Dyslexia apps are the topic of our blog post today!
This post is not just another roundup; it’s a vetted collection of apps covering the critical areas that children with dyslexia often find challenging—reading, writing, and spelling. From apps that scan reading materials to identify challenges, to those that offer interactive literacy games, these digital resources are backed by real-world testing from educators and parents like us. I’ll dive into apps that range from free to paid, compatible with both iOS and Android, making sure there’s something for everyone.
For those of you interested in dyslexia Chrome extensions, check out this collection of some of the best Chrome extensions for students and kids with dyslexia.
1. Lexico: A Dyslexia Reading Aid
Lexico provides a distraction free interface with high-contrast and display mode for readers with dyslexia and those with learning challenges. Other features provided by Lexico include focus mode that enable readers to draw a window around sentences and paragraphs they want to read, add reading materials of your choice to the app (e.g., PDFs, word documents, text, etc), use the integrated scanning feature to scan any physical text and read it with no distraction, a Read Along mode, audiobook mode, crossing and tracking exercises, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
2. Dyslexia Test
Dyslexia Test app helps identify reading problems for kids with dyslexia using 5 to 10 minutes long tests. Using the test results, the app recommends helpful reading programs to help kids ‘develop fluent, automatic reading skills. When decoding becomes automatic, comprehension improves dramatically.’
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free / Age: 4+
3. ABC Magic Phonics 5
ABC Magic Phonics is all about helping kids with dyslexia develop phonemic and letter awareness. It offers a wide variety of of activities to help with letter sound correspondence. These learning materials are organized into three levels starting from the concrete all the way to abstract: level 1 focuses on sounds to images, Level 2 develops sounds to lowercase letters, and Level 3 works on Lowercase letters to images. The app ‘features 4 words pictures for each letter. Each word in each of the groupings uses only the most common sound for each letter.’
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
4. Kids Phonics Alphabet Tracing
Kids Phonics Alphabet Tracing helps kids with dyslexia develop key literacy skills using activities that involves recognizing letter sounds, tracing uppercase and lowercase letters, matching letters, identify beginning sounds, and more. Other features offered include a wide variety of mini-games, visually illustrated sceneries, reward stickers, child-friendly interface, authentic voice-overs, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android alternative (ABC Kids) / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
5. Reading For All Learners 1-8
Reading For All Learners helps struggling readers and readers with dyslexia develop key reading skills that include phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, decoding, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Some of the interesting features provided by this app include audio prompts and audio modelling of words and sounds, record and playback student reading, track students reading progress, reading materials aligned with Common Core Standards, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
6. Learning Ally Audiobooks
Learning Ally offers a wide variety of reading materials ideal for kids with dyslexia and struggling readers. The app offers access to a huge library of human-read audiobooks that include textbooks, classic literature, bestsellers, and many more. The app also includes interactive tools to help kids make the best of their experience including things such as audio narration, speed control, note-taking, highlighting, bookmarking, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free (membership required to use this app)/ Age: 4+
7. Word Wizard for Kids School Ed
Word Wizard offers engaging spelling and reading activities ideal for kids with dyslexia. Kids get to develop basic reading skills by building words. Features provided include : talking movable alphabet activity that helps with word construction and phonics, 3 spelling activities with increasing levels of difficulty, a wide variety of word lists, spelling quizzes with the ability to add your own, pronounce and spell-check any word, natural sounding voice that includes kids and adult voices, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: $7.99/ Age: 4+
8. Play ABC, Alfie Atkins
Play ABC helps kids with dyslexia learn sounds, phonemes and letters. Alfie offers three interesting tools to help kids in their literacy development journey: the letter tracer tool helps children ‘ learn the appearance and sound of all letters and train their motor skills and muscle memory by drawing and tracing letters on the screen’. The word machine tool helps kids learn to spell new words using letter tips and phonemes. The puppet theatre tool helps kids unleash their creativity and imagination using the power of storytelling.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
9. Dyslexia Screening Test App
Dyslexia Screening Test uses various algorithmic measures to assess numerous features and signs associated with dyslexia. The app also offers a detailed individualized report that includes total dyslexia score, individualized recommendations to improve performance, resources to help improve progress, and recommendations ‘on when professional assessment is needed’.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
10. DocLexi: Learn to Read & Spell
DocLexi helps students and kids with dyslexia learn how to read and write using numerous games and activities. The app also offers a version for professionals and teachers that ‘provides for a seamless integration with a therapist by allowing them to customize the app to meets the child’s needs and track progress by logging into the administration tool in their browser.’
Compatibility: iOS and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
Final thoughts
Wrapping things up, it’s crucial to remember that technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution, especially when it comes to addressing something as complex as dyslexia. The apps I’ve covered in this post each bring something valuable to the table, be it enhancing reading comprehension, tackling spelling woes, or making writing less daunting for kids struggling with dyslexia. And, from my experience, the magic really happens when these apps are woven into a larger, more holistic approach to education that could include one-on-one sessions, group activities, or tactile learning exercises.
