Duolingo ABC launches early, helping young kids learn to read and write for free

Duolingo ABC launches early, helping young kids learn to read and write for free
(Image credit: Duolingo)

Duolingo has announced that it is launching a new iOS app today (Thursday, March 26) that is designed to help young children learn how to read English. The new app is called Duolingo ABC and is designed for children aged three to six years old, offering kids a fun way to learn how to read and write English.

Duolingo is one the world’s biggest education app providers, offering great ways for people of all ages to learn new languages. We ranked Duolingo Spanish among our best learn Spanish software and apps thanks to its game-style learning system that makes learning a new language fun.

Duolingo ABC is aimed at a younger crowd than the standard apps, and as a result it has activities specifically tailored towards young children’s minds (and attention spans!). There are interactive games like letter tracing and interactive stories for the kids to follow through, which should keep them nice and attentive.

A safe learning environment

Most importantly, Duolingo has confirmed that there are no ads or in-app purchases in the Duolingo ABC app, so you can feel safe letting your child use the app on your phone. The app works on both iPhone and iPad, which are some of the most popular smartphones and tablets in the world today. So far there has been no word on an Android release, but we have to imagine that it's coming. The only other downside is that Duolingo currently only supports English at this time, but this may be due to the app's early release.

In a statement on the app store, Duolingo says that “In light of the recent school closures around the world, we’re making Duolingo ABC available early, to help provide more educational resources for kids and parents at home.” 

With millions of people stuck at home self-isolating due to the coronavirus, the Duolingo ABC app could be a lifeline for busy parents who have to work from home and keep their kids entertained. At the same time, the app will be a great collaboration tool to help parents teach their children valuable lessons in reading and writing while schools and daycare centers are closed.

Ian Stokes

Ian Stokes is the Tech Editor here at Top Ten Reviews. He has extensive experience in tech and games journalism, with work published on IGN, Kotaku UK, Waypoint, GamesRadar, Trusted Reviews, and many more. You'll find him covering everything from smartphones and home computers to 3D printers and headphones. He's also our resident cocktail expert.