3.8
Where to Buy

Little Writer App Review

App Info

Price: $0.99

Overview

Little Writer helps young children correctly form letters, numbers, shapes, and words by incorporating easy tracing techniques and positive reinforcement.

The main page of the app allows the choice of 5 different sections: ABC, abc, 123, shapes, or words. In each section, the letter, number, or shape appears on the screen with a cartoon animal or vehicle at the correct starting point for letter, number, or shape formation. Cartoon animals follow the path of the food they want to eat and cartoon vehicles follow the path of the items they are trying to pick up (a tractor follows the path of hay, etc.).

The app promotes correct letter and number formation and reinforces the name of the letter, number, shape, or word being traced. For example, when making the capital letter N, the cartoon animal appears at the top left of the N, and you follow the path of apples downward, the animal then reappears at the top and children follow the path of the apples to form the diagonal line of the N. Then the next row of apples appears that follow the final line of the N upward. When the letter has been correctly traced, the letter appears on the screen, and the app positively encourages children with statements like Way to Go! or You did it!, then reinforces the letter or shape with the phrase, you wrote the letter “N”.

The word section has the child trace the word one letter at a time. The whole word being traced appears in the upper right corner of the screen and before a letter in the word is traced, it is spoken aloud. After all letters are traced, the word and a picture representation of the word appears. The positive verbal encouragement and the repetition of saying the word also occurs in this section.

The shape section is similar to the word section where the shape is traced and reinforcement of the name of the shape occurs after the tracing.

One of the benefits of this app is that the tracing feature is very forgiving – meaning it is not overly sensitive. Children do not have to start over in their tracing if their finger leaves the screen or if they become slightly off course in the tracing; however, if the tracing gets too far off course (the completely wrong direction), then the cartoon symbol returns to the beginning of the most recent starting place. Using the N example, if the child is off course of the diagonal middle line, the app starts over at the top of the diagonal line, not at the beginning of the letter itself. This is a major plus for some kids who may become easily frustrated if they have to constantly start again if the line is not traced perfectly.

The settings section of this app also has some of its own great features. Besides the basics of turning the sound on and off, parents can determine the order of letters as they appear – letters can appear randomly to children or in alphabetical order. Parents can also customize items and sounds. The item customization allows parents to add words of their choice, add a photo from the camera roll to go along with the word, and create a custom voice recording. In the sound customization section parents can record their own voices speaking any of the pre-existing letters, numbers, shapes, or words.

Bottom Line

An easy to use tracing app that promotes correct letter, number, and shape formation. Little Writer is a tracing app that’s done just right. Little Writer is super fun and so easy to use that your kids will think letter tracing is a game vs. a boring chore.

WHY PARENTS AND TEACHERS LOVE THIS APP

✔ The app is so easy to use that even toddlers will enjoy playing with
✔ The app is beautifully designed and just a joy to look at and use
✔ You can turn individual items ON or OFF and introduce one letter at a time based on the player skills
✔ You can customize everything – record your own language or add your own words
✔ Adding pictures and names of family and friends to write is a hit with every child
✔ The app also includes a collection of basic shapes to draw since handwriting require the same core skills
✔ The app comes preloaded with dozens of three and four letter words to write

WHY KIDS WILL LOVE IT TOO

✔ This app is just FUN.
✔ Tracing the along the lines and collecting all the apples and fishes is a pure joy for every child
✔ Gorgeous graphics and cute sounds keep kids begging for more
✔ Kids love hearing everything in mommy’s or daddy’s voice
✔ The app is super easy to use for kids of all ages and abilities.

WHATS INCLUDED

✔ ABC uppercase letters
✔ abc lowercase letters
✔ Numbers 1 to 10
✔ 20 basic shapes including lines, circles, rectangles and more
✔ Dozens of 3 and 4 letter words to make practice more enjoyable and interesting
✔ Ability to add an unlimited number of your own words and pictures for maximum enjoyment and variety

Little Writer
Little Writer
3.8
Where to Buy