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Best Reading Apps for 4th Grade in 2025

Build vocabulary, comprehension, and a lifelong love of reading with apps designed for 9-10 year olds.

SpellingJoy TeamSpellingJoy Team
•Last Updated: January 15, 2025
Fourth grader reading a chapter book

Fourth grade is when reading really takes off. Students are tackling longer chapter books, exploring different genres, and developing critical reading skills they'll use forever. The right apps can nurture this growth and turn kids into lifelong readers.

We've tested the best reading apps for 4th graders (ages 9-10), focusing on apps that offer engaging content, build vocabulary, and develop comprehension skills through practice.

Our Top Picks:

1

Epic!

Epic! provides access to a library of 40,000+ children's books, audiobooks, and educational videos. $84.99/year or $13.99/month.

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Best for - 40,000+ books including chapter books & graphic novels
Price - $84.99/yr
Grades - Pre-K-6 (Ages 2-12)
Platforms - iOS, Android, Web, Apple TV

Pros

  • ✓ 40,000+ books from quality publishers
  • ✓ Read-To-Me and audiobooks
  • ✓ Offline reading available

Cons

  • ✗ Free tier very limited (1 book/day)
  • ✗ Price increased recently
  • ✗ Not spelling-focused
2

Newsela

Newsela adapts real news articles to 5 different reading levels, making current events accessible to students grades 2-12.

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Best for - Current events adapted to reading level
Price - School pricing
Grades - Grades 2-12
Platforms - Web, iOS, Android

Pros

  • ✓ Real news at 5 reading levels
  • ✓ Current events keep kids engaged
  • ✓ Built-in comprehension quizzes

Cons

  • ✗ Primarily for schools
  • ✗ Not for early readers
  • ✗ Subscription required
3

CommonLit

CommonLit offers free, high-quality reading passages with comprehension questions for grades 3-12. A nonprofit making literacy accessible.

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Best for - Free literary passages with deep comprehension
Price - Free
Grades - Grades 3-12
Platforms - Web

Pros

  • ✓ Completely free
  • ✓ High-quality literary passages
  • ✓ Aligned to standards

Cons

  • ✗ Not for early readers (starts grade 3)
  • ✗ Web only
  • ✗ Less engaging for reluctant readers
4

Sora (OverDrive)

Sora (by OverDrive) gives students free access to eBooks and audiobooks through their school or public library. The modern library card for digital readers.

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Best for - Free eBooks through school/public library
Price - Free (library)
Grades - All ages
Platforms - Web, iOS, Android

Pros

  • ✓ Free through school/public library
  • ✓ Thousands of eBooks & audiobooks
  • ✓ Works with library card

Cons

  • ✗ Requires library participation
  • ✗ Popular books have wait times
  • ✗ Setup varies by school/library
5

Raz-Kids

Raz-Kids (by Learning A-Z) provides a leveled reading library with 800+ eBooks across 29 levels, audio support, and comprehension quizzes. $132/year for up to 36 students.

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Best for - Comprehensive leveled book library
Price - $132/yr (classroom)
Grades - K-5
Platforms - Web, iOS, Android

Pros

  • ✓ 800+ leveled eBooks (29 levels)
  • ✓ Listen-Read-Record feature
  • ✓ Comprehension quizzes for every book

Cons

  • ✗ Primarily for schools/classrooms
  • ✗ Price increased from $115 to $132
  • ✗ Requires Learning A-Z subscription
6

Amazon Kids+

Amazon Kids+ bundles books, educational apps, games, and videos for kids ages 3-12. Best experienced on Amazon Fire tablets with built-in parental controls.

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Best for - Books, audiobooks, and educational content combined
Price - $48-96/yr
Grades - Ages 3-12
Platforms - Fire tablets, iOS, Android, Kindle

Pros

  • ✓ Books, games, videos, apps combined
  • ✓ Parental controls included
  • ✓ Works best on Fire tablets

Cons

  • ✗ Not focused solely on reading
  • ✗ Best value requires Fire tablet
  • ✗ Screen time concerns

Frequently Asked Questions

By end of 4th grade, children typically read at levels Q-S (Fountas & Pinnell) or DRA 40-44. They can read longer chapter books, analyze character development, and understand themes and author's purpose.

Our Verdict

Epic! is still the king for building reading habits—let your child explore thousands of chapter books and graphic novels.

For comprehension practice, CommonLit is excellent and completely free for grades 3-12.

Don't forget Sora—free eBooks through your library card!

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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.

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