A full reading program from the UK, for emergent readers all in one app!

From Oxford University Press, this app is based on the early reader series about three siblings, Biff, Chip and Kipper. According to the developer's website (Gazoob.com), the print series is "used to teach reading in 80% of UK primary schools." Families and schools will find this relatively expensive app has a full set of 48 books for ages 4-6. Parents and teachers should note that the narrator for this series has a crisp, clear UK accent along with regional spelling for British English. The set includes:

• Level 1: Getting ready to read. Age 4-5 years

• Level 2: Starting to read. Age 4-5 years

• Level 3: Becoming a reader. Age 4-5 years

• Level 4: Developing as a reader. Age 5-6 years

• Level 5: Building confidence as a reader. Age 5-6 years

• Level 6: Reading with confidence. Age 5-6 years

There are 8 books available for each level, ranging from 10 pages each at level one to nearly 30 pages each for level six. The books are engaging with fun illustrations and storylines. As digital books, these titles are not animated nor do they have interactive sounds or images to tap. However, the apps are well tailored for educational use, with words that highlight along with optional narration. In "Read it Myself" mode, children can also tap words individually to hear them spoken.

As a digital book series, this one is well made and very stable. Navigation within the bookshelf is intuitive although individual books do not have pageguides. Each title includes "Tips for Reading Together" for caregivers, along with a list of letter sounds, words or concepts covered. Each book ends with questions to ask young readers about the story or their reading comprehension. There is also a fun activity at the end of each book, including mazes and other ways to extend young readers' engagement.

The books are available for individual purchase, in-app, within a free version that contains 2 free stories for anyone who would like to check out this series before making the investment in the full set of books. Individual apps are also available for each level, 1-6. This is an excellent resource for classroom use, homeschooling and perhaps a summer program to boost skills or prevent learning loss over school holidays.

Recommended!

This app has been thoroughly evaluated by our staff. Please click on the 'star ratings' tab above, to see how it fared in all nine of our rating categories. See synopsis tab for more details about the storyline.

All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.