App Reviews - iPhone, iPad and Android Apps

This is a game based app that encourages users to compete against themselves to get as high a score as is possible. Technically there is not limit to high a score that a user could get meaning that someone using the app could continually use it and keep improving on their best score. In fact, the write up on the website jokes that this app could potentially destroy your sleep patterns as you try to get the highest score possible! Although at it's route this app is a game there are also a number of other benefits for users within it. The aim of the app is to create as many words, within the time limit given, that all must start with the letter given. Therefore scores can certainly depend on the first letters that are randomly selected by the app. In playing this game myself for a number of hours I certainly found that with some letters I was getting lower scores just because there seemed fewer words that I could think of that began with these letters. In this way the app clever aims to help it's users expand their vocabulary and thinking skills to get the highest possible score they can achieve.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Zayn and Zayna’s Little Farm is about a family that lives in an English village. The aim of the application is to provide simple activities to reinforce the principal that family life is the foundation of human society and is the seed bed for passing on some key virtues. The application has a great variety of activities ranging from videos to colouring in sheets that can be printed out.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Montessori Preschool app is crammed full of high-quality learning activities for young children. It packages them into an environment that encourages exploration and stress-free learning.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Mathway is one of the most useful free calculator app in the App Store that offers instant answers to the users most complex math equations. The app practically solves anything from basic math problems, geometry,algebra to more complex calculus equations and trigonometry. Developed by Mathway LLC, this app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The free version only gives the answers, but a subscription will give step-by-step solutions to problems in a wide variety of math types. It is a highly recommended app for all students who are struggling with math problems. An excellent topic glossary and intuitive interface make for straightforward use.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Learning to read can be a pleasure with the right selection of books and for many children, this was the Dr. Seuss books.  Today's children can improve their reading fluency and develop a joy in reading by engaging with all of these books, in an enhanced form, in the official app.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

GoNoodle’s short videos are safe content that provide a change of pace when kids sometimes need them the most. Since most GoNoodle content is only a few minutes in length, it’s easy to watch one or two and then move on to another activity without the dreaded battle that often comes with tearing your child away from something mid-episode. Helpful features make GoNoodle easy for parents to use at home without the guilt that’s often associated with screen time.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Photomath is one of the best math solver app for solving math problems. It uses augmented reality, which means that you can simply point your camera at any piece of paper with an equation or an arithmetic problem and it will find a solution.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Homer Reading is is an app designed to help kids learn to read.  It includes storybooks as well as activities that teach about phonics, letters, and words.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Accomplish Reading has been created to help users to improve their reading comprehension. After reading a number of sentences users are asked to agree or disagree as to whether the sentence makes sense. Clicking on the correct answer moves the user onto the next sentence however, if they get it wrong they are prompted to re-read the sentence and try again. The whole point of the app and the process of re-reading is to teach users the importance of re-reading sentences to gain an understanding and improvement on reading comprehension. The app also provides personalised feedback and progress reports for each of the users on the app.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

The Night Zookeeper is an easy to use, child-friendly platform based around a series of magical storybooks. This online platform is designed to inspire and help primary school children (6 to 12 years of age) with their creative writing as well as teaching them about grammar, spelling, vocabulary, writing skills and drawing through a series of lessons and games. 

Devices:

Daily practice is the best way to learn any new skill.  Smartick prompts children to undertake a 15-minute maths practice session every day and provides a variety of fun educational activities to play after.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Parents and teachers should have an awareness of each learner's mindset and how they are coping mentally.  If your child or your student could use direction, guidance, and strategies for handling stress and anxiety, you should take a look at Student Success.

Devices: Android

This app is aimed at helping young children, who are just beginning to learn about language and numbers, the opportunity to extend their understanding through creative enterprises. Users are encouraged to draw a number of different pictures throughout the app which are all linked to the learning of specific areas such as language or numeracy. These are all backed up with lots of helpful comments and directions through the app meaning that there is a lot of support even for those children who are just beginning to learn all the new aspects of communication. The developer has a few other apps in a similar vein, and these are all well used across many platforms with lots of users currently accessing their content.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

Piano Marvel is an app available for download on PC’s or Macs as well as for iPad. Piano Marvel helps students engage with and learn how to play the piano. There are video lessons on the app, that help teach you the basics of piano method and technique. There is an excellent library of music covering a wide repertoire in several genres. Each piece is categorised at a level – beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional with many pieces available in several levels of difficulty. The range of pieces, alongside the variety of method and technical exercises allows the user to identify strengths and be awarded virtual trophies for this. The midi input to your keyboard helps identify what you have played correctly or incorrectly. You are tracked as you play each note, which turns red if you make a mistake enabling you to clearly see the areas that require further practice. A particular highlight of the app is the unique sight reading practice section which accurately tests your current level and helps you work through exercises to improve. As well as the tutorial videos that cover all features of the app, there are also easy online or phone contact details on the website if you require any assistance.

Devices: iPad, iPhone

The software application ‘Sight Words: Reading Games’ is a child-friendly learning platform that helps students get familiar with sight words. Sight words are common words that don't follow basic phonics and are designed to help kids read faster. Dolch Sight words are many of the most common written words. The app includes six games in the full version and 2 in the free version. The application is free from in-app adverts but does display in-app purchases for further content in the free version. The application is available on the iOS/Android platforms and suitable for ages 8 and under supporting Pre School, Kindergarten, first, second, and third grades. This application American based but could also support students within the UK supporting Reception year, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

The title of this app certainly emphasises its purpose.  Expand the initialism and it is called Optical Character Recognition Text Detection Tool.  This is precisely what it does and it does it well.

Devices:

Ella Spanish Verbs Conjugation is an independent-learning, Spanish-language learning app that comprehensively enables learners to see, practise, interact with and, subsequently, understand a wide variety of verbs across all tenses and moods. The verbal content can be customised to complement the extent of the user’s understanding of Spanish verbs: by refining the tenses, moods, verb forms, and indeed the verbs to be studied themselves. It allows personalised quizzing and progress tracking as a means to facilitate and refine learning.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

My Pizza Family is designed for young children and offers emotional and social learning experiences as well as some more traditional learning activities.  Players take part in the lives of Alex and Camilla as they learn and help their family in the best Pizzeria in Toon York City.

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

The 38 Times Tables Challenge app turns a laser-sharp focus on to the 38 times tables that need to be actually learned.  These are the ones for which there are no easy methods to remember them.  By concentrating only on these 38, children spend more of their time learning the most difficult to remember and less time repeating what they already know.  

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone

Try out the new technology of augmented reality with your child as you play within scenes inspired by popular festivals.  You won't need anything except your mobile device to see familiar places decorated in whole new ways with Festive People AR. 

Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone