Support

Say & Read: Kids Learn to Read

We're here to help. Below you'll find answers to common questions. If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Say & Read?

Say & Read is an early-literacy app for young children. Your child holds the big button and says something, the app writes their words on the screen, and your child practices reading them. Tapping any word says it aloud in a friendly voice. Because the words are your child's own, reading them back is meaningful and fun; this approach is based on a long-standing literacy method called the Language Experience Approach.

How do we get started?

Open the app, hold the microphone button, and let your child say anything: their name, a silly sentence, a favorite food. Let go, and the words appear one by one. Tap a word to hear it read aloud. Tap New to start again.

Is my child's voice private?

Yes, completely. All speech recognition happens on your device using a model built into the app; your child's voice and words are never uploaded or shared, and the app collects no personal information at all. There are no accounts, no ads, and no analytics, and the app works fully offline. See our Privacy Policy for details.

What are the Words and Letters modes?

The toggle at the top left changes what a tap does. In Words mode, tapping anywhere on a word says the whole word. In Letters mode, tapping any single letter says that letter's name. Words mode is great for beginning readers; Letters mode is great for children still learning their alphabet.

What does the abc button do?

It switches the display between lowercase and capital letters. Many children learn capital letters first, so pick whichever your child recognizes best.

What's in Settings?

Tap the gear icon to enter your child's name, choose a voice (Luna or Milo), and pick a background. Entering the name lets the app greet your child and, importantly, recognize and spell the name correctly whenever your child says it.

Can the voices sound even nicer?

The app uses the highest-quality Apple voices installed on your device and picks the best available automatically. If you'd like an upgrade, you can download premium voices for free in your device's Settings under Accessibility, then Spoken Content, then Voices (we recommend Ava for Luna and Lee for Milo). The next time you open the app it will use them automatically. This is optional; the app works fine with the built-in voices.

The talk button doesn't seem to hear anything

Check that the app has microphone permission: open your device Settings, find Say & Read, and make sure Microphone is enabled. If your child speaks very softly, holding the phone a little closer helps. The app keeps listening for as long as the button is held, so slow thinkers are welcome.

A word came out wrong or misspelled

Speech recognition occasionally mishears, especially with quiet or very young speakers. Tap New and try again; short, clear phrases work best. If your child's name comes out wrong, enter it in Settings and the app will recognize and spell it correctly from then on.

Does the app need the internet?

No. Everything, including speech recognition and the voices, runs on your device. Airplane mode works fine.

What ages is it for?

Say & Read is designed for roughly ages 3 to 6: children who are beginning to recognize letters and words. It was built and tested hand in hand with a four-year-old.

I found a bug or have a feature request

We'd love to hear from you. Email us using the contact information below.

Contact Us

For any questions, feedback, or issues:

Lion, LLC
Email: [email protected]

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 1-2 business days.