Elmo’s Big Birthday Bash! – A Sesame Street Step Into Reading App

What it is: an interactive story (3 parts, 12 pages each) with 3 extra activities for enhancing early reading skills.

What you do with it: three modes of 'reading' the story: listen to the narrator and follow the text, record and listen to the recorded narration (e.g. by a parent) or read by yourself. Touch the characters or objects on the screen for 'responses' and animations. The 'games' section contains three activities: matching letters, learning and matching letter sounds and matching rhyming words.

What we liked: funny story, excellent narration, very easy navigation and operation (including audio instructions and visual clues), excellent reading options (words are highlighted, individual words and phrases from each paragraph can be practiced separately etc. ), high educational value, helpful section with instructions and tips for parents.

What we didn't like: some of the 'interactive' elements are very basic (and could better complement the story).

Bottom line: a must-have for all Elmo fans who are just starting to read.

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