Apps for kids who can't read yet: what to look for

Lots of apps say they're for toddlers, then put a written menu, a text button or a "Tap Next to continue" right in the middle of the screen. For a two or three-year-old who can't read yet, that's a dead end, and often the moment they hand the phone back to you, frustrated.

Why it matters

Most children learn to read somewhere between five and seven. Before that, they understand the world through pictures, sounds, voices and trying things out. An app that's truly made for them talks to them, shows them, and lets them explore without getting stuck.

When an app works without reading, children can play more independently, which means fewer "What does this say?" moments and more of the confident, "I did it myself!" kind.

What good pre-reader apps have in common

• Everything important is spoken. Instructions are said out loud in a friendly voice, and a child can hear them again when they want.
• Pictures do the explaining. Buttons are big pictures, not words. A child should be able to guess what a button does just by looking at it.
• Big targets for small fingers. Toddlers tap with their whole hand sometimes. Tiny buttons near the edges lead to mis-taps and tears.
• Every tap does something. A button that does nothing teaches a child that the app is broken. Good apps always answer with a sound, a wiggle or a helpful spoken line.
• No fail screens. A big red "Game over" means nothing to a pre-reader except that something went wrong. Gentle apps let a child try again without any sense of losing.
• Grown-up stuff stays with grown-ups. Settings, payments and links sit behind a check that's easy for you and tricky for a toddler.

A quick test you can do

Turn the sound on, hand the app to your child, and don't help for two minutes. Watch for:

1. Do they know what to do on the first screen?
2. Do they get stuck on a screen with words on it?
3. When they tap the "wrong" thing, does the app react kindly?
4. Can they get back to where they were without you?

If the answer to the first, third and fourth is yes and the second is no, you've found a good one.

How Yokiez is built for pre-readers

Yokiez was designed from the start for children who can't read yet. Every prompt is spoken out loud in a warm, natural voice, and your child can tap their Yokie's speech bubble to hear it again. Buttons are big pictures, and game cards show a little scene of each game so children can choose by themselves. When a grown-up is needed, the Yokie says so and shows a picture of a grown-up instead of a sign to read.

For two and three-year-olds there's a toddler mode with one simple screen, and games played just by tapping the characters. You'll find more about it on our home page.