Free Learning Apps and Lessons for 5 Year Olds
Five is the year reading starts to work. A child who has been collecting letter sounds begins pushing them together, and the first time a five year old reads a word nobody has read to them, the whole thing changes.
Maths moves the same way. Counting stops being the answer and starts being the slow method, which is when facts like number bonds begin to matter.
- 72 lessons425 activitiesFree, no accountWorks offline
Two levels fit this age
Children of the same age sit across two levels, and the right one is often different from subject to subject. Nothing is locked, so try both.
Why five is a turning point
- Blending arrives. Knowing c, a and t is not reading. Holding all three and hearing 'cat' is, and it usually appears suddenly rather than gradually.
- Counting on replaces counting all. A child who works out four plus three by starting at four is doing arithmetic; one who starts at one is still counting.
- Sentences appear in writing as well as speech. Capital letters and full stops become rules rather than decoration.
Where to put the time
Every subject is open at this age. These are the ones that carry the most weight, and why.
- English
- Blending, sight words and first sentences.
- Maths
- Numbers to 100, addition and subtraction within 10, then within 20.
- Science
- Plants, animals, weather and the five senses.
- Islamic Studies
- First kalma, short surahs and the manners lessons, at a five year old's pace.
Lessons a 5 year old would open
Real lessons from the levels above, picked across subjects. Each one opens without an account.
A week that works at five
- 1Three or four sessions of ten to fifteen minutes. That is enough to finish a lesson properly rather than abandoning it.
- 2Read a real book alongside the app. Blending practice transfers to books, and books are where a five year old finds out why blending is worth the effort.
- 3Let one session a week be a game. Picture Match and the maths game use the same vocabulary and number range as the lessons.
Worth reading at this age
- How to Teach Your Child to Read Simple Words Step by StepA calm, step-by-step plan to teach your child to read, from phonics and sight words to first books, plus how reading apps keep daily
- Best Reading Apps for Kids: 9 Compared by Reading StageReading splits into four stages and almost no app covers more than two. Nine reading apps placed on the stage they actually serve, with real prices.
- Best Learning Apps for Kids by Age, 3 to 10The best app for a four year old is useless at nine. A guide by age band, with what changes each year and a five minute test that beats any age rating.
Questions parents ask
- My 5 year old can read but struggles with maths. What now?
- Use different levels for different subjects. Grade 1 English and Kindergarten Maths is a perfectly normal combination and nothing on the site prevents it.
- Are these lessons aligned to a curriculum?
- They follow the Pakistan Single National Curriculum sequence. That makes them a good fit for schools using it and a reasonable general sequence everywhere else.
- Can two children share one device?
- Yes. An optional free account lets you keep separate progress for each child, and no account is needed to simply open a lesson.