How would you like to give your kids a head start on their education by ensuring that they are good readers? These days, kids love playing on computers, iPhones, etc., so you may as well put that play to good use and give them some apps that are going to help to improve their reading skills. For decades, one of the most popular teaching aids to help kids with reading skills has been “Hooked on Phonics”, which is now available as an Android app. Let’s take a look at some other great apps you can download to help your kids become better readers.

Homer

Here is a great phonics and research-based app that helps kids learn to read. The customize their character or “Wickle”, and use it to get through “Pickle Wickle Park”, where they will earn points for reading, listening to books, playing games (educational, of course), etc. This app is only available to iPhone users, and it is one of the top reading apps for kids.

ICDL Books for Children

Here is an app from the International Children’s Digital Library that ensures that all children have access to books. You will find thousands of picture books from all over the world, and they are all free on this app. This is a great way to encourage kids from Kindergarten to grade five to read, because they are always going to have access to books whenever they want them.

Sight Words and Reading

In order to really be able to read well, one needs to be able to identify sounds as well as words. This tool is for pre-K students who are learning sounds, letters, and putting together sentences. It is in a game format, making learning fun and not too difficult. It is colorful and loaded with illustrations, and can capture and hold kids’ attention. This app for Android users brings 300 words to your kids’ vocabularies.

Reading Rainbow

Do you remember this television program from when you were a kid? Today, it has its own app, and your kids can use it to find a huge library of interactive digital books. Your kids will have access to thousands of titles, and they are all free for iPhone, Kindle, and Android users.

Starfall Learn to Read

This is a Kindle Fire app that is now free for anyone to use. It is a good idea to upgrade your tech so your kids can get the most out of this and other reading apps. Look for sites that offer you a “sell laptop” option, where you can get the most money for your old tech, which you can use to upgrade to new tech that will help your kids while they are learning to read.

Chicktionary for iPad

This is a great game that is going to help kids with their spelling. The object of the game is to make as many words as possible from the letters that are on the chickens. When they make a mistake, the chickens squawk at them. This is a free version, and there are 12 games for pre-K and Kindergarten students. There is also an Android version, which you can get on the Android Market.

StoryKit

This app helps children learn to read with four classic stories, complete with awesome illustrations. Not only is this app going to help them to become better readers, it will also help them to develop creative writing skills. Once they have read the books, they can then make changes to the stories, adding their own narratives and/or illustrations. This is an app that is loved by pre-K students, and their teachers.