Writing apps for kids have emerged as powerful tools in nurturing early literacy skills, offering a blend of education and entertainment. But with a plethora of options available, how do parents decide which app is best suited for their child’s learning journey?
When choosing a writing app for your child, it’s crucial to consider several key factors. First, the app should have a user-friendly interface that’s easy for children to navigate independently. It should also provide a balanced mix of education and engagement—learning is most effective when it feels like play.
Also, look for apps that offer a structured learning path, progressively guiding children through the complexities of writing, from simple letter tracing to forming words and sentences. Customization is another important feature, allowing the app to cater to your child’s unique learning pace and style.
Additionally, the app’s content should be age-appropriate and align with educational standards, ensuring that it not only captivates your child’s interest but also contributes positively to their learning outcomes. Progress tracking is another valuable feature for parents and educators to monitor the child’s development and identify areas that may need more focus.
And, of course, privacy and safety are paramount. Opt for apps that provide a secure learning environment, free from ads and inappropriate content, and those that respect your family’s privacy by not collecting personal data.
With these considerations in mind, let’s explore some of the best writing apps for kids available out there. I curated this list and included some of the best options that I have reviewed over the years. From LetterSchool’s engaging curriculum to iWriteWords’ fun and interactive gameplay, these apps will both enhance your child’s writing skills and make the whole learning process a joyous adventure.
Related: 10 Best Learn to Read Apps
Writing Apps for Kids
Here are our top picks for writing apps for kids:
1. LetterSchool (iPhone/iPad/ Mac & Android)
LetterSchool is definitely my favourite of them all. This app is specifically designed for toddlers and pre-schoolers to learn the basics of writing and spelling in an engaging and interactive manner. LetterSchools not just a favorite among kids, who delight in its fun and educational activities, but it’s also highly recommended by parents, teachers, and occupational therapists alike.
Main Features:
- Extensive Learning Palette: Offers a wide array of learning materials including block and cursive letters, both uppercase and lowercase, numbers from 1 to 10, and 24 geometric shapes specifically designed for toddlers.
- Progress Tracking: Monitors your child’s development through the courses, and includes a feature to unlock Golden Levels for advanced learning.
- Rich Vocabulary Base: Includes 72 CVC words, 36 CVCC words, and 39 long sound words, catering to a wide range of learning stages and capabilities.
- Multiple User Support: Allows up to three players to save their progress and settings on the same device, making it convenient for families or small groups.
- Engaging Animations & Effects: The app is loaded with over 20 exciting animations, graphics, and sound effects to keep the learning process lively and interesting.
- Phonics & Spelling: Focuses on teaching phonics, word formation, understanding syllable formation, and spelling entire words.
- Accessibility: Tailored to be user-friendly for home-schooled kids and children with special educational needs.
- Educational Fonts: Offers a choice of the three most popular font families in handwriting education (Handwriting Without Tears, D’Nealian, and Zaner-Bloser), making it a versatile tool for various teaching methods.
- Safety & Support: The app is ad-free and designed with input from parents and educational professionals. It offers advanced settings and purchases that are only accessible to adults, ensuring a safe learning environment for children.
2. Writing Wizard (iPhone/iPad/ Mac & Android)
Writing Wizard is crafted with the primary aim of making the learning process of tracing letters, numbers, and words enjoyable and motivational for children. It’s an app that combines fun with education, ensuring that children stay engaged and excited throughout their learning journey.
Main Features:
- Tracing & Writing: Teaches how to trace letters, numbers, and words correctly with the aid of 16 different fonts, including the 3 most popular fonts in the USA.
- Interactive Learning: Features fun tracing with more than 50 animated stickers, sound effects, and interactive games that bring the letters to life after tracing.
- Customization: Offers a fully customizable experience to suit every child’s learning needs, including letter size, difficulty level, and the ability to create personal word lists with custom audio.
- Progress Tracking: Detailed reports provide insights into the child’s progress, including the ability to replay and export tracings.
- Diverse Learning Tools: Includes shapes tracing for toddlers and the option to create PDF worksheets, aiding in offline learning and practice.
- Parent & Teacher Friendly: Allows for the creation and sharing of custom word lists, and offers multiple parameters to customize the app according to the child’s current education level.
3. Endless Alphabet (iPhone/iPad/ Mac & Android)
Endless Alphabet sets the stage for early reading success by turning learning into a playful and interactive experience. Aimed at young children, this app introduces them to the alphabet and vocabulary in a delightful and engaging manner, featuring a host of adorable monsters to guide them through each word.
Main Features:
- Extensive Vocabulary: Comes packed with 100 words, each accompanied by charming and instructive animations that illustrate the word’s meaning in a lively and engaging way.
- Interactive Word Game: Focuses on teaching letters through interactive puzzles, enhancing the learning experience and making it enjoyable for children.
- Unique Animations: Each word features a unique animation that not only teaches the definition of the word but also keeps the children entertained.
- Stress-Free Learning: Designed with children in mind, Endless Alphabet does not include high scores, failures, or time limits, allowing children to learn and interact with the app at their own comfortable pace.
- Special Features: For devices like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the app offers 3D Touch
4. ABCmouse (iPhone/iPad & Android)
ABCmouse is an acclaimed comprehensive learning program designed to foster educational growth in children ages 2 to 8. It’s celebrated for its in-depth curriculum that spans reading, math, art, music, and more, making it a go-to resource for parents and educators aiming to enhance a child’s academic journey early on.
Main Features:
- Wide-Ranging Curriculum: Offers a full, standards-based curriculum for learning, featuring over 10,000 exciting Learning Activities to cater to children at various academic levels.
- Proven Results: Demonstrates significant improvement in reading skills with consistent usage, as little as 45 minutes a week.
- Extensive Content: Provides 10 levels, 850+ lessons, and 10,000+ individual Learning Activities, covering all academic subjects from toddler stage through 2nd grade.
- Diverse Learning Resources: Includes thousands of books, videos, puzzles, printables, songs, games, and animations to ensure a rich learning experience.
- Customizable Features: Features like customizable Avatar, My Room, My Hamster, and Pet Park make learning personalized and fun.
- Progress Tracking: Comes with tools to track and monitor progress, ensuring children are on the right path of learning.
5. iTrace (iPhone/iPad/ Mac )
iTrace is a thoughtfully designed writing app for kids. It teaches children to write block and cursive letters and numbers. Its creation is rooted in the belief that early childhood education should be both productive and relaxed, offering a natural learning environment for children.
Main Features:
- Comprehensive Writing Instruction: Teaches uppercase and lowercase letters in both cursive and block letters, along with numbers 0 through 9.
- Extensive Word Library: Includes a child’s name, 350 preloaded words from the iTrace library, and an unlimited number of words that can be added manually.
- Font Support: Offers support for 3 different letter fonts (Zaner-Blosser, HWT, and D’Nealian), each with customized letters for enhanced learning.
- Animated Learning Scenes: Features 5 animated scenes on iPad, with 50 animated objects to make learning engaging and contextually relevant.
- Progress Tracking: Maintains a history of each child’s progress, supporting unlimited children accounts.
- Privacy Protection: Ensures a safe learning environment with no ads and no collection of personal data, plus purchases restricted to adults.
6. iWriteWords (iPhone/iPad )
iWriteWords is a unique and engaging game designed to teach your child handwriting in a fun, interactive way. It combines learning with entertainment, ensuring that children enjoy their educational journey.
Main Features:
- Interactive Gameplay: Involves helping Mr. Crab collect numbered balls by dragging him with your finger and simultaneously drawing the letter.
- Rewarding System: Once all the letters in a word are drawn correctly, a cute drawing appears as a reward, encouraging further engagement.
- Progressive Levels: As children slide the letters into the spinning hole, they advance to the next level, ensuring a continuous learning curve.
- Entertaining & Educational: Marries the fun of a game with the educational aspect of handwriting, making it an enjoyable learning tool for children.
Related: Best Handwriting Apps for iPad
Final thoughts
The writing apps we’ve explored above provide kids with a safe and fun conducive environment where they can learn to write with help of engaging content and interactive activities.
As you integrate these tools into your child’s learning routine, remember that technology is most beneficial when it complements traditional learning methods, not replaces them. Encourage your child to practice writing with pen and paper as well, to develop their fine motor skills alongside their digital literacy.
Finally, stay involved in your child’s learning process. The apps offer excellent ways to track progress, and your engagement can significantly boost your child’s motivation and confidence. Celebrate their successes, provide encouragement during challenges, and watch as your child embarks on a journey of literacy and creativity, one letter at a time.