8 Free Apps for Phonological Awareness & Speech Sound Practice

 

*Before considering the use of applications for practice, check out my blog on Healthy Screen Time!

a close up of letters from a puzzle, representing an activity used by a speech therapist for phonological practice targeting phonological awareness in children with speech sound disorders

Check out my Phonological Process Guide, specially designed for SLPs and students!

Let’s get into what makes these apps great..

1. HB Phonological Awareness

Features:

  • 3 levels (Low, Medium, and High) for each activity

  • 9 separate activities to target phonemic and phonological awareness:

    Phoneme identification

    Phoneme segmentation

    Phoneme blending

    Syllable segmentation

    Syllable blending

    Phoneme addition

    Phoneme deletion

    Phoneme manipulation

    Rhyming

    Sentence segmentation


Quick Tip: You don’t necessarily have to make a log-in. Instead, on the first screen you come to, click on “Take a Tour!” This will give you access to all of the awesome features listed.   

2. Autism iHelp - Rhyming Words

Features:

  • Quick set of 5 rhyming tasks

  • Picture + word format with editability

  • Ability to turn audio and feedback on/off

  • Options of 2, 3, or 4 answer choices

  • Progress report under “options” for tracking your child’s work

3. ABC Genius - Preschool Games for Learning Letters

Features:

  • Two activities: “ABC: Phonics” and “abc: Letters Touch”

  • Phonemic awareness paired with alphabet letter matching

  • Choice of 2 pictured answers

  • Errorless learning

  • Written activities also great for early literacy



Quick Tip: You can turn off the audio if you’re working on phonemic and phonological awareness using this application! Use the app as visual stimuli and ask your child “which one starts with the ____ sound?” targeting words with that phoneme in the initial position. 

4. Kids Phonics AZ, Alphabet, Letter Sounds Learning

Features:

  • Great for phonemic awareness using letter symbols in a variety of engaging contexts!

  • The free version targets: A, M, S, T phonemes

  • Varies from 1-4 answer choices

  • Matching activities with letters paired wth their sounds

  • Uses audio for hearing a sound to match with the correct alphabet letter throughout

  • Uses fun animal pictures in a safari-like world

  • Virtual stickers as rewards

  • Embedded written comprehension with alphabet letters also great for early literacy

5. Reading Comprehension English Quizzes Plus Answers

Features:

  • Targets rhyming with a choice of two pictures

  • Written and auditory stimuli

  • Ability to go back and forward on each page

  • Story options for generalization of rhyming words

  • Sound icons to hear each choice word

  • Progress from level to level with steady increase in difficulty


Quick Tip: Although some of the auditory stimuli in this app is slightly robotic in tone, you don’t necessarily have to use the audio if you’re working on phonological awareness using this application! You can turn the sound off, and simply ask your child “which one rhymes with the ____?” targeting rhyming.

6. Syllable Word Search

screenshot of an app for speech therapists and parents of children with speech delay, called Syllable Word Search, targeting phonology and speech sound practice

Features:

  • You can target syllable segmentation using written words

  • Uses 2-5 syllable word stimuli

  • Audio feedback and stimuli paired with visual

  • Written words and letters also great for early literacy and phonemic awareness practice

  • Engage in a fun astronaumical world

  • Progress from level to level with increasing difficulty


Quick Tip: Use the button in the top right corner while playing, to increase or decrease your given hint at the top of the page! 

7. Starfall Learn to Read

Features:

  • Use three incredibly useful activities for phonological awareness: Short Vowels, Long Vowels, and Phonics & Chunking

  • Practice seeing, hearing, and writing words to match their picture

  • Uses audio for how to pronounce words and letters that you click on

  • Uses fun and engaging animations paired with singing AND auditory support

  • Also uses virtual books for generalization of target phonemes

  • So many interactive reading and writing activities which are great for early literacy practice!

Quick Tip: Starfall tends to give LOTS of icons per page for choosing the activity you’d like to work on - some a bit tangential such as mathematics and long drawn out videos with limited opportunity for interaction. Try to avoid those side-choices and focus on the icons in the middle of the screen for the most relevant content!

8. Kidspiration Maps Lite

Features:

  • Click on “Reading and Writing” on the app’s home screen for a few quick and awesome phonological awareness exercises

  • BE AWARE - The free version allows you to open and use FIVE documents

  • Target initial and final sounds with fun and colorful pictures

  • You can also practice syllable segmentation with compound words, and word recognition by matching with pictures

  • Sorting activities with pictures to match their beginning or ending sounds

  • Great for early literacy practice!

Quick Tip: The free version of this application allows you to open FIVE documents of your choice, and after that it will lock you out. Read the description of the activity before opening it when choosing your five favs! Here are mine: Beginning Sounds, Ending Sounds, Word Match 2nd, Making Compound Words, Beginning Letters A-I

Please note, the above applications are available on most iPad tablets. I have not used these apps on Android devices. 

 
Heather IsmaySLP, speech pathologist, speech therapy, speech sound disorders, speech language pathology, phonology, phonological awareness apps, free apps for speech therapy, apps for speech therapy, phonological processes, phonological process apps, phonological disorder, early reading learning, dyslexia, phonetics, reading, literacy, speech therapy apps, free speech therapy appsComment