Apps that turn nouns, verbs, telling and asking sentences, plurals, and pronouns into practice a six- or seven-year-old enjoys.
STSpellingJoy Team
•Last Updated: July 13, 2026
For 1st grade grammar, SpellingJoy ELA is our top pick because it practices grammar inside the sentences a child actually writes, and IXL is the strongest choice for adaptive, standards-tagged skill drills. Free tools like Khan Academy Kids and Turtle Diary fill in the gaps. In first grade, grammar starts to have names: a telling sentence versus an asking sentence, one dog versus two dogs, and pronouns that stand in for a person.
This is the year a six- or seven-year-old moves from copying words to building original sentences. That jump is where grammar suddenly matters. A child has to decide whether a sentence tells or asks, choose the period or question mark to match, add the right ending to make a noun plural, and pick a pronoun so the same name does not repeat over and over. Good apps rehearse those exact decisions, one short sentence at a time.
First grade grammar targets
Nouns and verbs: naming people or things and identifying what they do
Sentence types: telling (statement) versus asking (question) sentences
Plurals: adding -s or -es to show more than one
Pronouns: using he, she, it, we, and they in place of names
End marks: matching a period, question mark, or exclamation point to the sentence
How we chose these apps
We weighed each app's price, feature set, and app-store details, then filtered for content that a first grader can handle without an adult reading every word aloud. Voice support still matters at this age, so tools that speak their prompts scored higher. Anything that leaned on heavy grammar terminology, or that clearly targeted third grade and up, was left off the list.
Grammar is one thread in the larger cloth of reading and phonics apps, so several of these picks cover reading and spelling alongside sentence skills. That overlap is a feature: a first grader who reads more sees more correct sentences, and the patterns start to feel natural. The free SpellingJoy spelling app appears last as a companion because it sharpens spelling and sight words, not grammar itself.
† Pricing note: Prices are checked against each vendor's official website or help center at the time of writing, but vendors change plans and prices at any time. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site before purchasing. How we review and verify →
Our pick
1
SpellingJoy ELA
Best guided ELA that teaches grammar
SpellingJoy ELA is a voiced, interactive English Language Arts curriculum for ages 5-10. The child plays a ~20-minute daily lesson alone - the AI tutor reads aloud, the child builds words with tappable tiles, reads back (speech recognition), and writes with AI feedback. Phonics-first, standards-aware, a full 36-week year per grade. Parents review the week's work. It is an AI tutor, not a state-accredited program, and is not COPPA/FERPA certified - parental consent and supervision are the parent's responsibility.
Best for:Grammar practiced inside the sentences a 6-7 year old writesPrice:$19/month†Grades:K-5Platforms:Web
Pros
7-day free trial - try the full course before you pay
A full 36-week guided ELA year per grade (K-5)
Phonics-first and mapped to Common Core standards
Cons
Card required up front; $19/mo after the 7-day free trial
Web-only (no native mobile app yet)
AI tutor, not a state-accredited program
2
IXL
Best dedicated skill builder
IXL is a comprehensive adaptive learning platform covering all subjects from Pre-K through 12th grade.
Best for:Adaptive first grade language questions with instant feedbackPrice:$79-159/yr†Grades:Pre-K-12Platforms:Web, iOS, Android
Pros
Comprehensive K-12 coverage
Adaptive learning
Detailed analytics
Cons
Expensive
Spelling is small part of ELA
3
Khan Academy Kids
Best free all-rounder
Khan Academy Kids offers free, comprehensive early learning content covering reading, math, and more for children ages 2-8.
Best for:Free reading and language games for ages 2-8Price:Free†Grades:Ages 2-8Platforms:iOS, Android, Amazon
Pros
Completely free
Comprehensive curriculum
No ads
Cons
Only goes to age 8
Not specialized for spelling
No web version
4
Reading Eggs
Best reading-to-writing bridge
Reading Eggs provides a comprehensive reading program for children ages 2-13 with lessons, games, and books.
Best for:Lessons that carry sentence patterns into early writingPrice:$70-100/yr†Grades:Ages 2-13Platforms:All platforms
Pros
Wide age range
Comprehensive program
Includes spelling component
Cons
Expensive
Can be overwhelming
5
ABCmouse
Best full curriculum
ABCmouse offers a full early learning curriculum with thousands of activities for children ages 2-8.
Best for:Grammar woven into a broad early-learning programPrice:$45-59/yr†Grades:Ages 2-8Platforms:All platforms
Pros
Comprehensive curriculum
Engaging content
Progress tracking
Cons
Only to age 8
6
Education.com
Best worksheets and printables
Education.com offers thousands of worksheets, printables, and learning activities for Pre-K through 8th grade.
Best for:Printable sentence, noun, and verb practicePrice:$120/yr†Grades:Pre-K-8Platforms:Web
Pros
Huge worksheet library
Printable resources
Good for homeschool
Cons
Web only
Expensive
7
Turtle Diary
Best free games
Turtle Diary offers free educational games and worksheets across reading, math, and other subjects. Ad-supported but completely free to use.
Best for:Free plural and pronoun games with no paywallPrice:Free†Grades:Pre-K-5Platforms:Web
Pros
Completely free
Large library of games
Printable worksheets included
Cons
Contains ads
Quality varies by game
Dated interface
Our pick
8
SpellingJoy
Free spelling companion
SpellingJoy is a 100% free spelling practice platform for K-6 students. Unlimited spelling games, unlimited tests, 134+ word lists, custom list creation, and progress tracking - all completely free with no subscriptions and no hidden costs.
Best for:Free sight-word and spelling practice that supports writingPrice:100% Free†Grades:K-6Platforms:Web
Pros
100% free - unlimited games, tests, and lists
No subscription or hidden costs ever
K-6 curriculum with 134+ word lists
Cons
Web-only (no native mobile apps yet)
Classroom features coming soon
Frequently asked questions
What grammar should a 1st grader know?
First graders learn to tell a naming word from an action word, sort telling sentences from asking sentences, add -s or -es to make plural nouns, and swap in simple pronouns like he, she, it, and they. They also lock in the habit of capital letters at the start and the right mark at the end. Most of this is practiced through short writing and matching activities rather than terminology.
Are there free grammar apps for 1st grade?
There are. Khan Academy Kids stays free through age eight and touches early sentence skills, Turtle Diary runs free plural and pronoun games with ads, and the SpellingJoy spelling app is free for sight-word practice that supports cleaner writing. A free stack like this covers a lot of first grade ground before any subscription is needed.
Do 1st graders need a grammar app at all?
A grammar app is a nice-to-have, not a requirement. Daily writing, being read to, and a parent gently fixing a missing capital or question mark teach these skills naturally. An app earns its place when a child wants extra practice, when a parent likes seeing progress laid out, or when a rainy afternoon needs a calm, useful screen activity.
How much grammar practice is right for a 1st grader?
Aim for fifteen minutes at a time, three or four days a week. Six- and seven-year-olds concentrate best in short bursts, so a quick round of sentence sorting or plural games beats a long sitting. Tie the app to real writing by having your child label a drawing or write a one-line note, which cements what the screen introduced.
Is SpellingJoy ELA an accredited grammar program for 1st grade?
No, and it says so plainly. SpellingJoy ELA runs on AI guidance rather than formal accreditation, and it teaches grammar as part of a voiced ELA year instead of a certified standalone course. That framing works well for a first grader who learns grammar best inside real sentences, while IXL remains the choice for structured, standards-tagged skill practice.
Which is better for grammar, a paid app or a free one?
It depends on the child. Free tools like Khan Academy Kids and Turtle Diary handle the basics of nouns, verbs, and plurals with no cost. Paid options like IXL add adaptive difficulty and detailed reports, and SpellingJoy ELA adds a fully voiced lesson a beginning reader can run alone. Many families start free and upgrade only if they want structure or tracking.
Our Verdict
Our number one for first grade is SpellingJoy ELA, which teaches grammar through voiced lessons where a child builds and reads back full sentences. Be clear that it runs on AI guidance rather than formal accreditation. When you want a dedicated grammar-skill engine with adaptive difficulty, IXL is the sharpest tool for the job.
On a budget, Khan Academy Kids gives you a polished, fully free program, and Turtle Diary adds free plural and pronoun games when a child wants variety.
For a broader base, Reading Eggs carries sentence patterns from reading into early writing, ABCmouse folds grammar into a full curriculum, and Education.com is unmatched for printable noun, verb, and sentence worksheets.
Finally, the free SpellingJoy spelling app is a smart add-on. It will not cover grammar, yet the sight-word and spelling reps it provides make a first grader's written sentences cleaner and quicker to produce.
ST
About the Author
SpellingJoy Team
The SpellingJoy team is dedicated to creating free, high-quality spelling resources for K-6 students and their families. We test every app we review and provide honest assessments to help parents make informed decisions.
