Top 10: Reading Apps for Kids

2024. Google Play Books offers hundreds of free eBooks for children



Google Play Books has announced a significant expansion of its kids’ collection, offering over 300 non-fiction titles for free, each equipped with the "Read & Listen" feature, facilitating simultaneous reading and listening to aid children in enhancing their reading comprehension and decoding skills. Additionally, Google has introduced various enhancements to foster children's interest and enjoyment in reading, such as the introduction of Reading Rewards digital stickers, which children can earn by reaching reading milestones on Google Kids Space or the Play Books Android app. Furthermore, Google has made thousands of audiobook previews available on its YouTube channel, potentially increasing sales by leveraging YouTube's broader audience reach. Moreover, the new "Upcoming" section on the "Library" tab of the app allows users to access book pre-orders and recommendations, further enriching the reading experience.


2023. Ello - AI reading coach that bolsters child literacy


Ello is a new app with mission is to combat childhood illiteracy by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and child speech recognition technology. This subscription-based service is designed for children in kindergarten through Grade 3 and provides five books every month for $24.99. To get started, parents install the Ello app, which assesses the child's reading level through a series of questions. It also inquires about the child's interests, which may include animals, arts & crafts, sports, and science. A team of reading experts then carefully selects books tailored to each child's preferences and reading ability. Families can add additional children to their account for $12.49 per month per child. Although currently exclusive to tablets, the startup is actively working on expanding its availability to smartphones as well.

2023. Google Reading Insights allows to track your kid’s reading habits



Google has introduced a new feature in Google Play Books called Reading Insights, which serves as a tool for parents to monitor their children's reading activities. This feature, conveniently integrated into the Family Link app along with other parental control tools, enables parents to track their children's book choices and their progress in specific titles. By using Reading Insights, parents can access various information, such as the recent books their children have read, their most frequently read books, their reading frequency, and the extent to which they have progressed in a particular title. This comprehensive overview allows parents to gain a better understanding of their children's reading habits. Furthermore, the Reading Insights feature also supports tracking audiobook titles.


2023. Google Play Books now offering new Reading Practice tool for kids



Google Play Books is introducing a new feature called Reading Practice in the United States, which aims to assist young readers in improving their comprehension skills using children's e-books. This feature will be accessible through the Google Play Books Android app and Google Kids Space. With Reading Practice, children will be able to enhance their vocabulary by tapping on words to hear their pronunciation and child-friendly definition. For early readers, a text tracker will highlight the words as they read aloud, allowing them to practice any missed or mispronounced words at the end of each page. The majority of books on Google Play Books will include Reading Practice, ensuring easy access to this valuable tool. Google Play is committed to creating family-oriented products and services that support children in learning and exploring technology safely. The goal is to provide parents with the necessary tools and flexibility to encourage reading in their children while fostering healthy and positive digital habits.


2022. Google launches a website version of its Read Along education app for children



Google has introduced a website for its Read Along app, aimed at motivating young children to practice reading. The website operates on a similar concept to the app, offering children the opportunity to learn languages such as English, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, and Urdu through story reading, facilitated by Google's speech recognition and text-to-speech technology. An interactive virtual assistant named Diya assists children in pronouncing words when they encounter difficulties, and they can also seek help from Diya in pronouncing unfamiliar words. To prioritize children's privacy, Google ensures that all speech recognition processes occur locally on the browser, without any data being sent to their servers. Additionally, the website provides an ad-free experience. While the app previously offered offline usage, the website serves as a valuable resource for individuals with limited phone storage or schools equipped with desktop computers.


2021. Amazon launches Kindle Paperwhite for kids



Amazon has introduced the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, a version of the Kindle Paperwhite specifically designed for children. This kid-friendly e-reader includes software enhancements to ensure a safe reading experience. Notably, it possesses an IPx8 rating, indicating its ability to withstand accidental water exposure, an important feature for a device aimed at children. Additionally, the Paperwhite Kids offers tools like Vocabulary Builder and Word Wise to aid children in improving their English language skills. It also supports the Open Dyslexic font, benefiting those with dyslexia. To further enrich the reading experience, the Paperwhite Kids comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, granting access to a vast library of over a thousand eBooks and Audible audiobooks tailored for kids.


2021. Microsoft’s Reading Progress makes assessing reading levels easier for kids and teachers



Microsoft has introduced a new application called Reading Progress aimed at easing the burden on teachers and enabling students to engage in independent reading at home. Leveraging natural language understanding, this application assists in identifying obstacles and tracking progress. Reading Progress operates as an add-on for Microsoft Teams, providing a flexible approach for teachers to administer reading assessments. It alleviates the pressure on students by allowing them to read at their own pace, resembling homework rather than a traditional test. Students record videos within the application, and the audio is analyzed by algorithms to identify common stumbling points. Additionally, it helps track significant reading events such as skipped words and self-corrections, enabling teachers to monitor individual or class-wide reading assignments effectively.


2021. Google Play Books now has new tools to make reading easier for kids



Google Play Books has introduced a set of new tools designed to simplify the reading experience for children. With the Read & Listen feature, books can be read aloud to kids, allowing for both manual page-turning or automatic progression. The Tap to Read feature enables word pronunciation by simply tapping on any selected word, providing a description and often an accompanying illustration to enhance understanding. Additionally, a Kid-Friendly Dictionary is available to offer simplified explanations of word meanings, further supporting the learning process and ensuring a comprehensive understanding for young readers.


2021. Google Play Books will help kids to learn to read



To facilitate the learning process for young children, Google Play Books has introduced several new features. Firstly, it allows children to listen to books being read aloud, enhancing their auditory learning experience. Moreover, kids can now tap on individual words within the books to hear them spoken out loud, aiding in vocabulary development. Additionally, Google Play Books offers access to thousands of kid-friendly definitions, with many definitions accompanied by illustrations to enhance comprehension and foster learning. Google states that most of their children's books are equipped with these new reading tools. Parents can also download a free sample of any children's book to confirm if the reading tools are enabled for that particular title before making a purchase.


2020. Google launches ‘Read Along,’ a free app that helps young children practice reading



Google is set to launch a new Android app called Read Along with the aim of assisting elementary school students in practicing their reading skills and maintaining educational engagement during school closures caused by the coronavirus. Read Along makes use of Google's speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies to facilitate children's reading development. The app features an integrated reading assistant named Diya, who actively identifies instances where a child may be struggling with a passage and offers positive reinforcement or assistance as needed. Whenever necessary, children can request Diya's support in reading a sentence or pronouncing an unfamiliar word.


2020. Audible is giving away hundreds of stories for kids



Audible has embraced a powerful motto, "For as long as schools are closed, we're open," which is set to make a significant impact on households worldwide. The company recently made an exciting announcement, declaring that hundreds of their kid-friendly titles can now be accessed completely free, without any obligations or requirements for registration or login. All you need to do is click the provided link and start enjoying the captivating stories. This offering comes as a lifesaver for those moments when your little ones are feeling restless, and you find yourself short on time to read to them. Audible takes care of it all. Their vast collection includes stories suitable for every age, from Winnie-the-Pooh for the youngest toddlers to The Mystery of Alice for tweens. Additionally, there's an extensive selection available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Japanese. You have the freedom to stream these titles on your desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet, ensuring convenient access to a world of delightful storytelling.


2019. Google launched free e-library for kids learning English



Google has introduced Rivet, an engaging and supportive reading app designed for children. This app offers a vast collection of over 3,500 free books, all carefully curated to match the appropriate reading level for kids. It provides extensive reading support on every page, empowering children to practice with confidence, as assistance is readily accessible. Rivet serves as an excellent tool for achieving daily reading goals, as it offers real-time feedback and word assistance, allowing kids to independently practice without obstacles. The app is compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, Chromebooks, iPhones, iPads, and Kindle Fire, ensuring accessibility across various devices.


2016. Amazon launched Rapids - chat-style reading app for kids



Amazon has recently introduced a captivating app designed specifically for children called Rapids. You can access the app at rapids.amazon.com. It offers a unique reading experience through "fun, engaging short stories" presented in a chat-style format. Compatible with iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire devices, the app can be subscribed to for $2.99 per month. Notably, Rapids sets itself apart from other children's reading apps by presenting its stories as dialogues between characters, with each line contributing to the unfolding tale. The app already offers a vast collection of illustrated stories, and Amazon plans to regularly expand it with dozens of new additions every month. The stories cover a diverse range of genres, including adventure, fantasy, humor, mystery, science fiction, and sports.


2016. Kindle for PC allows to read children’s books and comic books



Kindle users can now enjoy the experience of reading comic books and kids' books directly on their Kindle for PC, representing a significant milestone as it eliminates the need for Amazon hardware or specific smartphone apps. Following Amazon's acquisition of Comixology, the largest digital distributor of comic books, in 2014, they have gradually integrated the vast array of content into the Kindle store. This expansion includes comics from renowned publishers like DC and Marvel, in addition to partnerships with numerous publishers worldwide. With this update, users who have purchased kids' or comic books directly from Amazon can now access and read them on Kindle for PC or Kindle for MAC, requiring a simple update for those who already have the apps installed.


2016. Kobo released reading app for kids



Kobo has recently launched a new standalone app for Android called Kobo Kids. This app serves as both an e-reading platform and an online shopping system, offering a wide selection of e-books and graphic novels. In 2013, Kobo introduced a children's portal on their web store to highlight comics, graphic novels, and e-books specifically for kids. However, this marks the first time the company has developed a dedicated app to showcase these offerings. The Kobo Kids app features a vibrant and engaging interface, featuring genre-based icons such as space, dinosaurs, animals, classics, superheroes, and more. When a specific genre is selected, the app displays a range of titles with previews available. It's important to note that children cannot make purchases independently; instead, parents are responsible for purchasing the content. However, once a sample is downloaded, it becomes much easier for parents to make a purchase decision.


2015. Amazon introduced Kindle Bundle for Kids



To encourage parents to purchase Kindles for their children, Amazon is launching a discounted Kindle for Kids Bundle. This package includes an ad-free Kindle e-reader, a durable cover, and an extended warranty that provides protection against spills and drops. The Bundle is priced at $99, which offers a savings of $39.98 compared to purchasing each item separately, according to Amazon. The Kindle e-reader is specifically designed for reading books and does not support apps and games like Kindle tablets do. With 4 GB of storage, it can hold thousands of books and has a battery life of up to four weeks, assuming half an hour of reading per day with wireless turned off. Parents have the option to purchase Kindle books from Amazon's extensive collection of over 250,000 titles, or they can borrow e-books from their local public library to enjoy on the device.


2014. Sproutkin ditches its “Netflix For Kids’ Books” service, moves into digital subscriptions



Sproutkin, a company that once aimed to be the Netflix for Children's Books by delivering monthly book shipments to parents, has recently shifted its focus to a digital approach. It is now launching a digital children's book subscription library specifically designed for mobile devices. The company's app is currently available in beta on the App Store, where it cleverly utilizes media quotes, including its own, to promote the app. Users of the app will have the opportunity to try the Sproutkin service for free initially and then upgrade to a monthly subscription for $4.99 via in-app purchase. This pricing falls in line with competing services such as Farfaria, MeeGenius, and PlayKids (which offer books, games, and shows) for their monthly subscriptions, although it is pricier compared to purchasing individual books through apps like Read Me Stories or iStoryTime.


2014. Kobo adds books for kids from Reading Eggs



Kobo has partnered with Reading Eggs to offer over 120 children's eBooks to Kobo Readers worldwide. This collaboration marks the first time that the popular Reading Eggs eBooks are available in a digital format beyond the Reading Eggs program, and they are exclusively accessible on Kobo. The Reading Eggs program, developed by a team of experienced educational teachers, writers, and developers, focuses on essential reading skills and strategies, including phonics and word memorization. By aligning with school curricula, the program supports children's learning and aims to enhance their academic performance.