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Shiny Bakery

bakery

FREE today – Shiny Bakery, an educational app for 2 – 5 year olds. Kids help Alice the Zebra bake then decorate cakes & cookies in her bakery. As they help, they are developing early number sense – counting, measuring, dividing, and sequencing. There is a lot of educational content packed into this fun little app. 1. Math: Kids learns to count as they add ingredients to the bowl. 2. Following directions (recipes): Kids will develop an understanding of following step-by-step directions. 3. Cause/effect: What happens when you add fish or a shoe to the cake mix? 4. Sharing/dividing: Kids have to divide the cake/share cookies equally to keep all of the customers happy because the emotions of customers vary according to what they receive. 5. Problem solving: If kids make a mistake they can try again. Shiny Kids apps are best  experienced through co-play. Parents are encouraged to play with their child and talk about their experiences – reading customers’ emotions, solving problems, sharing equally, etc. Nicely done app!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shiny-bakery/id719860179?mt=8&uo=4

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Sago Mini Bug Builder

bug buider

FREE again for a limited time – Sago Mini Bug Builder, an educational app for toddlers/preschoolers. Kids create, hatch, and play with cute little critters. They can transform 1 of 8 shapes into a colorful bug, add some color, then bring it to life. They can also add a funny hat, feed it a snack, clean up its mess, and take its picture. Kids can make unlimited number of unique bugs using this app which is very cute & creative! Older kids could create bugs to use for creative writing – a descriptive paragraph, a story, a dialog. Or, they could create 2 bugs to compare and contrast. Check out this colorful & creative app while it’s FREE!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sago-mini-bug-builder/id657821775?mt=8&uo=4

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The Bear Went Over the Mountain and 5 other LoeschWare Apps

bear

FREE for a limited time – The Bear Went Over the Mountain, a cute educational app based on the classic song by the same name. Kids join Bernie Bear as he travels over the mountain, across the desert, in a cave, under the ocean, around the moon – 8 locations in all. As they travel and sing along, kids learn about directional words. Once they arrive in a particular scene, they will learn about its geographical differences and the diversity of wildlife found there. The app also encourages kids to care for the environment and its inhabitants. Another fun feature of this app is the scrapbook. Kids can take & collect photos of their adventures with Bernie. This app has blended musical fun with academics for preschool/kindergarten aged kids!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bear-went-over-mountain-hd/id595159957?mt=8&uo=4

Also from LoeschWare for preschoolers/kindergarteners and FREE for a limited time:

Od McDonald HD: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/old-macdonald-hd/id396818866?mt=8&uo=4

Five Little Monkeys HD: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/five-little-monkeys-hd/id483498657?mt=8&uo=4

Big Top Circus: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/big-top-circus/id423485408?mt=8&uo=4

My ABC Train HD: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-abc-train-hd/id707630889?mt=8&uo=4

Word Wheel: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-wheel/id378429438?mt=8&uo=4

 

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Fractions – by Brainingcamp

fractions

FREE again – Fractions by Brainingcamp, an excellent educational app for teaching fractions. The app covers 7 topics: introduction to fractions, equivalent fractions, common denominators, comparing/ordering fractions, adding/subtracting fractions, multiplying fractions, and dividing fractions. Each topic includes: a narrated lesson (with visual models), virtual manipulatives for kids to explore, practice questions to check understanding, and a challenging game for additional practice. Kids earn badges as they work through the components of each topic.

WOW – I love everything about this app. The lessons are wonderful. The manipulatives are designed to promote understanding of the concepts presented. The practice questions give students and their teachers a check of their understanding. And, the challenging games helps kids further master the topic. It would be a fabulous for grades 3 and beyond!

Common Core State Standards met:

  • 3.NF.1. Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
  • 3.NF.3 – Explain equivalence of fractions and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size. Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3).
  • 4.NF.3 – a. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same whole.
  • 5.NF.3 – Interpret a fraction as division of the numerator by the denominator (a/b = a ÷ b).

Highly Recommended!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fractions-by-brainingcamp/id471353363?mt=8&uo=4

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News-O-Matic

news

Check out a FREE trial of News-o-Matic, an educational newspaper app for kids 7 – 11 years old. A new edition is published every Monday through Friday. Each edition features 5 articles from the news – sports, science, world news, wacky events, etc. The articles are kid-friendly and age-appropriate. Kids can read on their own or have the articles read to them. Important vocabulary words are underlined and linked to their definitions. The articles also include fun facts, a map for locating where the news is happening, videos, and games. Once registered, kids can connect to the News Room to draw pictures, express opinions, or ask questions about the news. This app helps kids become informed citizens of the world!

The FREE trial lasts for 2 weeks. After that, you must subscribe: yearly – $19.99. monthly – $1.99, or weekly – $0.99. If you subscribe before the end of your free trial, you get a special rate. Teachers, there is also a News-o-Matic School Edition. It comes with a teacher’s guide which includes discussion prompts, comprehension questions, Lexile reading levels, and more. And, it’s a great resource for non-fiction reading!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/news-o-matic-daily-reading/id578023255?mt=8&uo=4

 

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Ink Robin Story Apps

FREE for a limited time – 9 great story apps from Ink Robin Story Apps!! These apps are wonderful – great stories, fun interactivity, and great artwork! Add them to your digital bookshelf today. 🙂

Hippo

The Hippo, the Rhino, the Elephant and Me is an adorable story about a little girl and her 3 best friends. Told in rhyme and full of interactivity, the story follows the characters through a week of fun. Kids join the fun as the characters play hide & seek, make music in a band, color, pretend to be monsters, race through the house, go to the park, and last but not least – clean up their mess (an ending that parents are sure to appreciate.) The story has 2 reading modes: read it myself or read it to me. The Hippo, the Rhino, the Elephant and Me is beautifully illustrated by British artist Lisa Hunt  – a cute story that your kids are sure to enjoy!

Will & Kate

Will & Kate is a royal fairy tale. This e-book tells the story of a young prince named William (who lived in England) and a young girl named Kate. They meet, become best friends, go on adventures together, and decide to marry. Sound familiar?? Kids join the fun as the royal couple as they take a hot air balloon ride, set off fireworks to celebrate their engagement, help Kate choose her wedding dress, and attend the wedding. The story has 2 reading modes: read it myself or read it to me. The story is full of fun interactivity and is cutely done!

Will & Kate - Ink Robin, Inc

PJ’s PJs- Giraffe! is another adorable app from Ink Robin Inc. From England comes the story of Percival Jenkins, a little boy with approximately 329 pairs of pyjamas. Choosing the ones to wear is the most important decision of his day. When he puts them on, his adventures begin. In this interactive tale, he chooses to wear his giraffe pyjamas. Kids learn what it’s like to be a giraffe as they travel to Africa with Percival. Cute illustrations add to the appeal of this educational app – a fun addition to your digital library! Other titles are also available in this series.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pjs-pjs-giraffes!/id776058142?mt=8&uo=4

Also FREE PJ’s PJs- Koalas!: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pjs-pjs-koalas!/id776064004?mt=8&uo=4

LeonardLeonard is a fun interactive story about a young boy with an excellent imagination. When Leonard’s family moves from the city to the country, he is met with the challenge of finding new friends. He searches everywhere – a bug-filled forest, underwater, outer space, a safari, even his sister’s tea party. Kids join Leonard on his problem-solving adventure and encounter interactive surprises along the way. The story has 2 reading modes: read it myself or read it to me. Leonard is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story that your kids are sure to enjoy!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leonard/id508815860?mt=8&uo=4

Piccadilly's
Piccadilly’s Circus is a humorous story about a group of circus performers. In order to solve an argument about which act is the most difficult, they decide to swap acts for one night. What could possibly go wrong? Elephants try to cross a tightrope, clowns try a fire-breathing act, the monkeys are in charge of the concessions, and other such silliness. In the end, they all apologize and help put the circus back together. This story was a 2013 Parents’ Choice Award winner.
Jerry
Jerry’s Day Out is the tale of a very small bird lost in a very BIG city – New York City! Kids join Jerry as he wanders around New York meeting all sorts of characters – latte-drinking possums, chess-playing cockroaches, jazz-playing owls, and more. Like all Ink Robin apps, this one is full of interactivity that helps to engage kids. What makes this app unique is its art – Gustav Dejert’s illustrations on the backgrounds of real NYC photos.
rabbit's tale
A Rabbit’s Tale is a cute story about a rabbit named Gordon with a VERY busy life in the city. When he goes to visit his cousin Fox, he is forced to slow down a bit. Ink Robin Apps delivers another fun interactive tale that kids are sure to enjoy!

 

 

 

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KIDS DISCOVER – Galaxies

Galaxies

Galaxies by KIDS DISCOVER is FREE for a limited time! KIDS DISCOVER has been creating award-winning content for kids for over 20 years. The app features interactive 3-D models, HD videos, hands-on activities and more to teach kids all about galaxies – how they are born, the kinds of galaxies, galaxy clusters, etc. The app was chosen by Apple as “New & Noteworthy” in 2013 and has been downloaded over 75,00 times! If you love KIDS DISCOVER books, you’ll love the apps. The app normally sells for $3.99 so download it today while it is FREE. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/galaxies-by-kids-discover/id593605368?mt=8&uo=4

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Dic-Dic

Dic-Dic

FREE for a limited time – Dic-Dic. Multilingual dictation to practise spelling, writing and sound-letter matching. This educational app helps kids learn to spell common words in four different languages (English, Spanish, Russian, French) and has 3 levels of difficulty. It’s great for kids who are beginning readers/spellers in their native language and/or for kids learning a new language. All words are read by native speakers of the language. Then the child tries to spell the word by typing its letters into the blanks – great for beginning word processing. Clues can be turned on or off depending on the level of the child. If a student misspells a word, the app urges him/her to try the word again. If the word is misspelled a second time, the app spells it correctly. I love this feature – positive encouragement to try again! The app tracks the child’s progress in albums (one for each level and language) so that parents/teachers can monitor success. It also includes an extra game to reward successful players. This app is suitable for a wide range of kids – check it out while it’s free. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dic-dic.-multilingual-dictation/id643656920?mt=8&uo=4

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Leonard

Leonard

FREE again for a limited time – Leonard, a fun interactive story about a young boy with an excellent imagination. When Leonard’s family moves from the city to the country, he is met with the challenge of finding new friends. He searches everywhere – a bug-filled forest, underwater, outer space, a safari, even his sister’s tea party. Kids join Leonard on his problem-solving adventure and encounter interactive surprises along the way. The story has 2 reading modes: read it myself or read it to me. Leonard is a beautifully illustrated, sweet story that your kids are sure to enjoy!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leonard/id508815860?mt=8&uo=4

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Pan: The Fearless Beribot and Pan: Chasing the Keeper

Pan: The Fearless Beribot and Pan: Chasing the Keeper are currently FREE. These e-books are the first two in a series about Pan, a sweet purple panda on a quest to find her family. Both apps are beautifully illustrated and full of animations & interactivity. Kids can tap, swipe, and tilt their way through the story to uncover many interactive surprises. Highlighted text helps early readers follow along with the narration. Also, pictures of the characters appear next to the text to indicate who is speaking. The app is professionally narrated with great sound effects and original music. No wonder the first Pan book was named as “New & Noteworthy” by Apple – these apps are beautifully done!!

Download links: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pan-the-fearless-beribolt/id648998642?mt=8&uo=4 AND https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pan-chasing-the-keeper/id729686081?mt=8&uo=4