iPads
While I highly recommend using iPad apps to enhance student learning, it is important to note that not all apps are created equal. Some are all education and no play, while others are all play and no learning. Below is a list of apps that I have tried out and my thoughts on whether why I would recommend the to parents to help build their child's love of learning at home.
Name of App: Little Writer
Seller: Innovative Mobile Apps
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app is very easy to use. Children practice tracing capital and lower case letters as well as numbers, shapes and words. The graphics are entertaining, and follow a similar writing system that we use in class. The trial is well worth getting.
Name of App: Word Wizard- Talking Moveable Alphabet
Seller: L’Escapadou
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: No
My Review: This app gives children access to a keyboard ordered alphabet. When they click on a letter the phonics sound the letter makes is said. Children drag letter to the blank part of the screen to attempt to make words. When a child succeeds in making a word the word is highlighted and said using the correct pronunciation. This app is great for children that have mastered letter recognition and are working on developing phonics skills and word recognition.
Name of App: Bugsy Kindergarten Reading School
Seller: Peapod Labs LLC
Cost: Free (For a limited time)
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: Very entertaining. This app will help your child develop sight word recognition, work on phonics, spelling, reading and vocabulary. Even as an adult I enjoyed playing this educational game. This is a must have for any kindergarten student’s iPad.
Name of App: Ice Land!
Seller: Tribal Nova
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: The Letters and Word sections of this lead your child in a well planned scaffold. This means that they are taught the basics which are then built upon. In the first level of the letters game they practice letter recognition by matching like case letters to each other. The second level requires them to match lower and upper case letters. The final level states the letter that the child must pick out. The word section of this app guides the child to spell different words. When the child clicks on a letter is says its phonics sound, once the word has been spelled it is said. That being said I would steer your child away from the phonics section as unlike the other two sections it does not have proper scaffold nor does it actually aid in learning phonics.
Name of App: Number Quiz
Seller: Tantrum Apps
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app will help your child develop number recognition, being able to associate numerals with the correct number of objects, as well as how to write numbers.
Name of App: Alphabet Aquarium Letters Reading Adventure
Seller: 22learn LLC
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app is meant to help with letter recognition. First the player builds the letter, then they match it with a shadow of the letter, then they build an object that starts with the letter, next they match objects that match with the shadow. It is definitely worth it to get the trial and see if your child enjoys this game, and if so to then get the full app.
Name of App: Endless Reader
Seller: Originator Inc.
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: In the trial students are given access to words starting with A-F. After selecting a letter the player is then asked to spell the word. They do this by dragging the letters into a shadow of the word. As the drag the letter it says its sound. Students are then asked to help build a sentence by filling in missing sight words. Once the sentence is built it is said and demonstrated. This app helps with sight word recognition and spelling and is perfect for students that have mastered letter and phonics recognition.
Name of App: Reading Rainbow
Seller: Reading Rainbow
Cost: Monthly Subscription of $9.99 or six month subscription for $29.99
Free Trial: Yes (includes 5 books)
My Review: This app gives you access to five free books of your choice without a subscription. Based off of the popular 90’s television show. The books give you the option of “read to me” or “read by myself”. There are also various games and videos offered. The books available cover a wide range of reading levels and topics. This trial will definitely help make literature come alive.
Name of App: Abby- Animals Phonics Island Adventure
Seller: 22Learn LLC
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
Description (from iTunes):
My Review: This app is entertaining and helps the player to practice their letter sounds in a variety of different ways. It is worth it to get the trial and see it your child enjoys the app.
Name of App: Kids Academy ABC’s
Seller: Kids Academy Company
Cost: Free
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: aids students in writing upper and lower case letters. It also helps with connecting letters to their sounds. While not the best app on the list is would be worth it if your child enjoys the app.
Name of App: Speakaboos
Seller: Speakaboos
Cost: one month subscription= $4.99, Six months= $24.99, Twelve months= $39.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app gives you access to three free books. These books come with a variety of functions including: read to me, read & and, read it myself and sing with me. The illustrations are interactive and help bring the stories to life. This is definitely a great trial.
Name of App: ABC Circus
Seller: Joy Preschool Games
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes.
Review:This entertaining app helps the player practice letter recognition, letter sounds, and writing the letter. I highly recommend this app.
Name of App: Kids Academy 123 Tracing Free
Seller: Kids Academy Company
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app walks the player through writing the numbers 1-10 on a quest to “collect fireflies”.
Name of App: Handwriting without Tears Wet Dry Try
Seller: Handwriting without Tears
Cost: $6.99
Free Trial: No
My Review: Based on the Handwriting without tears program used to instruct printing in our kindergarten class this app is perfect for students that are struggling with their printing and letter recognition. It uses the same vocabulary we use in class and the same methods we use. First how to write the letter is demonstrated and then the child is walked through writing it themselves three times before moving on.
Name of App: Little Writer
Seller: Innovative Mobile Apps
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app is very easy to use. Children practice tracing capital and lower case letters as well as numbers, shapes and words. The graphics are entertaining, and follow a similar writing system that we use in class. The trial is well worth getting.
Name of App: Word Wizard- Talking Moveable Alphabet
Seller: L’Escapadou
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: No
My Review: This app gives children access to a keyboard ordered alphabet. When they click on a letter the phonics sound the letter makes is said. Children drag letter to the blank part of the screen to attempt to make words. When a child succeeds in making a word the word is highlighted and said using the correct pronunciation. This app is great for children that have mastered letter recognition and are working on developing phonics skills and word recognition.
Name of App: Bugsy Kindergarten Reading School
Seller: Peapod Labs LLC
Cost: Free (For a limited time)
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: Very entertaining. This app will help your child develop sight word recognition, work on phonics, spelling, reading and vocabulary. Even as an adult I enjoyed playing this educational game. This is a must have for any kindergarten student’s iPad.
Name of App: Ice Land!
Seller: Tribal Nova
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: The Letters and Word sections of this lead your child in a well planned scaffold. This means that they are taught the basics which are then built upon. In the first level of the letters game they practice letter recognition by matching like case letters to each other. The second level requires them to match lower and upper case letters. The final level states the letter that the child must pick out. The word section of this app guides the child to spell different words. When the child clicks on a letter is says its phonics sound, once the word has been spelled it is said. That being said I would steer your child away from the phonics section as unlike the other two sections it does not have proper scaffold nor does it actually aid in learning phonics.
Name of App: Number Quiz
Seller: Tantrum Apps
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app will help your child develop number recognition, being able to associate numerals with the correct number of objects, as well as how to write numbers.
Name of App: Alphabet Aquarium Letters Reading Adventure
Seller: 22learn LLC
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app is meant to help with letter recognition. First the player builds the letter, then they match it with a shadow of the letter, then they build an object that starts with the letter, next they match objects that match with the shadow. It is definitely worth it to get the trial and see if your child enjoys this game, and if so to then get the full app.
Name of App: Endless Reader
Seller: Originator Inc.
Cost: $2.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: In the trial students are given access to words starting with A-F. After selecting a letter the player is then asked to spell the word. They do this by dragging the letters into a shadow of the word. As the drag the letter it says its sound. Students are then asked to help build a sentence by filling in missing sight words. Once the sentence is built it is said and demonstrated. This app helps with sight word recognition and spelling and is perfect for students that have mastered letter and phonics recognition.
Name of App: Reading Rainbow
Seller: Reading Rainbow
Cost: Monthly Subscription of $9.99 or six month subscription for $29.99
Free Trial: Yes (includes 5 books)
My Review: This app gives you access to five free books of your choice without a subscription. Based off of the popular 90’s television show. The books give you the option of “read to me” or “read by myself”. There are also various games and videos offered. The books available cover a wide range of reading levels and topics. This trial will definitely help make literature come alive.
Name of App: Abby- Animals Phonics Island Adventure
Seller: 22Learn LLC
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
Description (from iTunes):
My Review: This app is entertaining and helps the player to practice their letter sounds in a variety of different ways. It is worth it to get the trial and see it your child enjoys the app.
Name of App: Kids Academy ABC’s
Seller: Kids Academy Company
Cost: Free
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: aids students in writing upper and lower case letters. It also helps with connecting letters to their sounds. While not the best app on the list is would be worth it if your child enjoys the app.
Name of App: Speakaboos
Seller: Speakaboos
Cost: one month subscription= $4.99, Six months= $24.99, Twelve months= $39.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app gives you access to three free books. These books come with a variety of functions including: read to me, read & and, read it myself and sing with me. The illustrations are interactive and help bring the stories to life. This is definitely a great trial.
Name of App: ABC Circus
Seller: Joy Preschool Games
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes.
Review:This entertaining app helps the player practice letter recognition, letter sounds, and writing the letter. I highly recommend this app.
Name of App: Kids Academy 123 Tracing Free
Seller: Kids Academy Company
Cost: $1.99
Free Trial: Yes
My Review: This app walks the player through writing the numbers 1-10 on a quest to “collect fireflies”.
Name of App: Handwriting without Tears Wet Dry Try
Seller: Handwriting without Tears
Cost: $6.99
Free Trial: No
My Review: Based on the Handwriting without tears program used to instruct printing in our kindergarten class this app is perfect for students that are struggling with their printing and letter recognition. It uses the same vocabulary we use in class and the same methods we use. First how to write the letter is demonstrated and then the child is walked through writing it themselves three times before moving on.