Introduction
Mr Thorne Does Phonics: Letters and Sounds for iPad is an educational app designed for older students struggling with reading and spelling. I downloaded it for my tutoring business, and we have used it several times up to Grade 3. After that point the kids still feel silly practicing with it, but they do enjoy some of the activities, and the learning style presented is still helpful.
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A Reading and Spelling App for Big Kids
Many of the educational apps available are presented to children at age appropriate learning as in they follow the current curriculum. Mr Thorne Does Phonics: Letters and Sounds for iPad differs in that it acknowledges that older students sometimes struggle and need the help, but don’t want to play a little kid's game.
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Mr Thorne started as an educational website, and expanded into the app arena when it became clear that students were using portable electronics to go to the website more frequently than computers. I love that they have done this, as I am always on the lookout for useful and fun apps for my tutoring business.
This specific app looks at letters and letter sounds. It pulls up a menu with 5 selections: Introduction, 1 Alphabet Sounds, 2 Diagraphs and Trigraphs, 3 Tricky Words, and CHALLENGE!. Introduction includes What is Phonics?, The Phenomes, and More great apps from Mr Thorne. What is Phonics is a video of Mr Thorne himself explaining what phonics are. I love that he was this involved in creating his apps! In fact, every menu selection is a button directing you to a video of him teaching your child! Go to the 1 Alphabet Sounds, select a, and up comes Mr Thorne!
Alphabet Sounds Menu Map
Audial, Visual, and Verbal Learning
Mr Thorne Does Phonics: Letters and Sounds for iPad utilizes visual and audial learning through the presentation of the videos with the words appearing at the bottom of the screen, and encourages the student to repeat the sounds back therein also using verbal learning. This is important as students learn differently, and by utilizing three of the five main learning styles (visual, audio, verbal, physical, and logical), Mr Thorne Does Phonics is hitting many of the gaps.
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Diagraphs and Trigraphs Menu Map
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Uses Audial, Visual, and Verbal learning to help your child succeed
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Mr Thorne does all the videos himself which really shows his dedication to his students
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There are over 50 videos of at least a minute long in this app
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Older kids get involved because it is not presented like a little kids game
Cons
Mr Thorn teaching the diagraph 'qu.'
Final Thoughts
Mr Thorne Does Phonics: Letters and Sounds for iPad is a fabulous app for teaching kids beginning reading, or helping older kids who struggle or never learned the phonics to succeed. This app has been very helpful in my tutoring business, and while pricey, it is worth every penny.