The iPad is not only the latest craze in technology for music, movies and more, but it’s also a wonderful teaching tool and the wave of the future in terms of the way kids will learn. And some day, (if you don’t already) you may have one of these amazing little machines in your house. So how can you get your children to stop playing Talking Carl and Angry Birds on the iPad and start playing some of those educational games that offer a bit more substance? It may be a simple matter of steering your kids in the right direction. After all, it’s parents who buy the apps for their children. Take the reins and seize the opportunity to get your child to interact with some great learning tools.
Kindergarten
- Rock ‘n Learn Phonics Easy Reader 1: Three phonics stories are featured in this comprehensive app, which is meant to teach your child to read from the ground up. Each one has strong visuals to support the text on the screen. The story can be read to your child, or your child can try to sound the words out himself, and get help by clicking on the word. ($4.99)
- Piggy HD Math: This math game is meant for kindergartners and first graders. It’s a counting game, an adding game, and a fun-filled game all in one. Math activities include number lines for counting by ones and twos, and a game in which children can catch stars or coins in a pig’s basket. Simple addition problems are included, as well as an activity that matches numerals to their written numbers. ($3.99)
- Starfall- The “ABCs” section of Starfall.com’s well-loved website is now available as a universal application for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Our activities motivate through positive reinforcement and play. (Note: App contains the ABC letter section only, NOT the whole website) (FREE)
First Grade
- Super Why!: This one is sure to catch your child’s attention! This app includes four interactive games, each one featuring a different character from the popular PBS Kids show, “Super Why!”. Games feature letter hunts, letter-tracing practice, finding rhyming words from a group, and selecting the correct word missing from a sentence. ($2.99)
- Addition UnderSea Adventures: This colorful and visually stimulating app will dazzle your child as he explores the under water world with math. Children reveal puzzles of underwater scenes by solving simple addition problems. Puzzles increase in difficulty, each with a new scene to reveal. (FREE)
Second Grade
- Sight Words Second Grade: Help your child practice his sight words with this top-to-bottom reading and spelling app. Four separate lists of sight words help bring the repetition and familiarity your child needs when it comes to recognizing these common words while reading. He’ll ace his spelling tests with the help of this fun phonics app. ($0.99)
- Princess Math: What could be better than princess math? This fit-for-a-queen app is a great way to get your princess interested in math. The girl-friendly art and characters help keep the interest of girls who might be struggling in math. Addition and subtraction problems can be used for students up to the third grade. ($2.99)
Third Grade
- K12 Timed Reading Practice: Your child will practice his reading skills and improve his fluency with this fun phonics app. The app includes 250 stories, both fiction and nonfiction. Your child reads the words on the screen, just as if he is reading a book. The app tracks the words per minute by timing the reading. The results can also list the percentile that your child is reading above or below his grade level so you can get a sense of where your child really stands with his reading skills. ($1.99)
- Multiplication and Division Flash Action: This game is one of many by School Zone Publishing, makers of popular workbooks for children. This app helps your child beat the clock with quick answers to multiplication and division problems. Activities include vertical or horizontal presentations of equations, as well as multiplication and division charts. Games can be played with multi-player settings to get the whole family involved. ($4.99)
Summer! 