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It’s pretty much a given that learning is easier when there’s a bit of fun involved. This is especially true when it comes to using technology in the classroom and at home. Hairy Words 1 is an awesome educational app for iPhone and iPad that aims to teach kids 100 important sight words, and it does this rather well.
Hairy Words 1 is a brand-new app from Nessy Learning that is geared towards ages 5-7. In this app, kids are introduced to the adorable creature called the Hairy. The goal of the game is for kids to successfully complete each of the 12 levels while learning new words and saving each trapped Hairy.
One of the first things I noticed about Hairy Words 1 is that it’s pretty simple and easy to figure out, as it primarily relies on visual navigation. To start, kids select the first level and are presented with a large assortment of simple words.
From there, kids must tap on a word, then spell it on the next screen using the on-screen keyboard. If the word is spelled correctly, a Hairy is freed. Each level requires a certain number of Hairies to be freed before kids can proceed to the actual game stage of the level.
Once the minimum number of Hairies have been released, kids can tap on the igloo at the bottom of the screen, which takes them to the jumping game. This is where children have to tap on the Hairy in order to help them jump across obstacles to reach the flag. Once all Hairies are safer the level is complete.
Hairy Words 1 is a progressive app/game, and what that means is that each level must be completed before the next one is unlocked. One thing I did notice is that the jumping game became much more difficult in higher levels, almost to the point of frustration. If you do happen to fail the jumping level, you have to start the level from the beginning all over again.
The main reason why I’m making a point about this is that kids between the ages of 5 and 7 tend to get frustrated and annoyed very easily, and I feel that Hairy Words 1 is far too good of an app to let that happen.
It’s also worth noting that Hairy Words 1 is completely free of in-app purchases, advertisements, and external links. This means that parents can rest easy knowing it’s unlikely that their child will get into any sort of trouble within the app.
Overall, Hairy Words 1 is a fantastic app for iPhone and iPad that does a great job of teaching kids 100 important sight words through visual, audio, and typing methods. Though the jumping game gets a little difficult further into the game, I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Plus, the price of $2.99 is incredibly reasonable for the amount of content included in Hairy Words 1.
Hairy Words 1 requires iOS 6.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
A small fee was paid by the developer for publication of this review
