Instant Words

A great way to entertain the kids, and help them learn at the same time.

This is a simple and clean Fry flashcard app. I love that you can work on the words in smaller groups and that you can randomize or work on the words in order. The option to hear the word is a fantastic option for when the children are working on their own and struggling with a word. Great app!

On its face, this app does exactly what it sets out to do. It is an interactive set of Fry's vocabulary flash cards in progressive order. That's good. You can focus on each set in order, and check how many your kid got right/wrong. That's also good. However, if you tap the word, THE IPAD READS THE WORD ALOUD. Why would anyone want this as a feature on an app that solely focuses on the reading mastery of a specific supply of words? There is no evidence or research to support that having those words read aloud nets any positive learning; on the contrary, the immediate gratification of having those words read out loud circumvents any real attempt to decipher the word, promoting instead a reliance on memorization which is NOT recommended to achieve grade-based fluency. TL;DR: If you buy this app, then mute your iPad and don't tell the kid.