Frequently Asked Questions

What is Phonics Race?

Phonics Race is a free educational game that teaches children ages 4–6 to read through phonics. Children spell words by tapping letters while a race car drives across the screen. Every 3 words, they earn a new collectible car for their garage. It's reading practice that feels like play.

What age group is this for?

Phonics Race is designed for children ages 4–6 who are beginning to learn letters and sounds. It covers phonics skills from basic 3-letter words (cat, dog, sun) through consonant blends, digraphs, and long vowels — typically covering pre-K through early first grade reading skills.

Is the app free?

Yes, completely. Phonics Race includes all 6 levels, all 38 collectible cars, and all 120 words at no cost. There are no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no premium tiers, and no paywalls.

What devices does it work on?

Phonics Race is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets. It works in both portrait and landscape orientation and automatically adapts its layout to fit any screen size.

Does my child need an internet connection?

No. Phonics Race works completely offline. Your child can play in the car, on a plane, in a waiting room, or anywhere without Wi-Fi or cellular data.

How does the gameplay work?

Each round shows a picture (like a cat or a bus) and scrambled letter buttons. Your child taps the letters in order to spell the word. Correct taps move the race car forward. After spelling the word, they see a celebration and move to the next word. Every 3 words, they earn a new car.

What phonics skills does it teach?

The app progresses through 6 levels:

Level 1: CVC words (cat, dog, pig) — basic letter sounds
Level 2: 4-letter words (fish, frog, star) — common patterns
Level 3: Silent-e words (cake, bike, wave) — the magic e
Level 4: Consonant blends (truck, brick, snow) — two consonants together
Level 5: Digraphs (ship, chain, whale) — letter pairs with new sounds
Level 6: Long vowels and bigger words (beach, tiger, piano)

How does the car collection work?

Every 3 words your child spells correctly unlocks the next car in the current series. There are 6 themed car series — Classic Racers, Monster Trucks, Lego Speedsters, Supercars, Emergency Fleet, and Off-Road Beasts. Each series contains 6–7 unique cars. Completing a series unlocks the next phonics level with harder words and a new car collection to fill.

What happens when my child gets stuck?

Each word has a hint button (the lightbulb icon) that reveals a verbal clue like "Says meow" for "cat" or "Flies with wings" for "plane." This helps your child figure out the word without frustration.

Can my child replay completed levels?

Currently, the app progresses forward through the levels. Once a series is complete, the game advances to the next level. Your child can always visit the Garage to admire their collection and tap any car to see it in the Showroom.

My child finished all 6 levels. What now?

Congratulations! Your child has practiced 120 words covering all major early-reading phonics categories. We're working on additional levels, car series, and word packs for future updates. In the meantime, they can explore their complete car collection in the Garage and Showroom.

Does the app collect any data about my child?

No. Phonics Race collects zero personal data — no names, no emails, no device IDs, no analytics, no tracking of any kind. Game progress is stored locally on your device only and is never transmitted anywhere. See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

Are there any ads in the app?

No. Phonics Race is completely ad-free. Your child will never see banner ads, pop-up ads, video ads, or sponsored content of any kind.

Is the app COPPA compliant?

Yes. Phonics Race complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and international children's privacy regulations. We achieve compliance through the strongest method possible: not collecting any data in the first place.

Can my child accidentally make purchases?

No. There are no in-app purchases in Phonics Race — nothing to buy, no virtual currency, no loot boxes, no "ask your parent" prompts. The app has zero monetization.

Can my child access the internet or social media through the app?

No. Phonics Race has no web browser, no links to external websites (except this support page), no social media integration, no chat features, and no user-generated content. The app is a self-contained, offline educational game.

How do I reset my child's progress?

On the Home screen, tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner. Tap "Reset Progress" to clear all progress and return to Level 1 with zero cars. The app will restart fresh.

Can multiple children use the app on the same device?

Currently, the app supports one player profile per device. If multiple children share a device, you can use the Reset Progress feature when switching between children. Multiple user profiles are planned for a future update.

The app isn't making any sounds.

Check that your device volume is turned up and the device is not on silent/vibrate mode. In the app, tap the gear icon (⚙️) on the Home screen and make sure the "Sound Effects" toggle is turned on.

The app is running slowly.

Make sure you're running the latest version of the app from the App Store or Google Play. Close other apps running in the background. If the issue persists, try restarting your device. Phonics Race is optimized to run smoothly on most devices from the last 5 years.

I found a bug. How do I report it?

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at support@theforwardalpha.com with a description of what happened. Please include your device model (e.g., "iPhone 15" or "Samsung Galaxy S24") and operating system version if possible. Screenshots or screen recordings are very helpful.

I have a feature suggestion.

We welcome ideas! Email us at support@theforwardalpha.com with your suggestion. We read every email and use parent feedback to guide our development priorities.