Keeping children entertained in class, whilst educating them, can be a challenge.
That’s where the iPad comes into action. Due to its portable format, children can use it at school and at home, and its interactive technology engages children with a memorable experience.
With over 200,000 educational apps available in the app store for the iPad, you are never short of choice. However, this can seem overwhelming. So, we have taken it upon ourselves to choose, what we deem to be the top 5 educational Free, and Paid apps.
Free
- ClassDojo – ClassDojo is a classroom management platform for teachers to interact with parents and pupils, on the children’s performance in class. The best feature is that Teachers can communicate with the parents. This can be done through sending a broadcasted message or a private message. As for the students, they can create their own account and edit their avatar, then reflect on their performance. They can do this at home or in school.This app not only works on the iPad, but on iPhones, iPod, Laptops etc. This has been rated a full 5/5 on Apple customer ratings.
- Read Me Stories – Children’s books – Read Me Stories has a new book every day for the children who love to read. Your child can practise reading wherever they are, at any time. Well designed illustrations and captivating storylines entices the children. So children can learn whilst they have fun. This app has been rated at 4/5 on Apples customer ratings.
- Sushi Monster – Sushi Monster is a game that is based around maths. Its main purpose is to extend the maths knowledge in children, by getting them to practise questions in order to reinforce it into their minds. For each correct answer, you earn points which can then be rewarded with stars, trophies etc. Each level progressively gets harder, with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions. This has been rated 4/5 on Apple Customer ratings.
- IXL Maths Practise – IXL Maths Practise is an interactive mathematics app for years from reception to year 13. It consists of a wide variety of question types, which are then rewarded with virtual prizes such as medals and certificates. This app also gives parents feedback, so they know the level that their child is working at. This app is marked at a 3.5/5 on apple customer ratings.
- BeeBot – BeeBot is initially a floor robot. However this floor robot, is an award winning one. The benefit of this app for children is that it allows them to improve their programming skills and directional language skills, this is done through sequences of directions.This app consists of 12 levels, and the further you get, the harder it gets. Therefore enhancing the child’s skills, and there is a reward of stars at completion. This has been rated at 3.5/5 on Apple customer ratings.
Although free educational apps are good, there generally comes to a point within them where you cannot proceed further onto higher levels due to having to purchase them. So, is it really worth paying the money? We believe so, yes. The small amount to pay unlocks a multitude of levels, skills and more.
Paid
- Book Creator for iPad – Book Creator for iPad enables children to create picture books, comic books, photobooks, journals etc. You can add photos and images from the iPad gallery, add music, video and your voice recordings. Along with these features, you also get a pen tool where you can annotate the book, and 50+ text fonts and colours. Once created, you can publish this into iBook store, or share it into iCloud, Google drive and Dropbox. This app has been rewarded the best educational app in the 2015 BETT Awards. It has been rated 4.5/5 on Apple customer ratings. At the price of only £3.99.
- abc PocketPhonics: letter sounds & writing – This app enables the early years to learn their letters through interactive activities. The children are shown how to write the letters by the use of an arrow key, then they trace this with their finger. The sounds are then taught through the installed voice recordings. Teachers and parents are able to monitor the child’s progression online, as well as receiving weekly updated emails. It has been rated 4.5/5 on Apple customer ratings. The price is £4.99.
- Quick Maths – Quick Maths is aimed at children 9-11 years old. This maths app will take your arithmetic skills to next level. With multiple stages and levels in the app, the difficulty increases throughout. This app provides feedback for teachers and parents. It allows the children to develop general arithmetic at their own level and speed. The game becomes addictive and therefore the new knowledge and skills is then embedded into the children’s mind. This has been rated a 4/5 on Apple customer ratings. The price is £2.49.
- Move the Turtle, Programming for kids – Move the turtle is an app which allows children to learn the beginning stages of Programming, using intuitive graphic commands. This app is designed for children aged 5+, and rewards are given to the children for succeeding in levels. You can share the procedures via public links. This app allows the child to think independently. It has not yet been rated on Apple customer ratings, however we believe this a top app. So why not give it a go? For only £2.99.
- Safari Tales, literacy skills through creative play – Safari Tales is an African adventure packed app. This app is seen through the eyes of five baby animals. There are plenty of games to play, all testing the children’s skills and knowledge. There are stickers to be collected and fossils to be found. A storybook can be filled with all of the adventures, and parents and family are able to view this. Parents are able to choose the length that the child uses this app for at one time, and are able to set a reading age. The child will develop their reading skills, learn to build sentences and create questions to ask the meerkat. This app has been rated 3.5/5 on Apple customer ratings. The price is £2.99.