Level 2! Left To Right!

Level 3! Phonics Mode!

Level 4! Spell Without Hints!

Level 5! Sight Words and Big Words!

View on iTunes

This app is a great addition to your kid’s toolbox for life!

Meet The Developer!

Interview With Chris Hancock – Development Director at Learning Touch

What was the initial inspiration for your app?

We were trying to decide what would make a good first product for our new series based on the works of Richard Scarry. We are very excited to be launching this series, not just because Richard Scarry’s books are beloved by millions, but because we think his imaginative world is a great setting for educational play. His wacky ideas (like a “shark car”) stimulate kids’ own imaginations; and his humor about mistakes and mishaps–which my kids always loved–encourages kids to not be afraid of making mistakes. It’s a great frame of mind for learning.

Scarry’s most popular book of all is Cars Trucks, and Things That Go. We realized that the wacky vehicles in this book would be a great match with the early literacy gameplay that we have developed and refined in our First Words apps. The vehicles add a wonderful new flow to the game, where the player’s actions effectively control a stoplight, allowing one car after another to go through. The combination of the humorous vehicles with the stoplight rhythm of play–it was an aha moment.

What is your favorite aspect of your app?

I really like the children’s chorus. After a word is spelled (e.g. “pickle”), you’ll hear one or more kids call out the vehicles’ full name (e.g. “Pickle Car!”) This helps make the relationship clear between the word the player spelled and the vehicle they’re seeing. It’s also a way that we can share our enthusiasm for these wonderful vehicles. Two groups of kids contributed, one in California and another in Vermont, and I really enjoy hearing their voices.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I can offer some ideas about how the game can help kids build early foundations of literacy. The game isn’t an academic spelling curriculum; it’s really about getting oriented and comfortable with how spelling works. This kind of learning works best with enjoyment and lots of repetition. At the first level the game is mostly about recognizing and matching letters. Higher levels add left-to-right spelling, then simple phonics, and eventually challenge kids to work out, or practice, the complete spelling of each word. I want to encourage parents not to rush kids through these levels. I would also recommend occasionally playing together with your child, or letting them show you how they play. It can feel similar to reading a book together.