How it works
Ten minutes to start, then a short plan each day
The first check, an ordinary day, and the note you get on Sunday.
A ten-minute check, together
Your child taps pictures and reads a few words to you. That shows which sounds they know and which come next. You can stop and pick it up later.
- No score shown to your child
- Audio instructions, two practice tries per task
- Starts from the stage you pick, moves on when they’re ready
Which one says /sh/?
A shelf of three books each day
One to practice a new sound, one to keep an old one fresh, one to explore. Family writes 15 new books a month for your family and Family Plus writes 25. The rest come from our library of checked books.
- Every word matched to the sounds they’ve learned
- Pictures made for the story, text never on the art
- Their name added on your device, never sent to anyone
Today’s plan
- LessonSound: ee and ea8 minDone
- 2ReadThe Bee Tree10 minNext
- 3ReadSeeds in the Wind10 minLater
- 4Quick-writeDraw and label a bee5 minLater
A note for you on Sunday
The sounds they learned, the books they finished, which words were hard, and one thing to try this week. If you want it, their reading speed against the typical range for their grade.
- Reading days, not streaks
- Words a minute vs typical ranges, labeled plainly
- One thing to try, never a guilt trip
Sunday · Maya’s week
Maya read 4 days this week and finished 5 books. The “ea” sound clicked on Wednesday; “ai” words were still hard on Friday. This week, try the two “ai” words in the fridge note together.
Before the shelf
Every book is checked first
AI writes and illustrates a draft. Our checker reads every word. A book that fails is rewritten or thrown out.
Book check
Pip and the Ship
- Can they read it?Every word uses sounds and heart words this child already knows92 of 92 words
- Right lengthSentences and pages fit the stage9 words a sentence
- Nothing scary, nothing soldStage rules, no brands, no personal detailsNo flags
- PicturesChecked before they’re drawn, and again after10 of 10 pass
- All thereTitle, pages, questions and answers, nothing missingComplete
An example. A book that fails any check gets rewritten or thrown out. It never reaches a child.
The full list is on How TaleTykes uses AI. The rules every book follows are the content standards.
What a day looks like
Ten to fifteen minutes, with an end
Three to five steps a day. Then the app says it’s done and offers rereads only.
Learn a sound
2–5 min · one new sound, said out loud
Read a book
8–10 min · a book built for that sound
Play or write
3–5 min · a game or a sentence
All done
The garden grows. See you tomorrow.
Growing up
Moving up a stage
Your child moves from Sprout to Sapling when they’re ready, not on a birthday: when the sounds for that stage are solid and their reading speed is in the typical range for their grade. Books get longer, pictures get fewer, type gets smaller.
Grove and Summit change what reading is for. Books teach new words as the story goes, and the questions ask why and how you know. Writing moves from tiles to paragraphs to short essays, with a coach that asks questions and never writes a sentence for them.
You can keep your child at a stage a little longer, or move them up early, from Controls. The sequence picks up from there.
Questions
Before you start
What do I need?
A phone, tablet or computer with a browser, and ten quiet minutes for the first check. The iPad app is best for Pre-K and K.
What if my child is between stages?
The check places your child by the sounds they know, not by their age or grade. You can keep them at a stage a little longer, or move them up early, from Controls.
Can two kids share one account?
Yes. Each child gets their own place in the sequence, their own shelf and their own sign-in picture. Siblings never see each other's books.
Your child’s first shelf, tomorrow morning.
7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.