LetterSchool vs Nazoru

LetterSchool teaches handwriting, phonics, numbers and spelling through activities for young children. It is described as designed for ages three to eight, with a listed target age range of two to six. Letter practice moves through guided tapping, tracing and independent writing. The app gives visual and auditory feedback and corrects each line as a child draws it. Languages listed include English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Japanese, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Arabic. English users can choose Handwriting Without Tears, Zaner-Bloser or D’Nealian handwriting styles. The free app costs nothing and includes five uppercase and lowercase letters, five shapes and three CVC flashcards covering nine words. Paid access is listed from $1.92/mo (annual), with a 7-day trial. LetterSchool is available on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. The school offering is currently iOS-only as LetterSchool – Block Letters. The maker says the app has no ads or social media and does not seek to collect personally identifiable information directly from children under 13.

Nazoru is a Japanese handwriting practice app for learners working on kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Practice moves from full character outlines through dashed stroke cues and direction hints to a blank canvas, supporting progress from tracing toward writing from memory. When a learner misses a stroke, the guide and direction cue return; the next session starts at the level indicated by their memory. Built-in paths cover JLPT levels N5 to N1, Japanese school grades, frequency, and Heisig ordering. Learners can browse categories and custom lists, search kanji and words they have seen, and practice confusable kanji side by side. Nazoru can suggest practice based on kanji studied in WaniKani, Bunpro, and MaruMori. Those integrations use a read-only API key kept on the device, and practice here does not count as a review in those services. The app works offline and offers optional Google Drive backup for progress, history, and settings. Free allows two full practices per day; Unlimited costs $3.99 per month. The app has no ads or tracking.