LetterSchool – Block Letters App Review
App Info
Price: $9.99
Overview
LetterSchool presents letters and numbers for kids to trace and then to write independently. There is a choice of three different fonts, capital and lowercase letters, and numbers.
Features include:
- Stores records for up to three players
- Choice of three popular primary manuscript fonts
- Three levels of practice for each letter
- Vivid, animated illustrations
- Clear, intuitive operation
Quality
LetterSchool is a high-quality app that will help children practice their letters. Developers did a good job of making the app intuitive to use; the icons for each step change color invitingly when it is time to activate them. Great job, too, in making the app accommodating for multiple users! This really helps families and even classroom teachers with several kids.
Education
This app does an outstanding job of providing on-screen practice for forming letters and numbers. Adults can set the font (D’Nealian, Zaner-Bloser, or HWT) and choose capital or lower case letters, or numbers. Once set, the users can pick which letters they wish to practice. Choose a letter, and the app presents a large, clear picture of it, then gives the sound and a keyword while showing a brightly-colored picture. Next, the letter sprouts clear points where children should “put their pencil” or begin writing. When touched at this level, the letter automatically “traces itself” with a brightly-colored path that changes from trial to trial (a rocket, a train track, a light tube, and more). The second level continues to provide starting point prompts, but now the children must trace the entire line. For the final level, children are given starting points, and the letter disappears once they begin to trace. The system will not allow them to stray too far from the designated path, though, so it’s impossible to make a mistake.
Entertainment
LetterSchool is highly entertaining for young children. The illustrations are colorful and vivid, and most are animated. The app is also full of random sound effects designed to grab and hold the attention of the target audience. For example, if a child is slow to choose the next letter, one will “laugh” or “woo-woo” as it jumps and spins to attract attention. The tracing levels of the app are fun, as well. Instead of simply drawing a colored line over the target area, tracing will drag out various coverings, including a rocket that flies along the line, a train track that gets built and then shows a train traveling, and a light tube with bulbs that light up in sequence. Completing all of the levels for the letter triggers an impressive display of fireworks and dancing stars.
Value
Though this app may seem a bit pricey at $4.99, it is well worth the money if your children enjoy it. It’s engaging enough that most children will keep playing with it, and it provides practice on an important set of skills. There is a free trial version available if you want to try out some of the features before you invest.
Child Friendliness
This app is child-friendly. The settings area (where adults can change fonts, letter groups, and access individual user records) is accessible, however. The parent support area, however, is well-protected and hidden. This area can only be accessed by reading, processing and completing a complex set of instructions. The area opens in your browser and contains links, social media, and information about using the app.
- Protected parent area (can contain external links & social media)
- NO external links
- NO social media
- NO in-app purchase
- NO 3rd party ads
