App Review: Animal Alphabet by 7H - Kids can Learn the Letters and Animals

Reviewed by Jenm – Mom of a 4-year-old boy, constantly on the lookout for great children’s apps.

Details

Animal Alphabet by 7h is an exciting app that uses animal characters to present each letter of the alphabet. The main activity has two screens for each Animal Letter. The first screen shows the Animal Letter, and the name of the animal. The app says the corresponding name when the letter or the name of the animal is tapped.At the bottom of the screen are two more pictures of words that begin with the same letter. The app identifies each picture when tapped.

The next screen shows a scene with a short story that uses many words that start with the featured letter, as well as the Alphabet Animal. The words are highlighted as they are read.

There are two additional (smaller activities) upon return to the main menu. The magnet board lets a child experiment with letters. The child has an option to use capital letters, small letters, and Animal letters. Another screen plays the ABC song along with an animation of a train.

What Jenm Liked

The pictures are bright and cheerful. They quickly capture a child’s attention. The app uses a good mix of common animals (monkey, for example) and exotic animals (like the narwhal). This helps keep the child’s attention compared to similar apps that often use the same animals over and over again.

The short stories are complex enough to be enjoyed by older kids, while younger kids would be fascinated enough to listen to the story. Highlighting the words while they are being read also help pre-readers become more familiar with words.

The ABC song screen lets a child refresh his attention span. The ABC song is played while the Animal Letters are laid out on a path.

The interface of the magnetic board is simple and intuitive enough for young children to figure out at first use.

Suggested Enhancement

It would be better to identify the letter before naming the words in the picture. For example, instead of just saying “flower”, the voice can say “F is for flower”. This would help younger kids associate the each letter with the corresponding words.

Overall

Overall, I found the app interesting and helpful for little children. I think the recommended age for this is 2-6 years old. It provides many interesting items that will surely captivate a child’s attention and will keep him busy for many hours.