CVC? That would be consonant-vowel-consonant words – some of the first that children learn to read under the phonics teaching system. And they’re also the subject of the latest app from developer Hip Hop Hen.

It’s a colourful, accessible and utterly charming phonics app, created here in the UK – something that may appeal to British parents who are wary of downloading phonics apps designed under other educational systems around the world.

The app has 30 CVC words for children to learn and practise: dog, bus, wig, bed and more. Each comes with its own characterful animation, as well as the chance for children to practise building sentences using them.

Along the way, they’ll earn 60 stars to track their progress, with the app designed to be as fun used with a parent (or, indeed, a teacher in school) as it is alone. Kids will also enjoy the phonics-based stories included with the app.

There are thousands of phonics apps out there, and most of them aren’t very good, so when something is well-crafted, it stands out. That’s the case for this app, which does a great job of reinforcing the early reading skills that your children are learning at school.

Hip Hop Hen: Phonics 1 CVC costs £2.99 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store. We’re hoping there’ll be more in the series to come.

Read about more phonics apps for kids on Apps Playground.