Using the SUPER WHY ABC Adventures: Alphabet app from PBS Kids you have the unique opportunity to turn your child into a literacy superhero! Based on the breakthrough preschool TV series that your family already loves, this app features a variety of games each hosted by a different Super Reader. The value in this app is easily realized with the introduction it provides to uppercase and lowercase letters, their names, the order of the alphabet, common letter sounds and writing letters.
Alpha Pig brings you the Lickety Letter Safari in which your child will identify letters in the jungle while also taking pictures of the various alphametical wildlife! Princess Presto takes you under the sea to listen to the sounds made by all twenty-six letters. Super Why gets you on the road to ancient Egypt by tracing the shapes of letters leading to special treasures. Wonder Red makes treasure hunting fun while teaching letter sounds and associating objects that begin with them. To round up the show, Woofster exercises letter writing skills in uppercase and lowercase while trying to collect all of the golden letter bones found in the Wild West.
The app is incredibly visual and dynamic. When the character asks your child to choose between upper case, lower case or mixed case (for instance), there are graphic examples of the differences beside each label.
Punctuate the learning process by singing along to the four alphabet-themed music videos.
Want to know how your child is doing? Track their progress in identifying letter names and letter sounds in Alpha Pig and Princess Presto’s games.
What I liked: Children love stickers, so earning some of the over 400 themed souvenir stickers that can be used to decorate themed backgrounds inside the app is a reward that may actually motivate.
What I didn’t like: The sing-along songs are cute, but they start out way too fast for smaller children and keep accelerating. It would be nice if there was a slow-motion option for kids who are very much beginners.
To buy or not to buy: The best way to teach children is to make them forget that they are actually learning something. This app is a lot of fun and very interactive and would make a great addition to your educational-app library.
- App Name: SUPER WHY ABC Adventures: Alphabet
- Version Reviewed: 1.2
- Category: Education
- Developer: PBS KIDS
- Price: $2.99