Hooked on Phonics

Well-known curriculum adapts well to fun, easy-to-use app

Learning rating

Community rating

Based on 1 review

Privacy rating

Expert evaluation by Common Sense

Grades

Pre-K–1

Subjects & Topics

English Language Arts

Price: Free to try
Platforms: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire

Pros: Rich resource includes a full phonics curriculum for an entire class of students.

Cons: Hefty price tag and some wonky design.

Bottom Line: Thorough phonics program offers a nice mixture of learning, practicing, and reading.

Students can use the app individually, with each student totally engaged and working at his or her own pace, freeing the teacher to pull students for individual reading instruction. The videos could be shown to the whole class, introducing letter sounds or reviewing sight words. The ebooks are frustration-free read-alouds to show kids that they can read. Students can work at their own pace, allowing advanced readers to move more quickly, or teachers could build a semester-long curriculum, covering one step per week.

Hooked on Phonics includes 12 steps; each teaches rimes and letter sounds to help kids build words. Within each step, videos with catchy songs introduce letter sounds and sight words, and games help kids build words using onsets and rimes. Kids practice reading immediately, starting with step one, using the three ebooks that correspond with each step. Lessons include all letter sounds, plus the rimes -at, -an, -ap, -ad, -am, -ag,  -ig, -id, -ig -ip, -im, -in, -ix, ill, -ot, -op, -ox, -ob, -og, -ug, -un, -ut, -ub, -up, -ed, -en, -et, -eg, and -ell. Adding s to words, the blend -ck, and reviews are also built in. Up to 25 kids can have usernames on each device, with their progress tracked step-by-step. If necessary, teachers can unlock all content at once rather than have kids progress through it sequentially. Rewards and extension sections are accessible by clicking the trophy at the bottom of the screen. Kids earn points by completing lessons and can buy items to embellish their trophies using those points. They can also practice writing sentences or stories using the words covered in the app.

The step-by-step approach, with reviews built in via songs and ebooks, is very effective for teaching reading. Teachers will appreciate the mix of phonics and sight words, and kids will enjoy the variety of delivery -- songs, games, and books -- and the predictability of how each step advances. Though $8.99 per month (or $49.99 for a lifetime subscription) might seem expensive, teachers get a step-by-step curriculum for an entire class of students, which can be reset every year and reused for a new class of students. Differentiation is easy as well, as teachers can unlock all content for students who can already read, allowing them to review at their own pace. Kids can also practice writing using the words in the writing section.

Learning Rating

Overall Rating
Engagement

Each of the 12 steps includes catchy songs, funny videos, and learning games to keep kids engaged. Kids earn points to decorate their trophies as they complete the steps.

Pedagogy

Teachers can unlock all the content at once or have kids work through each step in order. Steps build on each other, teaching and reinforcing phonics and sight words, and reviewing them with three ebooks per step.

Support

Teachers can track individual progress for up to 25 students, having kids work through steps in order or unlocking the entire curriculum. Kids can extend their learning in the sentence-building section.

Common Sense reviewer

Community Rating

This game is extremely helpful! It allows students to learn different techniques on how to formulate words and to properly use them. I would highly recommend to parents/educators who may have students that are struggling with phonics. App is easy to use.

I would highly recommend educators who utilize technology to check this app out and use it as a resource for students who are struggling with phonics.

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Privacy Rating

Data Safety How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Unclear whether personal information can be displayed publicly.
  • Unclear whether user-created content is filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.

Data Rights What rights do I have to the data?

  • Unclear whether users can create or upload content.
  • Processes to access or review user data are available.
  • Processes to modify data are available for authorized users.

Ads & Tracking Are there advertisements or tracking?

  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.

Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.

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