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Letters
Look closely at letters, tell them apart and find their order in each word. Searching the grid draws on visual discrimination and attention.
NEXT MURMUR APP · COMING SOON
A word search for first steps in reading.
MurMur Word Search invites children to look closely at letters, practise decoding and build their vocabulary through play. Every word is illustrated and spoken aloud, to help them connect how it is written, how it sounds and what it means.
Designed by a primary school teacher · English and French · No ads
What children learn
One grid, several kinds of learning.
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Reading
Practise decoding words suited to what your child already knows, then find them in the grid. A playful way to put early reading to use.
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Vocabulary
Match each word with its picture and its pronunciation to grasp its meaning, discover new words and build vocabulary.
How to play
Look, search, find.
1
Discover the word
Your child looks at the word and its picture. They can listen to it to find out what it means, or recognise a word they already know.
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Find it in the grid
Using the model, or after decoding the word, they spot the letters in the right order and select them with a fingertip. Help is there whenever they need it.
3
Revisit words in the word book
Once the grid is complete, the words go into their word book. Your child can come back to them and hear them again to keep exploring vocabulary.
The progression
Three series to move forward step by step.
Short words for first reading, longer words to keep practising, then letter groups that make one sound. The three series order the difficulties to support learning.
PINK SERIES
Short, regular words
Short words read sound by sound, to practise spotting letters and start blending them.
BLUE SERIES
Longer words
Longer words, often with consonant blends, to keep decoding and follow longer strings of letters.
GREEN SERIES
Letter groups, one sound
Words with groups of letters that make a single sound, such as SH or EE. A new step to put these spellings to use when reading.
This progression draws on the pink, blue and green reading series used in Montessori education. The choice of words is adapted to the features of each language.
Understanding the Montessori reading series →The same world, new discoveries.
Word Search carries on the MurMur world: real photos, a calm voice and an uncluttered interface that leaves room for the activity itself.
- No adsA play space free from advertising.
- Real picturesPhotos that link each word to what it stands for.
- A calm voiceClearly spoken words your child can hear again.
- Their own paceTime to look, search and come back to an activity.
The parents’ area
You set the frame.
The parents’ area lets you adapt the app to your child. You choose the language, the sound settings and the daily screen time limit. You can also follow their progress and see the words they have found.
The app is meant for shared play. An adult can help read a word, explain what it means or carry the discovery on through conversation.
Frequently asked questions about MurMur Word Search
What age is it for?
MurMur Word Search is mainly for children aged 5 to 6, depending on their skills. A child who already recognises some letters can start with the first grids. A child who is beginning to read will find words suited to practising. No series is tied to a set age: every child moves on as their knowledge grows.
Does my child need to read to play?
No. Your child can start by comparing the letters in the grid with the model word, helped by the picture and the pronunciation. Once they begin reading, they can also decode the word before looking for it, which turns the game into decoding practice. The same grids work both ways.
What is in the app?
30 grids in three series of ten, and 212 words illustrated with real photos and spoken aloud. In the pink series, a few words come back from one grid to the next for review. A replayed grid is shuffled again: the same words, a new layout.
Which languages are available?
MurMur Word Search comes in English and French. The word lists are not translated from one language to the other: each language has its own words, chosen for its reading rules, with the same three-series progression. You choose the language in the parents’ area. More languages are planned.
Can we try it for free?
Yes. The first three grids of the pink series are free, so you can discover the activity. The rest of the pink series and the blue and green series are unlocked with an in-app purchase, with details to be announced at launch. Nothing is ever offered to your child: everything happens in the parents’ area, which is protected by a code.
How much screen time?
Screens are best avoided before age 3. Between 3 and 6, they should remain occasional, with suitable content and an adult alongside. Play, conversation and screen-free experiences come first. In the parents’ area, you set a daily screen time limit and an evening break.
Which devices, and when?
MurMur Word Search is planned for iPad and iPhone, and for Android tablets and phones. It is played in landscape and works offline. The app is not available yet: sign up to hear when it launches.
How is it different from a paper word search?
Printed word searches have their place, and they can offer models and pictures too. The app adds what paper cannot: every word is spoken and can be heard again, a hint shows a letter when your child is stuck, and the words they find go into their word book.
Word search is coming soon.
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