App Reviews - iPhone, iPad and Android Apps

Spelling Bee Games & Tests is a homework support tool for helping kids to manage and practice the spelling lists given to them by their teachers. It includes built-in word lists to practice and makes it easy to import custom word lists. The app also has helpful arithmetic practice tools. This app is suitable for kids of any age who receive lists of words to practice spelling for homework or for parents to help kids who struggle with spelling. The app is free to download on iOS and Android devices, with extra features activated by in-app purchases. This Spelling Bee Games & Tests review uses the fully expanded app on iOS with all in-app purchases activated.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Learnt.AI is an AI-driven collection of tools to help teachers and educators create learning content quickly and effectively. The app works as an assistant and collaborator to spark creativity and assist with time-consuming content-creation tasks. Learnt.AI's tools (well over 50) are available through its web app. You can take advantage of 10 very effective tools for free and access the rest through a subscription.

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ScoreWind’s Classical Strings is an app available for download on iOS. ScoreWind’s Classical Strings delivers step-by-step video lessons, teaching the learner how to play and read music at the same time. Detailed, structured lessons are provided through the interactive VideoScore feature, delivered by experienced specialist teachers. When entering the app the user is guided to the relevant learning path for them by answering a few questions about their current playing ability. They are then provided with a personalised learning path based on this feedback. The learning path courses are broken down into short individual lessons to help the student master particular techniques, explore songs, advance their sight-reading and develop music reading skills.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

Arloopa is an augmented reality 3D camera app which overlays detailed 3D models onto your surroundings when viewed through your device's screen. These models include dinosaurs, exotic creatures, technology, science equipment, or even full environments. You can download Arloopa for free on iOS and Android devices as an ad-supported app with many usable models. A subscription unlocks the complete app and removes the advertisements, or you can buy individual models using in-app purchases. The app has a minimum age rating of 13.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Kokotree is a safe and entertaining educational app that helps toddlers and preschoolers cultivate essential life skills. The app contains a large variety of high-quality videos and activities for children aged one to five years old. Kokotree has been developed by certified experts in Early Childhood Development, helping to boost intelligence and prepare children for school. Through the engaging videos and songs utilising fun animal characters and captivating stories, children are taught to develop their skills and understanding in areas such as reading, writing, counting, numbers, colours alongside imagination and creativity activities.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Smart Tales helps kids aged 2 to 6 learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) topics. It weaves the learning around child-friendly stories and builds in games and activities to encourage kids' engagement. Smart Tales is available on iOS devices with apps that respond well to the screen sizes of iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV. You can also download the app on Android devices. The app is free to download and has a seven-day free trial.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Nubba app is a Spanish audio service, directed at children, which gives you an alternative to managing screen abuse and addiction among minors. You can listen through hundreds of authentic Spanish audio content, from fairy tales to story series to radio broadcasts running twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three-hundred sixty-five days a year. The visuals complement the lovely, endearing stories that will keep you and your children enraptured and enthralled for hours upon end. You can select tracks to relax to, to stir the imagination, to help you learn, and to sing and dance the day and night away with your loved ones. Give Nubba a download to bring a little real-world Spanish fun into your home.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

"We Can Books" app is a good resource to create leveled books for beginning readers and special needs learners. It allows user's to easily make a customized book with either pictures from the user's device or pictures on the app. This is a great way to increase comprehension of sight words across 3 different levels and would be a useful supplement to any reading program or curriculum. 

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

SmartDreams Bedtime Stories uses AI to create unique, personalised bedtime stories accompanied by vivid illustrations. Children’s love for reading will grow through this app which has endless story possibilities. The app is safe and uses only the child’s first name to start the personalised story. They can then choose from a wide selection of fun characters, fantastical worlds and foods to generate an individualised tale to read. Each story delivers valuable morals and lessons that your child can learn from through customised, colourful artwork and animal noises.  Created stories can then be easily saved and shared with family and friends for everyone to enjoy! Children can be read to from the app by a parent or can easily navigate the app themselves due to SmartDreams Bedtime Stories simple, intuitive design.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

Otsimo AAC Tap and Talk is a symbol based alternative and augmentative communication app designed for anyone who struggles with verbal communication, including non-speaking individuals of all ages. The app allows the user the freedom and flexibility to communicate with others in an alternative manner through text-to-speech technology. It is easy to use and highly customizable to meet the individual’s communication needs. Otsimo AAC Tap and Talk comes with thousands of pre-installed unique words. In addition, the user can add or remove any card or symbol they like to further customize their communication tool. For App Store, it is available on iOS 13.2 or later, iPadOS 13.2 or later, or macOS 11.0 or later, and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.  For Google Play Store it is available on Android 10 or later. It has an offer for free trial but then there are varying subscriptions to choose from. They are either a: 1 month with 3-day free trial from 5.49 USD, 1 year with 14-day free trial from 35.99 USD and a seasonal discount with 1 year subscription with 7-day free trial for 19.99USD which is offered once a year. 

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

ScreenCoach is a screen time management app that uses a task and reward system to help parents balance their kids' use of digital devices. The platform has a task reward system and incorporates a pocket money/allowance management system. ScreenCoach's features include tools common in other app types, such as chore apps, pocket money managers, and screen control apps. A subscription to ScreenCoach will let parents manage tasks and rewards related to screen time on mobile devices and computers. An optional hardware solution can extend control to streaming television services and game consoles. Your first month of ScreenCoach subscription is charged at a nominal rate to let you assess the platform. The app-only service works with mobile devices and computers.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

PDF Expert is an app available on iPhones, iPads, and Macs as part of a single subscription. It provides powerful tools to edit, convert, and read PDFs. The features will be especially useful to older students and teachers. You can test PDF Expert's features with a free seven-day trial before continuing with a subscription. PDF Expert offer a 50% discount for students and teachers.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

QWERT is a really fun word play game where users are challenged to use their knowledge of words and the English language to score as many points as they can in a time limited manner. The app aims to bring fun to word play games and to help users to extend their vocabulary as they challenge others and themselves to beat their high scores. With two types of games users can either play against friends or random opponents in a 1on1 war of words or try to beat their high scores. The games give certain letters that the user must either start and end with or find words that contain certain letters, then within a time limit they must find as many words that fit these parameters. Both of the games are very addictive to play and the sense of achievement of finding a long word that meets the requirements is amazing however, the terror of watching the clock tick down whilst your mind goes blank is incredibly real!! The game is great for anyone who wants to improve their vocabulary but it’s also just a great fun game for anyone who loves word play games and wants a bit of a challenge too. The two different types of gameplay also work really well so you can challenge someone else or just play as a solo game. The whole design of the game is very well thought out too with a clever theme and artwork making the game desirable to play on and not a distraction. The gameplay itself is also excellent, very simple to access with enough support to explain how to play the game, if needed and a simple menu system that allows the user to focus fully on playing rather than trying to navigate to where they want to get to.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

MathPapa is a Math Solver app that provides various tools and resources to help students and learners with their math problems. It is particularly helpful for students learning algebra concepts. MathPapa is available online and can be downloaded as an app on iOS and Android devices to demonstrate algebra solutions step-by-step.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Math Playground is a free-to-use educational website featuring games, videos, and logic challenges for grades pre-k–6. Math Playground has many math games covering a wide range of math subjects and offering many play styles. Math Playground is a web app that will be compatible with any device you have. Its games reflect the CCSS but apply to kids following all math curricula at school or as part of homeschooling.

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Articulation Arcade is a comprehensive app designed to support children aged 3.5/4+ years old and beyond who have reached a stage where they can benefit from targeted speech practice. The app can help children with speech sound delay, speech sound disorder and apraxia to give them practise through playing games that allow for speech sound practice at word, phrase, and sentence levels, facilitating targeted speech practice.  Articulation Arcade is compatible with iOS 11.0 or later, Mac 11.0 and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. To access all features of the app there is a one-off payment of £49.99/$49.99. 

Devices: iPad, iPhone

iCalc is an elegant, easy-to-use financial, scientific, and graphing calculator with a built-in ChatGPT-powered math bot for powerful extra support.  It includes the functions you would expect from an advanced calculator, including logarithms, trigonometry, statistics and more. iCalc is an exclusively iOS product which you can test as an ad-supported app before fully unlocking it with a subscription.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

BibiLand is a safe and entertaining, educational app containing over 200 games for children aged two to six years old. This app brings together all Bibi/Pet games in a single app. Through the adventure landscape of BibiLand children will learn in a fun and easy way. There are a wide variety of educational activities designed to help children begin to learn their numbers, how to write and develop their logic through puzzles and the associations between shape and colour. There are also imagination-based activities where children can develop their creativity through drawing and colouring.     The interactive animations, vivid colours and entertaining music and sound effects keep the app engaging throughout the many game options. All of the activities are safe and interactive making this app an engaging, educational tool for children.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Komodo Math is designed to build and consolidate maths knowledge for children ages 5 to 11. A maths teacher sets up each user's baseline in the app, and parents define the rewards. Children then engage in little-and-often practice to raise their maths knowledge and skill. Komodo Math works on iOS, Android, PC, Mac and Kindle Fire, and one account can work across devices. A free 14-day trial is available to assess the app.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

GeoFinder is a device locator app. You provide the app with a phone number, and it sends a message to that number. If the recipient accesses the message, you'll receive details about their location, WiFi, and VPN services. GeoFinder has native apps on iOS and Android, or you can use it from a computer via its website. The tracked device can be either iOS or Android; you do not need to access it physically in advance. Users are advised to use this app appropriately to avoid infringing the privacy of others.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone