Available in the App Store

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Build strong language skills at an early age with Phonics Fun & Game. A friendly cast of Scholarville characters will lead children through four interactive language games they can play independently.

In addition to introducing children to upper and lower case letters and the sounds they make, Phonics Fun & Games includes a Guessing Game, where children use verbal and written clues to identify a word starting with a specific letter, gives hands on experience in Trace & Learn, where they will draw upper case letters on the screen, and builds memory skills while reinforcing letters in Matching & Memory.

The idea is to develop strong connections to the alphabet through visual, audible and written input, and this app delivers. Phonics Fun & Games is one of the best apps I’ve seen that manages to be repetitive without being redundant or boring. The games are self-paced, easy to play and there’s no timer or scoring method hanging over kids heads.

The graphics have a hand drawn, classic feel that I find especially appealing in a market of kids apps flushed with the latest in graphic design. I also like that the app presents characters of both genders and with many different shades of skin, for clear multicultural appeal. My kids loved the Scholarville characters and went back to some letters again and again to hear about their favorites.

Also, this app is priced to move this holiday season. For the rest of the year you can download Phonics Fun & Games for just $.99 (it’s normally $3.99). As if we needed any other reason to dig it.

Bottom line

Phonics Fun & Games is a simple yet highly effective language learning app with a multicultural cast and a stellar sale price.

Phonics Fun and Games introduces and reinforces a number of critical language arts skills. The easy to use interface allows a 3-6 year old to play all four of the fun games independently, learning without direct parent involvement. Each game emphasizes a different language skill:
1. In Phonics Cards, the animated Scholarville characters teach upper and lower case letter recognition and sound association
2. The Guessing Game reinforces beginning sounds and develops vocabulary.
3. Trace and Learn demonstrates proper letter formation while building fine motor and preliminary handwriting skills.
4. Matching and Memory provides memory skill practice, visual discrimination and identification of upper and lower case letters.
Phonics Fun and Games is available in both iPhone and iPad versions and will soon be available for the Android platform. For additional information, www.prekscholars.com and www.phonicsfunandgames.com.
Regular Price: $3.99 currently on sale for $.99 until 1/1/12