloud
ElevenReader: Read Books Aloud
Reader for Books, PDFs & Docs
Free

This app transforms any text into realistic, AI-powered audio narration. Listen to books, PDFs, documents, news, and blogs in over 32 languages with natural-sounding voices. Features include text highlighting, bookmarking, and flexible playback speeds.

AI-powered text-to-speechReads books, PDFs, and documents32+ languages with natural voices
📊 Productivity
(9.3K)
free with in-app purchases