Is Teach Your Monster to Read free? What parents should know

• –Official rating above age 7
  App Store: 4+, made for ages 0–5
• –Contact with other players or strangers
  No chat listed by the App Store
• –Purchases with real money
  No in-app purchases; the app costs $8.99
• –Paid random items
  None listed
• –Violence or scary content in rating descriptors
  No descriptors listed
• –Government lawsuits, fines, or safety warnings
  None found

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count.

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What is Teach Your Monster to Read?

Short answer: A phonics game in which a child designs a monster and teaches it letters, sounds, and words.

It was made with Roehampton University and has three stages: First Steps, Fun with Words, and Champion Reader, from first letter sounds to reading sentences and short books. It comes from Teach Your Monster, supported by the Usborne Foundation, a charity set up by the children's publisher Peter Usborne. The makers say the game has been played more than 300 million times.

Is Teach Your Monster to Read free? The facts

Short answer: Free on computers, $8.99 on iPhone and iPad.

• Computers: "100% FREE on computers," through the website with a free account.
• App Store: $8.99, 4+, "Made for Ages 0–5," with no in-app purchases listed.
• Ads: none in the game, the App Store listing says.
• Chat: none listed.
• Common Sense Media: 4+.

The makers say buyers of the apps help keep the computer version free. We found no government action against the game as of October 2026.

The habit kids may copy: guess and go

In the sound games, a wrong answer just means another try. Some kids start guessing quickly instead of listening to the sound again.

Try tonight: another way to read it

Pick a word your child gets stuck on. If sounding it out doesn't work, try another way together: clap the sounds, or look at the picture. Ask: "What's another way to try?" In our program, this is the lesson "Plan B": if one way doesn't work, try another.

Is Teach Your Monster to Read free?

It's free on computers through the website. The iPhone and iPad app costs $8.99.

What age is Teach Your Monster to Read for?

The makers say ages 3 to 6. Apple rates it 4+ and lists it as made for ages 0 to 5; Common Sense Media lists it for 4+.

Does Teach Your Monster to Read have ads or in-app purchases?

The App Store listing says there are no in-app purchases, hidden costs, or in-game ads.

Who makes Teach Your Monster to Read?

Teach Your Monster, supported by the Usborne Foundation, a charity founded by children's publisher Peter Usborne.

More from “Is it good for kids?”