Understanding the sounds attached to letters and learning to sound out words are necessary skills for students to become independent readers. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 makes it easy for students to practice these critical skills while boosting confidence. The app helps bridge the gap between phonemic awareness and phonics. 450 high-frequency words are taught in forty-two spelling lists focused on specific concepts such as short vowel sounds, long vowel sounds, phonograms (letters that represent the sound such as ��ump� in bump), and diphthongs (gliding vowels such as cow).

The interface is clean and the navigation is simple enough for a child to work independently without a teacher or parent (after the student views the helpful introduction lesson). A soothing voice prompt presents the word to spell and then uses the word in a sentence. After the student attempts to spell the spoken word by clicking or dragging and dropping letters into the tiles provided, color-coded letter tiles reveal incorrect / placement issues allowing the student to achieve success on every word presented. A hint button presents letter-sound correspondence, phonetic spelling variations, and offers help sounding out the word. The app allows multiple users to save their progress and provides tracking for teachers and parents to review. The app even supports U.K., Canadian and U.S. English. It�s a great value too!

The hint button and color-coded feedback were the apps best features. These two elements allowed students to gain mastery quickly and work independently. Several reviewers suggested adding visual aids (when possible) to help add meaning to the words.