Our group, Carolyn, Joanne and I, came up with 10 of our favorite apps. Check them out as they are wonderful educational apps to use in the classroom or at home.
1. Word Domino – Free
This app is designed for children 6 years and older to assist in their vocabulary and reading skills. The game also helps to improve mental organization and scanning.
How The App is Used
The main purpose of the game is for children to build words with the proposed syllables. The game can be played using bubbles that float around the screen or just the classic version of matching two syllables together to make the word. There are three categories: wild animals, farm animals and musical instruments to choose from.
Who Benefits from this App
This app would benefit any student who is learning to spell. Also students who need extra support in reading would find this app useful. Students are able to put words together based on the syllables of the word. ESL students could also benefit from the use of this app, as it would help in their vocabulary and word building.
Why this App
This app is a free interactive game that engages students in forming words.
2. Phonics Tic Tac Toe – Free
This app is for children between the ages of 6 and 8 years. Using this app helps to develop better language skills through an interactive game that explores vowel sounds, syllables and beginning and ending sounds.
How The App is Used
The app is set up like the familiar tic tac toe game where the object of the game is to get three correct answers in a straight line. This app can be played by two or by one individual.
Who Benefits from this App
Students from various ages could find this app useful. Lower elementary as well as upper elementary students who are struggling with reading and or writing would benefit from using the app. The app can provide practice and review for students in older grades.
Why this App
This app is simple and easy to use and who doesn’t love a game of tic tac toe.
3. Beginning Sounds Sound Sorting - Free
This app teaches children to match words that share the same beginning sound.
How The App is Used
Students select, before beginning the game, three beginning sounds from pictures. The purpose of the game is for students to click and drag a picture to the matching beginning sounds.
Who Benefits from this App
This app would work well for young students learning how to spell and the beginning sounds of various words. Students with hearing impairments would find this app beneficial as each word is repeated as you touch it.
Why this App
This app focuses on one of the foundations for learning to read and write. It is important that students learn the basics in literacy skills so they are able to continue to develop into successful readers and writers.
4. The Monster at the End of this Book
The Monster at the End of This Book allows children to immerse themselves in the classic Sesame Street Book. Join Grover as he tries his very best to tie down pages and build brick walls in order to keep readers away from the monster at the end of the book. The book comes alive to allow interactive play and touch-point animation. The Monster at the End of this Book is a fun reading experience for children and monsters of all ages!
Funny, furry features include:
• Lively, interactive animation that responds to your child’s touch
• Narration by lovable old Grover himself
--and tapping Grover makes him talk!
• Engaging activities that empower readers to decide how and when to move the story forward
• Word highlighting to help build beginning reader skills
• Easy-to-follow parent tips
Cost: $3.99
5. Grammar Jammers Elementary Edition Grade 3-6
Grammar Jammers has catchy animated songs and rhymes that make learning grammar fun. Grammar Jammers animations will have you tapping your toes to the beat while learning grammar usage and mechanics. Each animation unlocks a quiz. Answer all the quiz questions for all the Grammar Jammers topics and unlock an interactive reward. This app is also available in primary and early elementary. Grammar Jammers are perfect for use in classrooms or at home.
Cost: $2.99
6. Skill Builder Spelling
Skill Builder Spelling is a great app to help boost spelling skills. It allows up to 10 tests which you can edit it yourself. It has 2 modes you can use to test your spelling:
- Classic: In this mode It shows you the current word but it disappears once you start typing.
-Jumbled: In this mode it scrambles up the current word and you have to unscramble it!
Cost: Free for a limited time
7. Times Table Fun lite
This is a FREE App that helps students practice in their 2,3,4 times table. You can upgrade to a full version that allows you to practice your facts from 1-10 for .99C. In both versions there are four options in which you can practice, play games, play a challenging fact memory pair game, and do a test to see what you have learned.
I would recommend this game for my students to practice their facts as it gives clear and accurate feedback on how they are progressing as they are learning their math facts. The graphics and games would not be considered “babyish” and given that I know my students are competitive they would enjoy playing these games.
8. Rory's Story Cubes
The game is described as having no right answers and players and as such are simply encouraged to “Don't think about it, just talk, the story will follow.” There are nine cubes that you are challenged to join together. You simply start with one cube and link them together to complete a story. If you are stuck and would like to see other sides of the cube you simply shake the iPod or touch a button at the bottom of the screen.
Although there is a cost involved ($1.99) I would definitely recommend this app as not only suitable for reluctant readers/writers, but also a fun party game. The pictures on the cubes are easy to view and it is just a lot of fun to shake and hear the cubes rattle. The possibilities seem endless when you play this game.
9. Candy Factory Educational Game
This is a FREE app that engages middle-grade students in working in various concepts related to fractions. There are three levels of play that ranges from teaching the part-whole concept of fractions to improper fractions. During the game students fill orders of various specifications given by clients.
I particularly like this game as it enforces the concept that the sizes of the pieces are relative to the whole; a difficult concept for students to truly understand. Often students look like they know what they are doing rather than truly appreciating the very tenets of the mathematical concept. Students are given feedback as they progress through this game.
10. The Social Express Lite
This is a FREE app that supports students with social or behavioural challenges. Through modelling, instruction, and problem solving opportunities students learn to cope with and regulate their own behaviour.
This is a particularly interesting app for me at this moment as I'm looking for resources and supports to help engage a number of students in my classroom who struggle daily with social and other challenges. (Released Nov.17/11)
