Bookmark

Write Review

Common Sense Review
Updated July 2012

Intro to Letters, by Montessorium

No-frills approach to reading and writing with sandpaper letters and recorded sound
Common Sense Rating 3
Teacher Rating (2 Teacher Reviews) 4
Price
$4.99
This grade range is a recommendation by the Common Sense Education editorial team, not the developer/publisher.
Grades
Pre-K-2
Platforms
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Show Additional Product & Pricing Details
Subjects
English Language Arts
  • letter or word recognition
  • naming
  • phonics
  • reading
Health & Wellness
  • fine motor skills
Skills
Communication & Collaboration
  • listening
  • speaking
Purpose
Targeted Practice
Standards
Common Core State Standards
  • Choose a letter.
  • Trace letters and hear their sounds.
  • Practice upper and lower case letters.
  • Record letter sounds.
Pros
Kids can record their own letter sounds.
Cons
Not as much fun as other alphabet apps.
Bottom Line
Quality learning experience, but little fanfare and fun.
Christy Matte
Common Sense Reviewer
Common Sense Rating 3
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return? 3

Kids who are just learning their letters may be excited about this app, but it's not one they'll pull out just for fun. Still, it has an appeal that pencil and paper may not hold, and allows kids to explore on their own.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer? 3

With a hyper focus on pairing letter sounds with shapes, Intro to Letters shines in terms of content delivery, but misses the mark on going beyond the interactive worksheet approach.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students? 3

Directions are clear, but there's no way to track which letters kids have practiced or to see if they're struggling in any area.

About our ratings and privacy evaluation.
How Can Teachers Use It?

This is great for quiet practice of letters and handwriting during indoor recess or as a station during free choice time. It's particularly useful for kids who need extra help, such as ELL, and special needs students. 

Read More Read Less
What's It Like?

Designed to help kids learn letters and letter sounds, Intro to Letters, by Montessorium  is focused and clean, without animation, rewards, or other gimmicks. Kids trace letters with their fingers and hear the letter names and sounds in an activity that mimics Montessori sandpaper letters. The app includes upper and lower case letters, as well as 15 two-letter phonograms. Kids can also record the letter sounds and names if their devices are equipped with microphones.

Read More Read Less
Is It Good For Learning?

As far as learning tools go, this is a straightforward way to teach letter names and sounds. While there's something to be said for distraction-free learning, rather than being an engaging app, Intro to Letters, by Montessorium gives off an interactive workbook vibe. Will it help kids learn? Probably. But kids who are used to dancing monkeys, sticker rewards, and interactive hot spots aren't going to be impressed. There's no way to track what's been done and it may quickly feel repetitive. Adults are more likely to appreciate the quality of the app and the traditional aesthetics. It's a bit pricey for the depth of content provided, but it will definitely appeal to purists. 

Read More Read Less

See how teachers are using Intro to Letters, by Montessorium

Teacher Reviews

Write Your Own Review

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans

Create Your Own Lesson Plan

  • Writing Right
    English Language Arts
    Grade Pre-K
    August D.
    Ridgewood Elementary School
    Eureka, CA
    4 steps
    February 2, 2016

Browse Similar Products

Intro to Colors, by Montessorium
Common Sense Rating 4
Teacher Rating 2
Intro to Geography - North...
Common Sense Rating 3
Teacher Rating 2