4.9
Where to Buy

AlphaTots Alphabet App Review

App Info

Price: $2.99

Overview

Alphatots is an unusual alphabet app that uses verbs instead of nouns for key words. This means that each letter has an associated action that kids can do instead of just look at.  There is an opportunity to play and interact with each letter!

Features include:

  • Capital or lower case letters
  • Sing-a-long ABC song
  • 26 interactive mini-games
  • Focus on verbs for key words
  • Choose letters to practice

Quality

Alphatots is a high quality app with some very creative ideas about letter practice for young children.  The interactive games are intuitive and easy to use, and the directions are clear.  Each letter’s interaction focuses on an action instead of on a noun, so young learners will be able to act out the verbs in the real world as well as complete the app’s interactions.

Education

The focus on verbs instead of nouns for key words to represent each letter of the alphabet is a wonderful change of pace considering that most alphabet books and apps use nouns for their keywords.  The use of verbs will help children understand that other kinds of words can begin with the target letters, and will also engage them in every day activities that they can perform even when they are not playing with the app.  In other words, kids will start to see that those letters are not confined to traditional ABC book favorites, since R not only can stand for “rabbit,” but also for “recycle.”

Developers of this app were thoughtful enough to include both vowel sounds (the long and the short) for vowels.  The directions for the games also focus on the target sounds, either by demonstrating them again or even by using alliteration to force focus on them.  For example, the letter A game instructions say, “Can you add candles to the cake?”  The words containing the short and long A sounds are stressed just a bit, so the young users will hear the target sounds right before they play.

The mini-games in Alphatots are great learning experiences in and of themselves, as well.  Kids will be sorting, matching and practicing other important readiness skills as they play, which makes this app do double duty in the learning department.

Entertainment

Most ABC picture apps have fun illustrations, but it’s tough to DO something with that apple that stands for the letter A.  Alphatots is full of things to do.  Each letter leads to a different interactive game that young children will enjoy.  It’s very good that these games are not simply dressed up versions of the same activity where the illustrations are focused on each letter while the interaction remains the same.  Some have kids placing items where they belong, some have them sequencing, and there are even a few that challenge the users to react quickly by touching pictures that appear and disappear.

Value

Alphatots is a good value for families or classrooms with young children who are ready to practice beginning alphabet skills.  It’s priced at $2.99 in the App Store.  The interactive nature of the game will make it a favorite for little fingers since the app offers so much more than a passive viewing experience.  Repetition is one key to learning these concepts, and this app will definitely see repeat uses.  It’s not as fancy as some apps, with bells and whistles, but it is a good solid way for kids to practice their ABC skills.

Child Friendliness

Alphatots is very child-friendly.  The additional apps available for purchase are protected by an effective parent gate, and there are no other connections to the internet.

  • NO external links
  • NO social media
  • NO in-app purchase
  • NO 3rd party ads
  • YES “more apps” (protected, but visible)
AlphaTots Alphabet
AlphaTots Alphabet
Alphatots is a fun ABC app with 26 interactive games. It is unusual among ABC apps and alphabet books because it uses verbs instead of nouns for the letter sound key words.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
4.9
Where to Buy