What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Licking Letters uses a cute and encouraging frog to help kids practice identifying letters and spelling three-letter words. At the beginning of each round, a short word is shown and read aloud, and each letter is introduced. The letters then float across the screen; when one of the target letters is above the frog, kids tap the screen to watch the frog lick the letter. This continues until all letters in the word have been selected. Parents can choose whether the letters appear randomly or only in the correct spelling order. The first few rounds use three-letter words and only include the target letters, but the game gradually increases in difficulty. Completing a round earns a coin, which can be used to buy costume items for the frog. Some of the costume items show skulls or camouflage. Coins can also be earned in frequent bonus rounds that involve quick response times and a grumpy alligator.
What kids can learn
Language & Reading
- letter or word recognition
Thinking & Reasoning
- applying information
Engagement, Approach, Support
Fun letter game mixes a straightforward and repetitive spelling game with flashy costumes, quick bonus rounds, and encouraging words to keep kids interested and engaged.
Kids could randomly tap and spell words with no learning taking place. Play does adapt based on performance, speeding up as kids progress or repeating the same letter when kids get stuck.
Hoppy the Frog talks kids through each step and provides visual aids. No data is kept about performance or mastered words.
What's it about?
In LICKING LETTERS, kids are shown a three-, four-, or five-letter word. Then, letters float across the screen and kids tap the screen when a letter in the target word appears. A frog licks the letter to add it to the word. Parents can adjust settings so letters appear in random order or only in the correct order. The game slowly increases in difficulty depending on performance, adding other distractor letters or increasing the length of the word. Kids earn coins to buy clothing for the frog, and fun bonus games appear every few rounds. Up to three players can save games on the device.
Is it any good?
Licking Letters is a fun app that mixes a straightforward and repetitive spelling game with flashy costumes, quick bonus rounds, and encouraging words to keep kids interested and engaged. The game progresses in difficulty, and it's cool to be able to control whether or not the target letters appear in the correct order. Instructions are generally spoken, although kids will need to be shown how to play at the beginning. Unless they get bored, kids can play a lot of different rounds, making this app a great bargain.