Category Archives: FREE apps (for a limited time)

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Oh No Fractions!

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on no fractrions

Updated again! This app keeps getting better and better because the developer encourages teacher input. How wonderful is that –  a developer willing to listen to teachers’ needs!

Oh No Fractions! is a great FREE iPhone/iPad app for comparing and exploring fractions. The app is simple to use – kids just swipe to the right or the left to indicate whether one fraction is “greater than” or “less than” or “equal to” a second fraction. As they work, kids can tap above each fraction to see if it can be reduced/simplified – a great feature. But, one of the best features of this app is the “peek”/”prove it” feature. Kids can use a manipulative to “peek” at an answer before they commit to it or they can use the manipulative to “prove” their answer later. This feature is fabulous because it allows the child to visualize his/her answer. Kids can also use this app to practice finding the common denominator. Then they can use it for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. The app also generates corresponding decimals/percentages for each answer. What a great tool for helping kids to understand fractions!! It’s no wonder that it received the 2013 Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award.

Common Core Standards met:

  • 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).

Oh No Fractions! - Curious Hat Lab - Curious Hat

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Cursive Writing HD

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FREE again – Cursive Writing HD normally sells for $.99. This educational app shows kids how to write in cursive utilizing three modes. In the abc mode, both upper case and lower case letters are taught. Kids are shown how to trace each letter using the proper stroke sequence. This section of the app is very well-done.

In the word mode, kids are shown how letters combine to form 234 words. Then in the sentence mode kids can practice writing one of the 3 sentences provided. Or, they can type in their own sentence which is converted to cursive. What a great idea! But… the letter style (in both the word mode and the sentence mode) is not the same as the letter style of the abc mode. For example, the lower case o and b become very loopy. Many of the upper case letters are formed in completely different way than they were taught in the abc mode. Many words are not started on the base line.

After teaching cursive writing for 30 years, I know that the biggest challenge is teaching kids to properly connect the letters. This app does a nice job of teaching the individual letters in the abc mode but I have some concerns about the letter style in the word mode & the sentence mode.

Cursive Writing HD - Jiwoo Studio

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Math Animations Grades (1 – 8)…

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math animations

FREE for a limited time – Math Animations (Grades 1-8): Includes numbers, decimals, fractions, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry (perimeter and area of parallelograms, triangles, trapezoids), measurement, algebra. Elementary and Middle School Mathematics. The title says it all! The purpose of this app is to show kids how math works – visually. The app features 55 animations that explain everything from counting to beginning algebra. There are no words used. Math concepts are visually explained in step-by-step illustrations. If you have kids that need to “see” how things work, you may want to add this app to your list of teaching resources!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-animations-grades-1-8/id579825429?mt=8&uo=4

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Scruffy Kitty

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scruffy kitty

FREE today – Scruffy Kitty, an interactive story about an adorable stray cat. Kids will enjoy this brightly illustrated tale with fun interactions on every page. The story is professionally narrated in 5 languages: English, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese – perfect for kids who are bilingual or learning another language. The app also includes a sticker page. Kids can use stickers to create a picture then save their creation into the photo library. Check out the story of this cute little kitty today. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scruffy-kitty/id393514552?mt=8&uo=4

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Bord

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bod

FREE for a limited time – Bord, a chalkboard simulator without the dust! Kids can take a chalkboard with them where ever they go – to practice letters/ numbers, math equations, spelling words, or to simply color/draw. They can create using six colors and three thicknesses of chalk. There is even a sponge for erasing which leaves subtle traces of chalk. Creations can be posted to social media (Facebook, Twitter), emailed, or saved to photos. There are some parental controls (for non-readers) that are built-in. When attempting to email or post to Facebook/Twitter, the app asks you to swipe right with two fingers. All in all, Bord is aesthetically pleasing  & simple to use. It would be great for a long ride in a car, waiting at the doctor’s office, in a restaurant, etc.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bord/id398467374?mt=8&uo=4

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Spelling Test by FunExam.com

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spelling test

FREE for a limited time  – Spelling Test by FunExam.com, a cool tool for improving spelling test scores. To use this app you must create a free account by submitting your email and a password. Then you can begin creating your tests. First you name your test – short a words, days of the week, first grade/week 1, sight words/list 1, etc. I would make the name match the lesson so that your data is more meaningful. Then you type in the words – the app is case-sensitive. If you enter a proper noun, the app is going to mark it wrong without a capital letter. 🙂 Then you record the words. The app gives you enough time to also include the words’ meanings or sentences using the words – perfect for homonyms. That’s it – easy!!

Once your test has been created, kids can practice. They simply click on the test they would like to take. The words are pronounced and the kids spell them by typing them in. The app grades the test as you go  – correct words are shown in green, incorrect words in red. The correct spelling of each word is also shown. When the test is complete, the final score is shown in two ways – 5/7 and 71%. Kids are given the option of retaking the missed words or retaking all of the words. The results can be emailed. This app is fantastic – easy to use and it tracks progress. Kids would love creating their own test at the beginning of the week. Teachers could use it for phonics lessons, to teach homonyms, and more. Older students could us this app for science vocabulary, to learn foreign language words, etc. There are lots of applications (beyond spelling) for this app. Just use a bit of imagination – LOVE it!!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spelling-test-free-by-funexam.com/id426041393?mt=8&uo=4

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Counting Dots

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Counting Dots

FREE again – Counting Dots, an educational app for young iPad users. Kids learn to recognize/count numbers by popping colorful dots in this simple but visually appealing game. The app has three settings – counting by one, fives, or tens. There are also settings for sound, hinting, and enabling vibrations (iPhone only). The app is advertised as helping kids count from one to a million. I counted by ones to 20 and by tens to 100  – didn’t quite make it to a million. 🙂 This app is by the same developer that did Rain Dots (see my March 1, 2013 review). Recommended!

Counting Dots - Helping kids count from one to one million! - Ellie's Games, LLC

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Path On – Swipe to Type

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Path On

FREE today – Path On, a must-have app with many creative uses!! What does Path On do? It permits you to put text in a path across photos from your albums or taken with your device’s camera. It’s extremely simple to use. Text can be typed in a free path, square, circle, paragraph or spiral. You can also change font styles, colors, and effects. Path On is classified as a photo & video app but there are so many possibilities for using this app in education. Kids could type descriptions of themselves on their pictures, write poetry to go with an image, take photos then point out geometric shapes found in their environment, write a thank you note on a picture of them with the gift, create a timeline by using a series of pictures, create a travel log of the family vacation, and on and on and on. Creations can be saved and shared via Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter & email. WOW – what a fabulous tool!!

Path on - Peta Vision

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Sparky the Shark Funny Animated Interactive Kids Storybook HD 2.1

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sharky

FREE for a limited time – Sparky the Shark, a fun interactive story for kids. Sparky is a friendly shark who does not understand why he frightens people. He and his penguin pal, Dax, try to fix the problem by getting Sparky a new look. They try different teeth and a variety of disguises. Eventually Sparky is accepted for who he is. The app has 2 modes – “read to me” and “read it myself.” There are 90+ interactive hidden hot spots in the story for kids to discover. There is also a “fun disguises page” where kids can dress Sparky in goofy teeth, hats, ties, & googly eyes. Then they can take his photo. What a great app – a fun interactive experience with an important message about wanting to be accepted and believing in one’s self. No wonder it was a finalist in the Australian Mobile Awards!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sparky-shark-funny-animated/id478654371?mt=8&uo=4

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Mibblio

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mibblio

Mibblio is an interactive musical/storybook app for kids. Children read the illustrated story-songs called “mibblets” as they listen to the catchy tunes. They can also jam along on a variety of instruments. The app has a keyboard along the bottom of the screen with a choice of 8 different instruments. They can also use a tambourine or cowbell to tap along to the beat of the song. Some “mibblets” are based on well-known songs such as The Farmer in the Dell. Others are original compositions. The FREE download includes your choice of 1 “mibblet” with additional “mibblets” available as in-app purchases. I chose I Like ’em Sunny Side Up which was adorable!

You can preview the app and all of the “mibblets” online @Mibblio – An interactive musical children’s book app for iPad. Mibblio has been featured in Parents Magazine, Mashable, The Guardian, Wired Magazine, Gizmodo, Children’s Technology Review, and more. It was also listed on The Guardian’s “50 Best Apps for Kids from 2013 that Parents Can Trust.”

Mibblio - Mibblio

bus

And for a limited time, Wheels on the Bus, Mibblio’s #1 in-app purchase is also FREE. Here’s the link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wheels-on-the-bus-band/id820378253?mt=8&uo=4