I had this idea that I would keep my 6 year old son up to speed on his reading, writing and math over the summer by having him practice everyday. It was a good idea in theory but we’ve been busy and time has gotten away from us. He’s practiced some but not as much as I would have liked. I was thrilled to discover the Sight Words app because it’s a quick and fun way to practice reading skills. My daughters still take naps so Jackson usually gets some iPad time during that block of time so that I can work. I set a timer and he earns free time equal to the time he spends using educational apps.
This app is based off the renowned Dolch Sight Words Lists and includes the most common 220 words and 95 nouns encountered in children’s books. It is the perfect educational tool to learn to read because it’s both fun and effective. An adorable monkey named Miko guides young readers through progressive levels of words using an industry-leading speech technology from Nuance. Sight Words has two modes:
- Practice Mode – Allows kids to read read words presented on the screen. Sight Words simply listens and lets your child know if they pronounced each word the right way or not.
- Teaching Mode – Words are first read aloud, after which your child can attempt read that word back to the app. Speech Recognition Software hears what your childs says, understands their words and lets them know if they read each word correctly or not.
Teaching mode is better for beginners or when reaching a new level. Practice mode is more challenging and encourages kids to try to read on their own. Mastering Dolch words is essential to the early stages of reading development. One of the many great things about this app is that it includes 6 levels of difficulty beginning at Preschool and going through the 3rd grade level. A special “Nouns” category offers a little extra practice.
The best educational apps offer rewards or incentives and this app does just that. As a user progress through the levels, fun puzzle games are unlocked keeping the app entertaining, fun and educational at the same time!
The app also includes an innovative word-tracking option that automatically saves words that your child struggles with. This let’s you review trouble words together, and helps you keep track of progress.
Developed by Sprite Labs, Sight Words sets itself apart from similar apps with it’s voice recognition features that help kids learn to pronounce the words correctly. Easy to use and high on the importance level from this mom’s perspective, I give Sight Words 2 thumbs up. It’s just what we needed to keep Jackson on track over the summer.
Made for the iPad and iPhone, Sight Words is available on iTunes or in the app store for $1.99
A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated in any other way. See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.