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How to choose a reading app for a struggling reader.
There are hundreds of reading apps, and on the surface they look alike: bright games, streaks, badges. For a child who finds reading hard, the surface is not what matters. What matters is whether the app teaches reading the way struggling readers actually learn it, and whether it measures reading rather than time on task. Here are the questions that tell them apart, and a short checklist to take shopping.
Does it teach with structured, explicit phonics?
A struggling reader needs the sounds and spellings taught directly and in a sensible order, not picked up by guessing from pictures or the shape of a word. Look for a clear scope and sequence you can actually see, one skill building on the last. If the app leans on guessing from context, it is working against the reader. See what a structured literacy scope and sequence looks like, and how the six syllable types stack up.
Does the practice use decodable text?
Practice only helps if the child can sound out the words in front of them. Decodable words and passages use only the patterns already taught, so the child succeeds by decoding rather than guessing. If an app hands a beginner text full of patterns they have not met, it teaches guessing. Compare against our free decodable word lists and decodable passages.
Does it measure reading, or just practice?
This is the question most apps hope you will not ask. Many report minutes, streaks and lessons finished. Those measure participation, not reading. Most reading apps grade the practice; the question to ask is whether an app grades the reading. Ask what the main number actually counts, and whether it can show change on words the child had never practiced before. That is what our page on how Lillory measures and the guide on telling if a reading app is working are about.
Can you see progress you understand?
A parent or tutor should be able to read the progress view in a few seconds and know what it means. If a chart is impressive but you cannot say what it is counting, it is decoration. Our guide on reading a progress report lists the three questions that reveal whether a chart means anything.
Is it built for a struggling reader in particular?
Some apps are made for children who are already reading and just need volume. A child who struggles needs a slower pace, over-learning until a skill is automatic, and no pressure to guess. Look for an app that lets a reader stay on a skill until it is secure rather than rushing to the next level.
Privacy and cost
Check what the app collects about a child and how it is handled, and prefer a clear, readable privacy policy. A free trial or a no-strings way to try it before paying tells you the makers are confident the product speaks for itself.
The short checklist
Teaches in order
A visible scope and sequence, sounds and spellings taught directly, no guessing from pictures.
Decodable practice
Words and text the child can actually sound out with what they have been taught.
Measures reading
The main number reflects reading, not minutes, streaks or lessons finished.
Progress you can read
A plain view a parent or tutor understands at a glance.
Built for struggle
Room to slow down and over-learn, with no pressure to guess.
Fair on data and cost
A clear privacy policy and a way to try before you pay.
Read next: How to tell if a reading app is actually working.
See it in action. In the Lillory app, the progress view counts only words a child had never read before, so the number reflects reading rather than minutes or streaks, and the practice is structured and decodable throughout.